You know, I just had a realization. This realization involved the family paperwork. I do far too much of the stuff. Our paperwork takes at least 45 minutes every day, and that’s with one child.
Granted, we have some complexities, but so do all families. I have a medical condition that involves paperwork. We’re members of a number of farm shares that need paperwork-related attention. We go to church. My daughter has extracurricular activities. She goes to school. I attend classes. We have a lot of pets. I run a couple of small businesses. Oh yes, and there are the bills to pay. However, I would say that most families have complexities, and many people feel overwhelmed by paperwork. As someone who’s coordinated a couple of extracurricular activities for kids, I see that it’s hard to get the paperwork done.
I am a good little paperwork wrangler. Here’s why:
I set some time aside to do this every day, and it’s time when my daughter is sleeping. I can’t pay bills nearly as well when I have to divide my attention, and mistakes lead to (you guessed it!) more paperwork. Yes, those of you with very small children may not be able to sacrifice any of this quiet time, but even if you can carve out 30 minutes during nap time, this will keep your paperwork under control. I can clean and make food while my daughter is awake, and I can even involve her in these activities. Paperwork? Not so much.
I keep my paperwork-wrangling supplies in one place. I have my chequebook, pen, envelopes and stamps at the ready. I have my printer primed, and I have paper right below it. And yes, my computer and email account are my best tools for e-paperwork.
I deal with paperwork immediately. When I get home, I go through mail and any scattered pieces of paper from the day. I put items I need to deal with later onto a To Do list, and I recycle everything that’s done.
I collect any paperwork in one place if I can’t deal with it immediately. This means that I don’t lose it. Losing it leads to more paperwork. For me, this place is right next to the computer.
I do as much as I can online and automatically. Shortly before my daughter was born, I automated most of my bill-paying. This means no cheques, no worries about things getting lost in the mail. What I do need to do is make sure that I know what comes out when and track my bank account balance accordingly.
Are you a good paperwork-wrangler? How do you manage it?
Image Credit: Mordoc