Ugh. Paperwork. Everybody hates it, or at least resents it.
But there's no reason to let it be the monster in your life: well-organised paperwork can make your work and life run a little more smoothly, and let you take care of the boring bits much more easily and without stress.
So how do we do it? There's a few simple rules...
Paperwork tip # 1: Filing is not forever.
There's two parts to this. One is that you don't want to have a filing system which eats paper: you don't want to stick things in and never see them again. Your filing cabinet, or file box, or whatever, should contain those things relevant to you now, and only those things. Last years tax returns, old love letters, chocolates that you're hiding from someone, can all be archived (okay, except for the chocolates).
Secondly, if you've got a filing system now, chances are it's not working that well, or you wouldn't be reading this. So think about re-organising it, using some of the tips here. You might be surprised at how well a new system can work.
Paperwork tip # 2: Use good quality tools.
Yes, I may have already mentioned this elsewhere, but it's worth repeating. If you've got an old secondhand filing cabinet that makes an appalling screech when you open the drawers, or you've got a chair that's too high so you have to hunch, or a stapler that jams half the time, then you're not going to be able to use them without stress. Do yourself a favour, and get things that work properly.
Paperwork tip # 3: Learn to love manila folders.
One of the things we've noticed is that many people subconsciously resist creating a new folder for something. This is going to slow you down: if your manila folders, or drop folders, contain too many bits of paper, then you're going to have a hard time finding what you want. As a rough guide, aim for no more than about 20 pieces of paper in each manila folder, and be willing to have folders containing only one piece. Label everything, group them sensibly, and finding stuff (and replacing it) will be a breeze.