Is going paperless a realistic goal for you? What’s the reason you want to go paperless?
Is it to be more mobile, work from anywhere, get rid of the stacks of papers, or have information on demand from your computer?
Whatever it is, take a few minutes to decide what going paperless will look like for you. Paper organization is a process; getting clear on your vision from the start will save you a lot of time!
Making the decision to go paperless is a great step in the right direction. But it isn’t a single step… going paperless is a process.
Even after I thought I had cleared everything, I still find it is important to keep going back in and clearing more out! Staying organized is about staying on top of your systems.
What’s Your Goal for Going Paperless?
Initially, my goal in going paperless was to be completely mobile. To be able to do business and work from anywhere in the world. My goal expanded to giving team access to documents, videos, and photos.
In this transition I had to learn new technology, set up new systems, and schedule time in my calendar for this goal. I also had to be ruthless with myself on what books, papers, magazines, articles, office supplies, and binders I really needed to keep in my office.
These are questions you must ask yourself, too.
Why Keep Paper in a Digital World?
This is a question that everyone is going to have a different answer for.
How comfortable are you with learning and using technology?
Some prefer the touch and feel of paper and others just want it completely out of their life so they don’t have to manage it at all. In all my years of organizing offices, homes, and small businesses, I have yet to see a completely paperless office. So get clear on what “paperless” means to you.
Where Do I Put Papers I Keep?
Depending on how much paper you have left after deciding what stays and goes, you may want to use binders kept on a shelf or in a smaller filing cabinet.
Create a space for your “Project Files” and your “Reference Files.”
Project files are active and need to be close at hand. Reference files contain information that you may need to refer to from time-to-time. You can keep those in a filing cabinet, binders, or your office.
I went from four lateral filing drawers down to two small file drawers – and it feels great! In those two filing drawers are only what I need in paper format for a few current projects, a few business reference files, and personal documents. Whenever I can, I purge a file or eliminate a project folder.
The paper files in my cabinet are not papers that I want to scan, but those that I want to have in their original formats. I may change my mind one-day, but for now I’m happy with this.
Project management apps to help you go paperless with all the projects you’re working on are:
- Asana
- Trello
- ClickUp
- OneNote
- Evernote
- Monday
My personal favorite is Asana and it has given me the freedom to share projects with my team which gives me peace of mind that tasks aren’t slipping through the cracks.
For simple to lists, planning a celebration, and errands, my personal preference is GoogleKeep.
Get Clear On Your Vision for Paperless
Going paperless is a process and it doesn’t happen overnight. Just like building a home!
You first have a vision and draw up a plan, then hire a contractor to build your home. After many, many months of making a lot of decisions and following through on completing task after task, you finally have reached your move-in day. And you get to walk through your front door into your new dream home!
So, what is your vision for going paperless?
Paint that picture in your mind, write out your desired outcome, and schedule time to follow through with it. Then complete all the tasks it will to take in organizing your space so you have less paper!
If you want to take it a step further or need some more guidance, my Organize Your Household Papers will give you a jump start on organizing your paper in your office, home, and life! You’ll get all of my trade secrets and the steps to set up your organizing systems. Really everything you’d need to be organized and manage the paper files taking up too much space in your life!
