Taming Your Paper Tiger

If you have stacks of paper covering your desk, it's time to tame your paper tiger. Create and retain paper documents only when you absolutely must.  When possible, prepare electronic versions of documents and file them away  on your computer system.

If you need to create paper documents, design a filing system that allows for fast retrieval of those documents when needed.  Here are some design clues:

Categorize. Sort files by major categories, for example, prospects, clients, contacts, vendors, research.

Alphabetize. Let's face it, the alphabet is something we all know and feel at ease using. Within each major category, keep files in alphabetical order. This will enable you and your assistant or collegaues to find filed information more quickly.

Colorize. I use color folders to help distinguish major categories. I use mailla folders for on-going client work, blue files for travel documents, green files for expense records and red files for priority projects.

Label. Get a label maker and create labels using bold, block lettering that is easy to read.

One more thought: Remember, it's almost always more difficult to find a file that's been stacked than one that's been filed. Use filing drawers and cabinets to hold all your files, and avoid stacking files upon your desk.  

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