Managing Your Mail

Most of us are drowning in paper these days. For many of us, a large piece of the paperwork puzzle is the stuff that just keeps coming - the mail! Don't get me wrong, some mail is good, but if you're like most people, you get more mail than you need or want. If you don’t have a good way to manage and maintain it, it will just keep piling up. Here are some tips to make your mail maintenance quick and easy.

• Make time everyday to open and read the mail.
• Open mail in one area with all your tools and supplies.
• Have a wastebasket and recycling bin nearby to toss unnecessary items immediately.
• Make decisions as you open the mail...

Scan the contents of each piece and process it appropriately. Immediately:

• Recycle/toss all unwanted solicitations.
• Recycle/toss the outside envelope and inserts that come with every bill.
• Scan each catalog and if nothing interests you, recycle it.­

Take the remaining pieces and sort into the following categories:

• To Pay
• To Do
• To File
• To Read

A desk top file is a great way to contain your follow up categories - just be sure to regularly set aside time to take the follow up action. Take time each day to maintain your system and you’ll never be drowning in paper again!

Don't Toss, Recycle!

Does your office have a paper recycling program? If not, it's easy to set one up. There are many recycling companies that will pick up barrels of paper for a small fee. In Massachusetts, I am a fan of Earthworm recycling. But, there are companies nationwide. All you need to do is make a phone call, order some plastic recycling bins (or put a sign on regular trash bins to designate them as paper only), and put them under everyone's desk. I first did this at a small company (40 employees) I worked for 10 years ago. A few people teased me, and my boss was reluctant, but I pushed for it and got the program going. The first month the recycling program sent me a report. We had saved 35 trees that month (that's almost one tree per person!). The company still uses the system today. In 10 years – that's over 4,200 trees saved! All I did was take initiative. You can, too!