Before using the Paper Tiger, frustration was the hallmark of my attempt to get organized; filing was a special challenge. People with attention-deficit are not good at details unless the process is interesting and fun. Organizing seemed to be an insurmountable challenge, and I was destined to live in a mess.
After the Paper Tiger help desk addressed my concerns, my initial skepticism was replaced with enough confidence to purchase it.
It took some time for me to determine my way to file with the Paper Tiger. Following a couple of false starts, the process became clear. Using the program aided my ability to focus, and filing went from confusing to simple.
Because of my interest in cooking, I had piles of recipes and could not easily find a single one. Entering the recipe information in the Paper Tiger took time, however, I realized I only had to do it once and I was making an investment in my quality of life.
Pre-printing location information on self-adhesive round labels saved time and the information is easy to read. With hundreds of recipes filed in the Paper Tiger, the search function alone is worth the initial price. For example, if left over buttermilk is on hand, a search will list all recipes with buttermilk in the title or keywords. This function has turned a pile of interesting recipes into a collection that is easy to explore.
Once I experienced the value of the Paper Tiger, my motivation to clean up and organize items increased significantly. For example, the garage is now organized, and I know the contents of each box. This momentum enabled me to spend months tackling messy shelves, drawers, and closets.
The stage on which I spend most of my time, that is my apartment, is now largely organized, not because it should be, but because it feels good. More organizing and filing is on my agenda, however, I am not concerned because I know how to use the Paper Tiger and make it my friend.
Many thanks,
Robert Caldwell
By Meggin McIntosh, “The Ph.D. of Productivity”™ and Paper Tiger Expert. Meggin recommends Paper Tiger Filing System Software for document management to get everything in your life organized — not just for filing paper.
Some dandy acronyms exist that can increase your productivity (and that of your colleagues) when using email. Four of the best and easiest to implement are shared in this article.
EOM: End of Message – The time to use this acronym is when the entire message can be encapsulated in your email’s subject line.
NRN: No Response Necessary – Let’s say somebody has asked you for some information and you send them an email with that information, and then at the end of your email, you put NRN. It’s helpful to follow that with “No Response Necessary” in brackets or parentheses. This helps your receiver to know that “You don’t need to write me back about this.” This can be useful when you send out an informational email to people to give them a location for a meeting or some general announcement.
NNTR: Not Necessary to Respond – This one is essentially the same thing as NRN. It is not that one is better than the other, it’s just an alternative to NRN and another common one that people are beginning to use. Remember, be sure to put the explanation of what NNTR means when you are first starting out using this acronym.
NTN: No Thanks Necessary – The reason folks need to use this acronym is because we are friendly people, so, when people do things for us, we thank them. In email, this can get out of hand because then they thank us for thanking them, and then we say “No problem, happy to do it,” and they will write back with, “You’re always so nice” and so forth. This is called email ping-pong and it does not enhance anyone’s productivity. Before long, one email can turn into about 17 – many of which are meaningless. No one has time for this. When you send something to somebody that they requested, then you could put either NRN or NTN (No Thanks Necessary). They may not be able to help themselves, so they may write back and say, “I know you said not to thank you, but thank you anyway.” You have to resist the impulse to write them back because somebody has to stop this insanity.
When you take a look at your emails, you could easily see that 20 to 40 percent of the emails that are sent are the unnecessary back and forth of ‘thanks,’ ‘got it,’ ‘see you there,’ and the like. No real information is exchanged, but rather the little “You’re the gal”, “I try to be”, “Everybody counts on you.” If you want to have a love-fest then call up the person on the phone or go down to that person’s office and give him/her a hug or whatever you need to do.
I think we have to be careful about using acronyms that people aren’t sure what is meant by them. When I first begin using EOM, NRN, NNTR, or NTN with any person or group of people, I always spell it out, too, but then also using the acronym so that, eventually they can begin to think about what it is. You might want to consider sharing these ideas with a group. For example, let’s say you’re on a committee, and as a committee you may want to decide here are a few acronyms you will use so everybody is clear on EOM, No Response Necessary and the like.
Bonus tip: You can also use the ideas included in this article with voicemail. Although you are not using an acronym, at the end of the voicemail to someone you can say, “I’ll assume you got this. No need to call me back,” because otherwise, some people will call you back, “Thanks for sending me the information.” Then you’ve got a voicemail that you now need to respond to.
As David Shipley and Will Schwalbe say in their book Send: The Essential Guide to Email for Office and Home, “duplitasking,” i.e., when someone calls you to make sure you got the email they just sent, is unnecessary in essentially all instances. Trust the systems that are in place (email and voicemail) to be sending what needs to be sent. Then move on to other areas of your work and life.
There are a multitude of great tips available to help all of us be more effective and efficient in our email – and other types of – communication. To access some of these and to keep moving forward on your goals for more peaceful productivity, join others (worldwide) who receive Meggin’s weekly emails (and see what is available for download at no cost at the following websites):
**Top Ten Productivity Tips (http://www.TopTenProductivityTips.com)
**Keys to Keeping Chaos at Bay (http://www.KeepingChaosatBay.com)
(c) 2010 by Meggin McIntosh, Ph.D., “The Ph.D. of Productivity”(tm). Through her company, Emphasis on Excellence, Inc., Meggin McIntosh supports smart people who want to be more productive so that they can consistently keep their emphasis on excellence. Sound interesting? It is!
