Attack paper clutter – set a purge schedule
Do you regularly clean out your files? Do you go through and toss everything that you no longer need so you can make room for the more important files? You should be. But it can be a huge task.
I recently cleared out seven years of files (my old job). I had culled things each time I moved offices, but there was still a lot of paper that would make no sense to anyone but me. So I filled up a couple of recycling bins (small ones, mind you, but still!).
I tried to do it over the course of a few weeks since I knew well in advance that I’d be leaving. It was still a monumental task. One that I should have been doing more regularly. As in quarterly.
You probably don’t need to purge files weekly or even monthly. But once a quarter would be a good goal. Set up a calendar reminder for every three months. If you know that a certain time of the month is slower than others, schedule it then.
And then what? Well, you clean out your files. Of course. Go through your drawers and toss all the extra receipts that you were just saving until you reconcile your bank account. Make sure you’re not keeping any stray pieces of paper that were just “interesting” or a “someday” thing. If you haven’t looked at them in the last three months, you probably never will.
Just make sure you keep important papers and anything you’ll need for tax time or legal reasons.
Throw out any bill inserts that you don’t need. Recycle or donate any magazines that are hanging around. Scan papers you may need for future reference, or toss them if you already have an electronic copy.
The main idea is to set a schedule for cleaning your files so you don’t have to take a full weekend (or more!) once a year to de-clutter. Keeping on top of things saves you time and keeps your business organized!
Image: Rob! (creative commons)