Paperwork has a way of building up if you are not careful about taking care of it regularly. And it does not matter terribly much if said paperwork is on physical paper or not; digital builds up almost faster than physical these days, at least for me. The physical stuff is just a bit more obvious in its existence and pervasiveness.
In the process of becoming more organised (a process which is ongoing and likely perpetual), I have tried a variety of strategies for dealing with my paperwork in all its varieties. Some strategies have been more useful than others, but I have yet to find the ‘magic bullet’ strategy, the one that will always work, no matter what the situation. Of course, I am fairly certain that strategy does not actually exist, so I make do as best I can with what I have.
The other night I did a “desk day” session, gathering up various bits and pieces of paper, unopened mail, &c. that I had in my room and going through them. I also pulled down my box of receipts and attempted to impose some level of organisation upon them. That was less successful, though I did get some basic sorting done, at least. And I have all the most current receipts on top of the pile . . . that’s something, right?
The goal of a desk day is reasonably straightforward: reduce the overall amount of paperwork to manageable levels and stay on top of things as they come due. I am fairly certain I can get on top of the physical paperwork. Now I just need to work out a solid plan for tackling the digital piles. While they take up no physical space they do take up quite a lot of mental space that could be better used for other things.
