You got this pile of paper, a monster pile that that’s real ugly, taking up space and stressing you out. magazines, pamphlets, bulletins, receipts, notes, ahhrrrg. WHERE DO I START?!
Hey, chillax, take a deep breath.. It looks like you need to get a handle on this, so it’s time to get cracking. Here’s simple, straightforward method to get your papers sorted using the FAST method.
FAST: File Action Shred Toss.
You’re going to break your Goliath mess of papers into four manageable piles.
Step 1. Quick Prep
Setup an area where you’ll stack your four piles, this could be on the floor next to your desk. Better yet setup 4 boxes or bags each with their respective label ( File Action Shred Toss).
Step 2. Eliminate Distraction
It’s time to fight the paper pile beast! The only way your going to win this battle is to cut out the distraction. Turn off the phone, the computer email alerts, turn off the TV and radio. No multi tasking you must focus!
If you think that some power music will get you going, then by all means; but any talk radio is out, it’s a distraction.
** Bonus tip: Set a timer for 40min, that’s it; I challenge you to 40 min of uninterrupted organizing of papers. After the 40 min is up and you’re still not done, take a 10min break and come back and set your timer for another 40 min;
Step 3. Sort baby, sort!
Pick up hand full of paper and as if your where dealing cards put each piece of paper into its appropriate labeled area:
File: Anything that needs to be archived for future use
Action: Unpaid bills and invoices, Letters that require response, Registrations, coupons you’re going to use.
Shred: These are papers that are no longer useful but have confidential information on them.
** My rule of thumb is if it has my name on it, I shred it. Now don’t shred it in the organization process the point is to just get it into piles first.
Toss: Old magazines, Old flyers, all types of junk mail. Let it go
Hey! Avoid the time grabbing pitfalls!
Curiosity may have not killed every cat but I’m certain statically it killed a more then we know about. Curiosity into the material your sorting is going to kill your time and ultimately your success in completing this task.
Before you know it your reading those Dilbert comics you cut out of the paper a month ago *he he*. Now your reading and getting all sentimental on that birthday card you got from Aunt May; and guess what?! TIMES UP! Your performance is awful!
Look I don’t mean to be harsh, but paper pile up is a result of unorganized behavior. Let’s get organized and let’s be serious.
Resist the urge to read into the papers your sorting, don’t thing about how it will be filed later filed later.
Instead Focus; Ask yourself is this File, Action, Shred or Toss.. Quickly, now quicker, aim for 1 second a page glance and then place, glance and place..
Got it? Good!
I just kungfoo’ed my ugly pile to oblivion, now what?
Yay! Give yourself a round of applause. Take a bow. Here, have a cookie. You deserve it you keener you.
Take toss pile and put it in the paper recyle bin; now go hug a tree.
Take your shred pile and run it through the shredder, then into the paper recycle bin; go hug another tree.
What’s left: Your Action and File piles.
I’ll be covering how to manage your Action and File piles in upcoming posts. So stay tuned!
