Did you know that the average executive wastes 150 hours per year looking for documents? One in 20 documents is lost and never recovered.

No wonder paper overload is the biggest frustration of busy women! There are several quick ways you can cut the paper load in your life, such as eliminating junk mail and faxes, creating a workable filing system, and filing on a routine basis.

• Just Say No! Eliminate incoming junk mail and faxes by removing your name from mailing lists. If you never receive junk mail, you won't have to process it. Junk email, or spam, can become a thing of the past if you set up your email program to automatically delete incoming junk mails. (Check the user's manual or HELP function on your software for this feature.)
• Sort it Out. Create filters for your computer's in-box to sort messages. You can set up automatic files for: Delete, Read Later, and Take Action. If you want to separate email by subject or name, folders can be created for clients and territories. This reduces time spent each day processing your virtual mail.
• Choose a spot in your home or office to process your regular mail each day, and make it a natural part of your routine. Sorting by category reduces your processing time by more than half, and it's the most important step in organizing. Common categories include: junk mail, magazines, bills, and reminders. Now turn these into your own categories for processing: Throw Away, Pay, File, Follow Up.
• Color My World. Color-coding email messages as they arrive in your mailbox helps you prioritize, and is a big time-saver. It flags messages from important people, and facilitates sorting and organizing. Purchase colored folders for your mail center. As mail is sorted by category, place it in the appropriately labeled folder for action.
• Go Vertical. Store folders and reading materials vertically in racks rather than flat in a box or basket. Shuffling through papers is a big time waster, and many important items are hidden from view.
• Magazine holders, stair-step desk organizers, and wall-mounted bins are all effective tools for paper storage. They not only contain the clutter, but create more desk or counter space in your mail center.