Paperwork – such a simple word that creates great anxiety to so many people! This time we'll lead you step by step through your paperwork mess. Again and again I hear comments like: "I don’t know where to save the Files …" "What folders do you recommend to buy?" "How often should I file?" These questions are good but shouldn’t be asked at the beginning of the paperwork process. Step One: As it may sound funny, when handling the Paperwork, our first Step is to take the Trash bag and put it close to us. Publicity Flyers flood your mailbox? Take a quick look at them and throw them into the Trash. Open your mail! Many people – more than you think, do not open their mail! They act so out of fear and due to real concern that they may have to deal with it later on. But in fact after we open the envelope and reveal the content, we realize that it isn’t so bad and nothing will jump out of the envelope and bite us. The empty envelopes go straight into the trash. After wards, go over the contents cursorily and again, throw away all advertising material that comes along with the Bills. Now that you completed the first Step, you will see that the remaining Pile is significantly smaller and so much less intimidating. Step Two: You have to remember that the concept of “Paperwork” is very comprehensive and therefore is it important to simplify the meaning. What do you mean when you say "Paperwork"? We start by sorting the paperwork into various Topics (Categories). Paperwork may include, for example: a. Different Accounts, Bills. b. Educational material. c. Professional material. d. Different newspapers, Catalogs etc. c. Children's Kinder garden drawings and others. It differs with each Person, according to his/her Lifestyle and Profession. Throughout the Process, we go over the materials again and remove the unnecessary ones. I'm sure that you will be glad to know, that most of the paperwork is only informational and can be filed without
a second thought.
Step Three: Once we have categorized and organized the paperwork by Topics, we can proceed to the filing process. Filing methods – It is necessary that you understand that there isn't only one right Method. Everyone should find the convenient technique that suits him/her. In principle, I recommend to simplify things as much as possible. The baseline is: large Folders (A4), which we separate with dividers. Each Folder will be used for a particular Topic. Basic Folders that are recommended in every Home: One Folder for Bills, One for Warranty Certificates (along with operating instructions and Invoice), another Binder for Pension and Insurance policies and so on. Again you should remember to adjust the Binders to the Needs of your Home. Meaning, If you have five different Credit Cards, you should have a separate Folder for this Subject, but if you have only one Pension plan, one Credit Card and one Bank Account, you may consider combining them in only one Binder under "Financials" and separate them with Dividers. In any case is it important to write down, on the outside of the Folder, all the content Data. Documents can be added to the Folders after perforating them or alternatively put into plastic wraps in order to add more later on. How often should you file? Filing should take a few minutes every week. Minutes I said? Indeed. When we constantly sort and divide our Mail and Documents on an ongoing daily basis, we'll need only a few minutes each time to file the few documents which we really need into the right Folders. It is very important to storage the Paperwork in one place! If there is no office Room, then one of the kitchen drawers will also do the job. Either way, avoid scattering it throughout the house or gather them in Plastic bags without separating them. Catalogs, Brochures and Magazines can be kept in an orderly manner according to Dates and Types in a Newspaper Stand. Avoid piles of Newspapers Shreds from Yesterday (the Day before Yesterday, last Week …) If you really, but I mean really want to keep a piece of information from Yesterdays News, scan the section and save it on the computer. Every home should have a separate Folder / File containing important Documents that we do not need to touch
often, such as Birth and marriage Certificates, various Professional Certificates and Documents.
Keep a "Trey" (Paper Tray) at a corner of your Work space (even if your Work space is the Kitchen Table) where the material that requires immediate treatment can be piled. Tax Bills or Fines should be classified as immediate Issues. The new Cheesecake Recipe should find its way into the personal Recipe Book Folder and not be kept in the urgent treatment Trey. I often encounter with People who are afraid to throw away Documents in case they might throw an important one mistakenly. This however only intensifies the amount of Paperwork and of course increases the Problem of loosing control. If you are having difficulty to cope with the Bills and fear "to miss" significant Payments, choose to pay through a direct Bank debit or via Credit Card. In general, use the Benefits of the technological Developments and especially the Internet. Today you can get detailed Information on almost any Subject and even receive it using online web Mail (email). For example, Cellular phone Bills and Invoices, as well as Results of blood tests from your Doctor and more.
Once Again, a significant reduction in the amount of our Paperwork. On the other hand, technological Innovations flooded us with a variety of Passwords, User Names and Codes. Sadly, we do not always remember them or the Note on which we wrote them. Keep a small Notebook or a simple School Notebook near your Computer and write all the above Information inside. Every time you join a new service, add the relevant Info into the Notebook. Art creations and Paintings from School and Kinder garden – are also a kind of Paperwork. We will dedicate for each Child its own Folder where we will keep the selected works. At the end of each Year it is recommended to do another sorting. Eventually we would like to keep very few Items with special meaning. The first colored Painting, a Test with high score and so on. You can also photograph the works! Please Notice: Paperwork and personal Documents, Financial reports, etc. should be put into the Trash only after you made sure that there is no possibility of identifying their Owners. To remove worries and avoid the need to rip a large amount of Papers, you may want to purchase a Home / Office paper shredder. Today, a Shredder can be found in many Stores, in different Sizes and a Price Range that everyone can afford. The Gross waste Bag can be thrown into the Paper cycle Tanks nearby.
