According to the National Association of Professional Organizers, paper clutter is the number one problem for most offices. Is it any wonder given the average office worker uses 10,000 sheets of copy paper each year and businesses throughout the United States consuming 21 million tons of copy paper annually? (source: The Green Book)

In his book, Clutter-Proof Your Business, author Mike Nelson identifies a few of the more common myths associated with paper clutter and filing systems. His approach is based upon the premise disorganization and clutter is not about "stuff" (i.e. your paper documents/files), but ourselves. By changing the fundamental relationship with how we think or relate to them, we ultimately can take control of those underlying issues associated with their resulting clutter.

A key concept when considering clutter, according to Nelson, is the fear factor. We spend vast sums of mental energy trying to decide what to keep, what to toss and even just where to start. His solution comes from attempting a more holistic approach that considers longer term solutions. Understanding too tidy can be too stressful can go a long way in learning how to relate properly with the paper-based organization issues. Making it work for you in a manner that is balanced guarantees you are more likely to keep and use the organization system chosen.

Businesses providing document management solutions have long understood this fear factor concept. In 2004, Xerox hired actor Andrew Patrick Ralston, to star in 30 second commercial, which aired a year or so later on national television. In it a group of professionals are on a company retreat out in the middle of a lake. Word is received via some guy paddling out in a canoe carrying a note reporting a whole floor of paper documents back at the office had been flooded due to a sprinkler system mishap. Fear and panic grip the group. Watch the video to see how the advertiser cleverly promotes its solutions using worse-case scenario conceptualization.

So what is the number one myth on Nelson's list? It involves use of computer-based filing system solutions and the belief a scanner will solve all your filing problems. His advice is to first say HI! How important (HI) documents are should first be carefully considered, before filing or scanning takes place. Determining how much time, energy and resources are really necessary to devote to them will help best determine the balance between how to achieve your organizational goals in a manner that makes you feel comfortable will actually work. Nelson cautions rigid systems or too much organization is not the answer.

Approaching the topic from the perspective of retrieval vs. filing/organization requirements offers opportunities to reduce clutter and disorganization while reducing the decision making processes involved in the effective management of your documents. According to Nelson's reported sources only 20 percent of the papers you file are referred to again, although up to 60 percent of time in an office is allocated to processing and organizing them. There is no one perfect system. Choose one that best emulates the way you work.

i/oTrak is committed to making paper easier. We are a Kodak Authorized Info & Photo Scanning Equipment Reseller and Document Conversion Center. We offer a range of back-office services to help businesses of all sizes with their document needs, including E-Z Scan, E-Z Store, E-Z Shred, and E-Z Send.