Paperless organizing; Going digital

Are you digital with some, or all of your “paperwork”? Get started with paperless organizing; going digital might help you cut down on paper clutter. For example, some people try to be totally digital and do almost everything on their computer, phone etc. Others are totally uncomfortable and will never go paperless. Most of us fall somewhere in between.

Ready to go digital?

You might still be a little tentative, that’s okay. Dip your toes in the water and acclimate as you go.

8 Questions to assess if your ready to go paperless (less paper)

Answer these questions to learn how comfortable you are with technology. Keep track of how many of the following you answer yes to.

1. I read books on my kindle or another electronic reader.
2. More of my shopping is done online than in stores.
3. I access account like my banks, utilities and others I use frequently.
4. Paperwork is piling up everywhere!
5. My calendar is digital (on my phone, computer or both).
6. I check my emails regularly (more than once a day).
7. I’m on social media like Facebook, Twitter etc.
8. I read blogs or other media online to stay informed and connected.

Digital Novice or Paperless Pro? Where do you fall in the Tech Savvy Spectrum?

If you answered yes to 3-5 of these then you are definitely ready to go digital, at least partially!

The most frequent concern I hear is the issue of security. Your personal information could be stolen via many online sources. Assessing your adversity to risk will help you determine which accounts you are more comfortable with going digital. Large financial institutions and municipal utility companies have comprehensive systems in place to protect your identity, but nothing is fullproof! The great thing about going digital is that if you do encounter a problem with your account security, you will be able to respond to it more quickly. Which’s often the best defense!

Where to start? Based on your answers to the questions above, pick one or two areas to add to your “digital” workspace.

Getting started with digital organizing:

• Go to the business website, create an online account and save your username and password in a secure location.
• Go through a “tutorial” or just click around until you are familiar with the basic layout of the pages. Look for “tabs” or hyperlinks that will help you navigate the different menus and tools.
• Find your profile and settings. Often they are near one another and settings sometimes look like a little gear wheel. Check your personal information in your profile to be sure it’s all correct.
• “Go paperless”-this is usually under settings and you can choose all or nothing depending on the company.
• Check your email and “verify” your account (sometimes you must do this before you can even log in and navigate around).
• Check your account regularly and download statements or pay bills online. In some cases you can set up a bank account to do this, in other cases (financial institutions) you can link utilities and other bills to be paid to your checking or savings accounts.

Site specific resources are usually available for setting up varius online accounts, such as tutorials or videos. In general, most banks, financial firms, utilities and phone companies have probably sent you “go paperless” inserts in your snail mail. If you have one of those handy, that’s a great place to start! This simple guide to paperless organizing will help you to determine if your ready to go digital. Try setting up a digital account or two to reduce the paper clutter in your home or office. Once you’ve transformed your paper clutter to digital, keep you digital files organized with my helpful guide to creating a digital file structure.