With all the talk about going green, people are starting to recognize the importance of making small changes to their daily routines that benefit the environment. Going paperless has been gaining popularity as one such change, and the benefits are becoming clearer every day.

Going paperless definitely has its perks. For starters, digital copies are more secure, which means that they’re almost impossible to lose or damage. All you have to do is backup your files in the cloud. As long as your computer’s working properly, you’re golden.

Not only that, but digital documents are easier to share. As long as you have Internet access, you can have your document emailed to any other person in the world. This makes it easy to collaborate with others on the same project, eliminating the need for physical copies.

Before You Begin

Going paperless is an ongoing process that requires patience and persistence. If you are looking for an easy way to throw everything in the trash, this isn’t the right choice for you! There are a lot of things to take into consideration before making any changes.

Some of the Realistic Concerns That You May Have Include:

• Do I have the time to put in the effort required?
• Can I figure out how to convert my files?
• How am I going to deal with all of my important documents?
• How am I supposed to keep track of all my files that are scattered online?

All good questions! The truth is that there are no shortcuts when it comes to staying organized. If you take the time to move forward with your goal, you will be able to reap the benefits in no time.

The following guide will show you how you can get started with decluttering your paper without wasting your time or effort.

Step 1 – Get Rid of Unnecessary Paper

Old bills, random gadget manuals, take out menus, and other papers that aren’t important should be immediately thrown away. Declutter books you no longer need or are already digitized, as well as newspapers & magazines you don’t read anymore. Make sure all of the junk is gone! It will be much easier to organize once you have less to deal with.

I had my moment of procrastination and had left my pile of appliance manuals unattended for too long. It was an overdue project but I had been in search of the perfect organizational folder that could house them nicely. Finally.. Yay.. I found one!

This light grey accordion file folder was the perfect fit for manuals of all sizes – thanks to the wider base.

STEP 2 – GATHER ALL OF YOUR IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS

Now you need to gather all of your important documents. Everything from financial records to medical files are necessary, but they are not the most fun to track.

The paperwork you SHOULD KEEP includes:

• Birth certificates
• ID (passport, driver’s license, social security numbers)
• Academic diplomas
• Pension/Retirement Fund Documents
• Licenses (drivers, marriage, divorce)
• Insurance policies
• Mortgage deeds
• Tax information (Tax ID numbers)

I recommend a filing cabinet for easy access and safe storage.

If you’re looking for an efficient way to collect & keep what’s necessary, the easiest way is to use a document management system.

A document management system is a tool that helps you store your files securely** and access them quickly when you need them. I suggest you set aside the necessary time to decide on the best program for your needs. In my home, I use Synology Drive.

Synology Drive is a cloud-based file sharing platform perfect for home and office use. It allows you to have complete data ownership, set access controls and schedule backups of important files and folders.

**Please note that cloud-based file storage services are generally safe but use your own judgement and assess personal risk before relying on any third-party file management system. This post is not sponsored by Synology Drive, it is simply the technology I chose for my home.

STEP 3 – RECYCLE & SHRED

Now that you have saved all your important paper and you uploaded what you needed to the cloud, it’s time to get rid of what’s left. Once you are sure you don’t need your old documents anymore, shred them so they can’t be misused by others.

So what do you do once you’ve successfully decluttered your home and gone virtually paperless? Maintain it! You will come in contact with more paper so stay firm on your decision to go paperless.

Make it a habit to regularly rid of paper piles around the home and take aligned action when faced with excess paper. If you’re careful, you’ll reach an almost paperless state.

Happy decluttering!

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You can also contact me or subscribe to my newsletter here.

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