Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Stop the paper trail!

I was under the impression that the computer age was going to diminish the paper in our offices. But it may have gotten worse.

Do you fear that documents may get lost on the computer, so you print everything. Stuff you may never refer to again.
Print. Print. Print.

But now you’ve created another job for yourself.
Shred. Shred. Shred.

Piles and stacks of paper everywhere. Some of you are drowning in a sea of paper.
So before you hit “Print”, stop and think:

1. Will I really need to refer back to this document again?
2. Do I have the filing space to save this document properly and find it when I need it?
3. Or could I save this on my computer or flash drive in case I need it in the future?
4. If you need to print, then use recycled paper and recycle your shredded papers.
5. Keep your to-do list on your computer calendar or smart phone to limit the post-its and scraps of paper littering your home and office.

I'd love to hear from you. Let me know how you keep paper from taking over your office.

3 comments:

phillis Brooks said...

Great information, thank you Kim

Kim @ new leaf - the art of organizing said...

How are you coming along on your office? I'm here to help you.

nora leona said...

We have this problem in my office - I'll send a link to an article and someone will print it off and give me a copy!
The papers I'm swimming in aren't even generated by me!