Keeping your home, your workplace, your car, your family or even your purse organized can be overwhelming…and then add your computer on top of all of that – wow! Between cell phones, twitter, facebook, e-mail, and Google we live in a world of extreme multitasking when it comes to organizing our electronic habits. On top of the flood of electronic information there is a rush of bills, reminders, business cards, permission slips, and papers to file that quickly turn into mountains of papers that we call the “I’ll get to that later” pile. By getting organized electronically we can conquer the paper mountain that has built up around us.
First develop a system for the incoming mail. Toss the junk immediately…don’t let it hit your desk or kitchen counter – only the waste bin.
Reduce the flow of incoming paper. Do this by signing up for e-mail notifications and online banking (opt out of receiving paper bills or credit card statements). This not only reduces the inflow of paper but also helps you find old bills or bank statements more quickly. Rather than sorting through the mountain of papers you can log in and find the credit card statement from April in just seconds! It’s that easy.
Scan and file important receipts or documents electronically. Be sure to store valuable documents in a fireproof safe or bank deposit box. This is also good for storing your kids’ artwork and school papers. Rather than keeping every drawing and ‘A+’ test for your child scan and save them on your computer. This will save a lot of space in the attic or memory box!
Toss all those tiny business cards. But first capture all that contact information electronically by either scanning the cards or typing the contact information into an “address book” database. Include your accountant, dentist and business colleagues. Keeping this information is part of networking and you never know when you may need it. Business cards are easily lost and create clutter if not properly stored so solve both problems by storing the information electronically and recycling the business cards.
Once all this is done your mountain should be much smaller! Don’t forget to back up your information on your computer – this ensures that all your files are safe. There are many companies that provide this service or you could simply invest in a separate hard drive. Organizing your life digitally will help get your paper more organized too – it’s a win-win!
For more information:
Ready Aim Organize - professional organizer serving the Baltimore/D.C. area
National Association of Professional Organizers
A Second Email Account to Get Free Stuff
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