3 Quick Tips to Get Through a Pile of Papers!

Ever feel like you'll never get through that pile of paper on your desk?  It's one of the most dreaded tasks in your office, probably.  And if you don't deal with it, it just gets bigger and bigger.  Well, time to tackle your worst office fear!  Here are 3 tips that will make plowing through your paper piles easier:

1. Starting from the top of the pile, pick up each item and if it's trash, shred or recycle it.  If you need to keep it, decide where it goes and put it there.  Does it need to be filed?  File it now.  Is it something for a coworker to handle?  Delegate it now.   If it's an old magazine or newspaper, be honest with yourself about the likelihood of actually reading it.  If you know you're not going to, let it go.
2. As you're sorting through the papers, categories may emerge.  That's good!  If there are several papers pertaining to the same topic, keep them together until you get through and deal with them all at once. 
3. After you've filed, tossed, and delegated as much as possible, with what's left you can create a permanent home for each remaining category of items depending on what they are and how often you'll need to access the information.  It's ok to create a temporary file for tasks that will have a definite ending, as opposed to ongoing projects that will need a permanent file.

These are quick tips to help you clear off your desk a bit and to help you move through your paper piles.  It's possible that one of these days you'll want to seriously evaluate your workflow system and filing system to see if there are ways to become more efficient and productive.  Most people can benefit from improving their office organization, even if it's just a little bit.  After all, if you're not well organized, then the likelihood of the dreaded paper pile returning is pretty good.