Tossing and Turning

"The real question is, why do you want it? What are you going to do with it? That's where you've got to start; otherwise you're going to waste a lot of money."

These are the words of Francis Carincross in her book 'The Company of the Future'. She tries to answer the question many of us have about saving paper.

Regardless of the fact that we have been talking about the 'paperless society' since the early 1970's, the truth of the matter is that there is more paper than ever before. In fact, a Xerox survey tells us we will have 50% more paper in 2005 than we had in 1995. And we don't know where it will go from there.

Letting go of paper
Letting go of paper is harder than it seems. Many companies have tried to go 'paperless' citing increased productivity and lower costs as the gain. However, employees are still ordering filing cabinets. Why? Because most of us have an emotional attachment to the paper. Even work-related papers.

I am talking about fond memories of papers relating to a project or person with whom you were associated. Or those marketing pieces you just can't throw away.

Then there is the concern that if the paper gets tossed, you will subsequently need it. Consider that most of us don't know what is inside our file cabinets to begin with. Is it really bringing you value? Would you lose your job if you didn't have many of those documents?

More than just a feeling
We fear that if it gets tossed we will somehow 'miss it' or 'suffer the consequences'. There are 18,000 pieces of paper in a full four-drawer file cabinet. We only use 20%. Re-read Frances Cairncross' words at the top of this page. If you can answer the questions honestly, you will probably start clearing out your filing cabinet, eliminate waste and clutter, save time and maintain only that which you actually use and need. Have you ever thought about a company-wide records retention policy and annual clean-out day?

It is one thing to organize and maintain a filing system, but the truth is that many of us put papers in files because we can't seem to make a decision about the document's true disposition. Outcome? Paper clutter. Time mismanagement. Money wasted. Frustration.

And don't forget those digital files. The keyword here is?delete.

Copyright 2001. Cynthia Kyriazis. All rights reserved.

Cynthia Kyriazis is an organizing and time management consultant, trainer, speaker, coach and author with over 20 years management experience in multi-unit corporations. Organize it, a division of Productivity Partners, Inc. is an organizational training firm she founded in 1995 and has been serving Fortune 500 clients ever since. Cynthia works with business and their employees to help improve performance and realize productivity gains.

Cynthia has appeared in the Philadelphia Inquirer, Kansas City Star and the Legal Intelligencer. She currently serves as Secretary on the Board of Directors for the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO), member of the National Speakers Association (NSA), member of the Kansas City of the International Society for Performance Improvement ? (ISPI-KC) and consultant to the American Coaching Association.

---

Getting Organized - Getting Fit

In a speech entitled "Organized Living in a Disorganized World"... Read More

Ending The Morning Madness

Back-to-school time ? what does that mean to you? For... Read More

Getting Things Done: A Guide To Next-Action Lists

Getting Things Done (GTD), is a productivity methodology designed by... Read More

Organization Tips - How to Set Up Your Database

What's in a Name?Everything.What do you do with all the... Read More

Family Management Tip #2: Choosing the Right Organizer for Your Family

What method do you currently use to organize your family?... Read More

Create A Working Mail Center

I talk about the mail a lot in my newsletter,... Read More

How Can I Deal With It All?

Are you feeling overwhelmed? Have a to-do list a mile... Read More

10 Simple Ways to Clear Clutter from Your Home and Office

There is nothing worse then spending ten minutes looking for... Read More

Common Clutter Culprits- How to Bust Through Clutter

Paper1. You may already be in the habit of filing... Read More

Keep, Get Rid Of, Or Not Sure?

Cleaning out can seem overwhelming -- especially if it's been... Read More

9 Simple Strategies for Home Organization

Home organization means being able to find your stuff when... Read More

Tired of Endless Chores and To-Dos? Stop Running Around in Circles and Enjoy Life Again

Do you feel like you are running around in circles,... Read More

Just How Organized Are You? Take This Quiz For Individuals

The Productive Environment Scorecard?Read the statements below and rate your... Read More

Three Effortless Ways to Win the Paperwork Battle

Buried under mountains of paperwork from your company? Do the... Read More

Five Simple Tips to Get Organized Today!

Take time to declutter this summer...Writing can certainly consume the... Read More

Creating The Perfect Closet

Your closet is often the first thing you see in... Read More

Organized Living-Secrets About Your Lifes Hidden Power Revealed

An organized living lifestyle can cause you to weed out... Read More

Improve Your Workplace to Make Your Life Better

What does "quality of life" mean to you? If you... Read More

Relieve Vacation Stress By Planning Ahead

Cindy looks at the calendar and sighs. Ah, the end... Read More

Ten Signs That Your Life Is Cluttered

How do you know if you need to clean out?... Read More

Letting Go of Clutter In Your Office

Some people would say I'm the last person in the... Read More

Get Organized: 10 Universal Laws

The Law of the 1st StepA good first step in... Read More

The Psychology of Being Organized

Individuals who are organized in their personal lives most generally... Read More

Give Up Control to Get Control

For some reason, Americans think they have something to prove... Read More

Clutter Control

Remember when you charged into the office that first day,... Read More

Four Tips For Clearing The Clutter

Spring?. Fresh breezes through open windows, sleeping trees come awake... Read More

Compartmentalize

The word "compartmentalize" means to separate into distinct parts. I... Read More

What Clutter Clearing Can Do For You

You can get a pretty good idea of the benefits... Read More

Creative Storage Solutions

When the things in your home start crowding in around... Read More

Breathing Life Into Dead Spaces

"I don't have enough room!" -- this is a common... Read More

Heres A Great Way To Organize Your Work From Home Office Virtually

How to do keep track of all you have to... Read More

Your Organizing DNA

Do you like storing your papers on top of your... Read More

The True Definition of an Organization

The true definition of an organization is one that is... Read More