Reducing Inputs: Paper
Wednesdays are simplicity days at SimpleProductivity blog.
We’ve been looking at ways to reduce the amount of stuff coming at us in order to make it more manageable. Last week we looked at email accounts and email. This week we will examine how to reduce the amount of paper in our lives.
Paper was long the storage mechanism of choice. Before the internet and widespread access of computers, paper was the only way to transmit lots of information long distance. But that has changed. Unfortunately, paper is still following us around, and can swamp us if we’re not careful.
Go Paperless
Many places that send bills are now offering paperless statements. Instead of an envelope every month with a statement in it, you receive an email containing a PDF or a link to a PDF of your statement.
If your utilities, credit cards, banks or other merchants offer paperless systems, sign up for it. You will get rid of many pieces of paper. If you really need one of those on paper, you can always print it.
Kill Catalogs
Buy one thing, and the next thing you know, you are getting catalogs not only from that company, but possibly other companies related to it.
Sure, catalogs can be fun to look at, but if you don’t buy things from the merchant, why not save yourself the hassle of having to dispose of the catalog?
Catalogs can be controlled through the Direct Merchant’s Association, or through a service like Catalog Choice.
Don’t Print
How many pieces of paper do you print, just to toss? Do you really need to print those pieces of paper?
Sometimes we can eliminate the printing because we don’t need it. Other times we may be able to find an alternative to printing, such as opening the document in another window, or putting it on another device.
Ask People To Email You
This tip is effective on two different levels…by asking people to email you the information, you get the information electronically instead of paper.
It has also been my experience that most people forget when asked to email, so that has the effect of taking things out of your email as well.
Asking people to email you the paper gives you the ability to classify and store the information so that you can find it later, instead of having to search around in filing cabinets or piles.
Enter On Your Phone
Most phones these days have the ability to do data entry straight into calendars or phone books. Most phones these days also have a camera attached.
Using your phone to capture information that you know needs to go somewhere else — which would normally be put down on paper and then discarded — can eliminate the paper. Either enter the information directly into the program, or take a photo of it for future processing and email it to yourself.
Evaluate Your Media
Lastly, let’s take a look at the newspapers and magazines. They might arrive through the mail, or they might arrive via purchase.
How many do you have? Do you actually read them? If you don’t read them, cancel them (and don’t try to tell yourself that you need to hang on to them because paid good money for them…). Recycle your backlog, and be free!
It’s straightforward to reduce your paper inputs: get paperless with bills, kill catalogs, don’t print things out, ask people to email you, use your smartphone to capture information, and evaluate your paper media. Do all that and watch the paper vanish!
Reducing Your Inputs: Email
