Are you overwhelmed with the amount of paper you have in your office? That paper might be:
on your desk in your file cabinet stashed in 'banker's boxes' stuffed in stack trays sitting on chairs banished to a credenza or resting in any number of other places
Kids Toy Bin
This paper is all just sitting there because you aren't making decisions about what to do with it. This article is not about filing, it's about getting rid of the massive amount of paper that you (and your colleagues) are keeping in the office. Statistically, 80 - 90% of it will never be used, needed, or accessed again.
Since that is the case, take a look at the questions below. You can use these questions to help you when making the decisions about what to keep and what to dump, just in case you need some support in doing so.
First, ask the question, "Do I Really Need to Keep This?" To help you answer this question, ask each of the questions shown below. Note: Whenever you answer enough "no's" to the questions and you now have the clear message that it's OK to get rid of an item, then there is no need to go further. Just dump that paper, file, notebook, etc. into the recycle bin and move on to the next item.
Have I used this item recently? Can I see myself using it in the near future? Can I identify a specific circumstance when I would want this information? Could someone else use this now or in the future? Does it significantly enhance my work or my life? Did I ask for this information? Is this the only place the information is available? Would it be difficult or expensive to replace or reacquire this information? Is the information recent enough to be useful, i.e., is the information timely? Is the information quality information? Are there any tax or legal implications? Do I want this item? What is the worst possible thing that could happen if I didn't have this item?
The last question happens to be my very favorite and has allowed me (encouraged me) to discard a fair amount of physical items.
These questions are compiled and adapted from various questions that are shared in books such as Silver's Organized to Be the Best, Hemphill's Taming the Paper Tiger, and Dorff's File....Don't Pile! For People Who Write.