If you dream of the day when you'll throw out your notebooks, business cards, and other scraps of paper and truly become a paperless person, why not start today? With a few tips and the right tools, you can get started being paperless right now. But first, note that going paperless is a little like losing weight: It's harder than it sounds. It takes dedication. It's a lifestyle choice more than a project. And no one expects you to be perfect.
Going paperless also requires that you have a purpose and goal. Just like losing weight, if you're goal it so "be paperless" that's just as vague as "lose weight." How much weight are you trying to lose? Where in your life are you trying to be paperless? And more importantly, what is the end goal?
Some common goals are:
- Less clutter
- Become more efficient or organized
-Make your documents and notes searchable
- Keep better records of your life and work
Some of these questions may sound trivial, but in the long run, they're motivating. They help you create real objectives that you can revisit any time you start to veer off course.
Step 1: Go Forward, Not Backward
When you're ready to go paperless, start by going forward, not backward.
What I mean by that is think about being paperless in everything you do starting right now, which also means ignoring all that old paper, such as the piles of bills you hope to one day shred and the old notebooks with yesterday's notes. I know it's tempting to want to digitize all those files, but it's not the right first step.
Your old paper isn't going anywhere. All those old papers are going to be a pain in the neck to digitize, even with the best tools, so don't get caught up in them right as you're getting started.
Instead, think about being paperless from here on out. That means taking steps like:
- Using a digital calendar for new and upcoming appointments.
- Taking notes in a note-taking app (a few suggestions appear below).
- Putting your task list into a to-do app, or a note-taking app.
- Even doing those three simple things might take more time than you realize.
Step 2: Pick a Few Apps and Software, and Stick With Them
There are many great apps out there for note-taking and task-management. Some that I recommend are: Evernote, Awesome Note, Asana, Microsoft OneNote, Todoist, Any.do, Remember the Milk, and Wunderlist. There are a lot of options!
You should also pick up a file-syncing program, too, if you don't have one already. You might not start using it right away, but install it and just become comfortable with how it work, generally. A few of my favorites are Google Drive, Dropbox, Box, and SugarSync.
Step 3: Commit!
Don't waste too much time trying to decide which app or apps are absolutely perfectly the best. Find one or two that do what you need them to do and work with the platforms you have, and start using them. Whichever tools you pick, dedicate yourself to sticking with them for a few weeks.
What you don't want is to be trying out a dozen apps because your files and notes will end up being spread out all over the place. You need one or two centralized locations where you know you can find all your stuff without thinking about it. Knowing where to find the digital equivalent of your papers
Step 4: Develop Workflows
The next step is to develop some workflows. This is the more cognitive side of going paperless. Think of it as similar to developing the habits and routines of losing weight: plans your meals for the week, decide in advance when you will go to the gym or get your exercise, start recording your weigh-ins, and so forth. In the case of going paperless, your workflows might start with little actions, like launching your note-taking app before a meeting starts. Another one is to review your tasks in your to-do app first thing in the morning.
These little steps that start your workflows should become habits. I like the one about reviewing your to-do list or calendar appointments first thing in the morning because many people already have morning habits (a cup of coffee, reading during a commute), and you can tack your new habit onto the existing one. In other words, when you sip that coffee, you'll remember it's time to look at your calendar for the day.
What your workflows are very much depends on what your goals for going paperless are. Your workflow might even be just a simple rule, like "When I receive a new business card, I'll take a snapshot of it immediately using my smartphone and upload it to my note-taking app."
Step 5: Tackle the Backlog
After a few weeks or months, when you're comfortable with your new habits and workflows, and you're committed to your new apps, you can finally think about making a project of scanning all the old paper in your life.
Don't try to do this step until you've become really solid with your daily routine of being paperless, though.
A Paperless Life
Remember, going paperless is a lifestyle change. Just like dieting, you need to take it one day at a time, and forgive yourself when you slip up, but get back on track quickly.
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