Organizing Papers Using The Fast Method

Hey take a look at your kitchen table, is there a load of paper clutter there; ok maybe your desk or your dining room table. Hey maybe paper tends to clutter in little piles all around your house!

Ha, ok so you got a slight problem paper clutter problem on your hands and you want to defeat it. I got just the thing, it’s called the FAST method; an acronym for File Action Shred Toss; and it works gangbusters for getting through a large pile of unorganized paper.

Let’s get to it!

Step 1: Four boxes
Set yourself up four separate boxes (those filing boxes are great for this sort of thing) or areas on the floor beside your paper mess. Give each area or box its label: File, Action, Shred, Toss; Good

Step 2: Get Pumped
Turn on the radio to your favorite music station and let the move you. Otherwise don’t do any radio and eliminate all unnecessary distraction.  This means No TV, No Talk Radio, No Telephone, No Instant messaging on  the computer (in fact turn off your computer). The point is to stay motivated and focused!

Step 3: Set Your Timer
A great way I keep motivated is by the clock for a set time. Set your timer for 40min of paper sorting focus, your objective is to plow through as much as this crazy paper mess in 40 min. Then you’ll take a break and repeat.

Step 4: Go Time!
With your timer set, grab a handful paper with your left and deal out your paper to the labeled boxes or areas like dealing poker cards. Do a quick scan of the page and toss into the right box.

To the “File” if it needs to be archived, To the “Action” if you need to respond to this information, To the “Shred” if it contains sensitive information but no longer needed, and to the “Toss” if it’s all it’s good for is recycling.

Bam, Bam, Bam, go through it, not stopping for anything.

Ok, that’s It! After you’re a few 40min sessions you’ll have your paper pile sorted in four manageable sections. So, now you can rid yourself of the “T” and “S” and as for the “F” and “A”  you can go though that in a more detailed way after well deserved break.