Losing a piece of paper can cost you piece of mind, a harmonious relationship, valuable time, an account, a promotion, or even your job! October is National Clean-Out Your Files Month -- a great time to face the facts about paper.
According to research sited by Abigail Sellen and Richard Harper in The Myth of the Paperless Office (MIT Press 2002), by the year 2005 there will be 50% more paper in offices than there was in 1995. In addition, the average person spends over 150 hours a year looking for misplaced information. It's clear that the concept of the paperless office is a myth, not to be realized in our lifetime. But let's face it! Check out the homes and offices all over America and it is imminently clear that using traditional filing methods, the problem of managing paper will never be solved. There simply aren't enough human resources to make file labels and put files in alphabetical order!
An international office products company did a study which rated filing as the most hated job in the office. (I hope they didn't pay much for that survey!) But the problem is much bigger than that! Here's the real question: "How do you find the information in the filing system about the company car?" Is it "car," "auto," "vehicle," or "Ford?" And then when you want the insurance policy for that car, is it "car insurance," "insurance - car," or "State Farm?" The only person who knows is the person who filed it - and he was laid off months ago (or maybe it was your spouse who just can't understand why you can't find anything in the files yourself!)
The solution is simple: a numerical filing system. When many people think of a numerical filing system, they think of a hierarchal system, such as the Dewey Decimal system. A hierarchal system presents its own set of problems. If a book is about anthropology and sociology, where does it go in the hierarchy? Taming the Paper Tiger solves this challenge, and lots of other filing challenges as well, by using a random numerical system.
More importantly, The Paper Tiger system is not just a filing software program - it is a filing methodology which can turn any non-functioning filing system into an effective "finding system!"
Here are three of the most important Paper Tiger principles:
Today's mail is tomorrow's pileT.
If you ordered Taming the Paper Tiger, installed it on your computer (or maybe it's still on your shelf?), you're missing the chance of a lifetime. Research shows that 80% of what we keep we never use, so ignore the old piles, the filing systems that don't work - and start over! With The Paper Tiger, you can use the File Clean-Out Report to keep the new filing system ship-shape.
Clutter is postponed decisions®. Do you ever sit down and your desk, or look at the kitchen counter, and say, "OK, today's the day - I'm going to clean up this mess!" You pick up the first piece of paper, and wonder "Should I keep this?" "How long should I keep this?" "What should I call this?" "How can I find it when I need it?" - Or the really big one, "How will I even remember I have it?"
Think FAT: File, Act or Toss The good news is you have only three options - File, Act, or Toss. For practical reasons, let's reverse the order. 1. Toss: Ask yourself, "What's the worst possible thing that would happen if I didn't have this?" Can you live with your answer, toss or recycle it! 2. Act: Is the ball in your court to do something? Pay a bill, plan a meeting, research a problem, solve a problem. In Paper Tiger, this is an Action File - and you'll find 60 Action tabs in your Paper Tiger kit. (Use the "Category" field to identify your Top 10 actions.) 3. File: You don't know if you'll ever need this again, but you simply don't have the nerve to throw it away. Not a problem. Your Paper Tiger kit comes with 320 Reference File tabs. Group items of interest in their largest category first, and use keywords to remind you what's there. When the file gets too bulky, start another one.
If you're concerned that a numerical system in general or The Paper Tiger system in particular, won't work in your home or office, let's talk! Give us a call at 800-427-0237 or send an e- mail to barbara@ProductiveEnvironment.com.
© Barbara Hemphill is the author of Kiplinger's Taming the Paper Tiger at Work and Taming the Paper Tiger at Home and co-author of Love It or Lose It: Living Clutter-Free Forever. The mission of Hemphill Productivity Institute is to help individuals and organizations create and sustain a productive environment so they can accomplish their work and enjoy their lives. We do this by organizing space, information, and time. We can be reached at 800-427-0237 or at www.ProductiveEnvironment.com
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