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The more information you can capture digitally, the more time you'll save and the more easily you can secure your information. Paper may seem more convenient in the short term, but if you look at the big picture, relying heavily on paper usually wastes time.
- Save Time Managing Information -
Once your digital filing system is set up, filing documents in the computer is much faster than filing the hard copy. Retrieval is also faster, often dramatically so. The more information you handle, the more time you'll save. Here's why:
Hard copy information presents 'where to file it' problems, especially if the information can be used in more than one way. Digital storage is easier because you can search for things electronically. Digital navigation tools include document shortcuts - perhaps clunky but functional - or a more elegant search tool such as Google Desktop.
- Information and Contact Management Software -
An important part of the less-paper office is an information or contact management program such as Outlook, Act, or Goldmine so you can track tasks, appointments, and clients as well as slice-and-dice your data in a variety of ways. But you needn't bring out the big guns - some people just type all their bits of information into a big word processing file, then locate things later by a word search. Surprisingly, for many people who struggle with disorganization, "putting everything into the computer" is their salvation. It may be counter-intuitive, but I've seen it many times!
- What to Do About the Paper You Still Need? -
If you leave papers out in plain view as a reminder, you may worry that getting the paper off your desk means "Out of sight, out of mind." If you use a digital calendar, just set a reminder to pop up at the right time.
Of course, if there's substantial hard-copy information about a task, it doesn't make sense to type it into your computer. It's more efficient to put these papers into a tickler file with a back-up reminder in your Calendar, to be on the safe side.
- Digital Storage of Information is Safer -
If you're not convinced by the time-saving benefits of the less-paper office, consider security. If there's a fire or flood in your office, any information that existed only on paper is now gone forever. In contrast, digital data is very easy to back up (once you choose your method and get into the habit) and it can be retrieved in a flash. I've tried many online back-up services, and I've found MozyPro (www.mozy.com) to be the best. Your mileage may vary.
Speaking of habits, admittedly it takes time to get into the habit, whenever you need to jot something down, of reaching for the keyboard instead of pencil and paper. But it doesn't mean giving up all your familiar systems. For example, if you like to color-code your paper calendar (such as staff meetings in blue, client work in green, tentative appointments in yellow), most computer calendar programs allow you to make appointments different colors, so you can continue to color-code your appointments.
Copyright Jan Jasper 2008
- Save Time Managing Information -
Once your digital filing system is set up, filing documents in the computer is much faster than filing the hard copy. Retrieval is also faster, often dramatically so. The more information you handle, the more time you'll save. Here's why:
Hard copy information presents 'where to file it' problems, especially if the information can be used in more than one way. Digital storage is easier because you can search for things electronically. Digital navigation tools include document shortcuts - perhaps clunky but functional - or a more elegant search tool such as Google Desktop.
- Information and Contact Management Software -
An important part of the less-paper office is an information or contact management program such as Outlook, Act, or Goldmine so you can track tasks, appointments, and clients as well as slice-and-dice your data in a variety of ways. But you needn't bring out the big guns - some people just type all their bits of information into a big word processing file, then locate things later by a word search. Surprisingly, for many people who struggle with disorganization, "putting everything into the computer" is their salvation. It may be counter-intuitive, but I've seen it many times!
- What to Do About the Paper You Still Need? -
If you leave papers out in plain view as a reminder, you may worry that getting the paper off your desk means "Out of sight, out of mind." If you use a digital calendar, just set a reminder to pop up at the right time.
Of course, if there's substantial hard-copy information about a task, it doesn't make sense to type it into your computer. It's more efficient to put these papers into a tickler file with a back-up reminder in your Calendar, to be on the safe side.
- Digital Storage of Information is Safer -
If you're not convinced by the time-saving benefits of the less-paper office, consider security. If there's a fire or flood in your office, any information that existed only on paper is now gone forever. In contrast, digital data is very easy to back up (once you choose your method and get into the habit) and it can be retrieved in a flash. I've tried many online back-up services, and I've found MozyPro (www.mozy.com) to be the best. Your mileage may vary.
Speaking of habits, admittedly it takes time to get into the habit, whenever you need to jot something down, of reaching for the keyboard instead of pencil and paper. But it doesn't mean giving up all your familiar systems. For example, if you like to color-code your paper calendar (such as staff meetings in blue, client work in green, tentative appointments in yellow), most computer calendar programs allow you to make appointments different colors, so you can continue to color-code your appointments.
Copyright Jan Jasper 2008