How to Manage your paper action items

by Katherine Macey

Many people who struggle with paper management commit three deadly sins:

1. They fail to file (or scan and shred) the paperwork they have completed any actions on, but need to keep for future reference
2. They fail to prioritize and take action on their action items
3. The keep items they do not need mixed in with their other paperwork

The result – they are drowning in paperwork.

This focuses on solving just one of the deadly sins – what to do with your paper action items.

As with any organizing, there is not just one way to deal with your action items. In any case, the aim of any system to deal with your action items should be simple to implement and maintain. It should capture your action items and ensure they can be processed in a timely manner.

Here are five methods for taking care of your action items.  

1. GTD – getting things done, defined by David Allen
2. 4 quadrants – from Stephen Covey
3. Tickler system
4. Hotel system designed by Dolores Kaytes
5. Simple priority system

Let’s look at each in turn.

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