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Meggin_McIntosh
Three years ago, my life changed with the words “Your baby is beautiful, and she is perfect, and we are quite sure she has Down syndrome.”
The months following Violette’s birth are something of a blur of Doctors appointments, therapy appointments, loving, caring and feeding the baby and my other two children, working full time, and researching about Down syndrome. As I tried to learn more about Down syndrome, I also became more active in our Down syndrome association, serving on the board of advisors, attending educational events and becoming active in online communities.
Earlier this summer, in an attempt to get our lives more organized, I was introduced to the Paper Tiger. After I was introduced to the system, I realized that I finally had found a means of managing all of my day to day paperwork. I also quickly came to the conclusion that the Paper Tiger would be a brilliant way to manage the myriad of details about my daughter and Down syndrome. I have since set up a location in the Paper Tiger system devoted entirely to my collection of all things related to Down syndrome and my daughter’s health and well being.
Day to day life with my beautiful little girl is a joy! Knowing EXACTLY where I have important papers that I need to help her are located, has been such a relief. After using this system for a few months, I can say with a great deal of confidence that any parent with a child with special needs would benefit from the Paper Tiger, and I recommend it to my friends with children with Down syndrome!
Melissa Skavlem
Ohio
PAPER TIGER DOCUMENT MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE, WOULDN’T BE WITH OUT IT . . .
I have been using the Paper Tiger Software for so long I am at a loss to remember. What I did was go through my files, which were set up alphabetical by subject matter and start cleaning them out.
I have a small book selling business, as well a great interest in genealogy. I am the bookkeeper for the business so I have many records to keep track of: Vendor records, subject records for purchasing various products and some not stocked, but you never know what a customer may ask to have located and purchased.
I found many of the older records out dated and some lost from loss of information to locate being forgotten. This has been overcome with the use of Paper Tiger Software. Also it makes it a lot easier to have set up all my files by file category and folder number, then I do not have to replace the original folder each time I have to update information. Just toss out old information and replace it in same folder, unless it is worn out.
As files get larger, I only have to expand the drawer and re-sort some folders as all are in numerical order, which can be found with the computer in a jiffy. Just type in a keyword and the Paper Tiger shows what drawer and file folder it is located within.
I have seven metal file cabinets set up in this order. Each month to be safe and not be lost if the computer is down or power is off, I create a hard copy of all the files by subject, keyword, and numerical file lists in a binder on the shelf for reference to manually look up files if need be.
There you have my working system and Paper Tiger Software is the best system I have found, bar none, and I worked for thirty years in the Office Products Industry setting up and selling file systems for customers. I wouldn’t be without it now – it is just sort of a love relationship.
Robert D. Waybright
Dallas, TX
In Paper Tiger Document Management Software and Filing System, a Location relates to where you will store your physical items (paper files, books, CDs, DVDs, storage boxes, etc.) A Location can be named anything you want – however you relate to what you are indexing, i.e., Office files, Home files, Action files, Reference files, House, Basement, Garage, etc. Paper Tiger uses Locations to represent these places where you store the items you want to be able to find later.
Paper Tiger Locations are made up of Item names, description, capacity and review frequency.
Item Name is the descriptive name you give a hanging folder or other item you are indexing. An Item Name is what you would call the item being indexed.
When creating or editing a location, you will see the following attributes:
Paper Tiger allows you to print cut-out tabs or Avery labels which you use to affix or attach to your physical items to match the index numbers assigned by Paper Tiger.
Do you have stacks of paper all over your desk and office? Do you have a hard time prioritizing your time and focus? Read this article by Stephanie Calahan of Calahan Solutions and a Paper Tiger Expert, for a great plan to help. Stephanie also recommends Paper Tiger Filing System and Document Management Software in her Office Miracle to be able to find your files when you need them!
The first time I walked into Ralph’s office I saw papers everywhere. When I asked him about the tiny papers, he said they all represented an item that he needed to take care of. One of his frustrations was figuring out how to balance all of the important tasks that he had on his plate.
It seems as if our to-do lists are constantly growing. As businesses try to do more with less, you get much more! Add to it competing priorities and it can get confusing and overwhelming. How do we get it all done? Why is it that some people seem to get more done than others? Are they smarter? Not really. They just know the secret.
YOU CANNOT MANAGE TIME!
There will always be 24 hours in a day and 365 days in a year (unless it is a leap year of course). That will not change. What you can do is spend more energy focusing on how your attention is used during those 24 hours. It is about HOW you use your time.
PAY ATTENTION!
The good news is that you have the ability to produce an infinite amount of attention. This is a powerful gift and must be used wisely. How you manage to focus your attention (or how long you keep your attention focused) will make or break your ability to get things done.
PAY ATTENTION? HOW IS THAT DIFFERENT?
Paying attention is consciously focusing your time on an activity that gives you a good return. Your return on investment is even more important today. “Time is money” as the saying goes. What you choose to do with your time directly relates to how you make money and how balanced your life can be.
FIGURE OUT WHAT TO PAY ATTENTION TO NOW!
“Efficiency is doing things right, but effectiveness is doing the right things.” ~Peter Drucker
When you consider your system for setting priorities, you must focus on doing the right things, rather than simply doing things right.
- Are you in charge of leading your business or department?
- Do you have a large list of abandoned projects all sitting at various levels of incompletion?
- Do you have a list of projects that do not reflect your best work?
- Do you struggle with figuring out how to focus your time and energy and work on what is truly important?
If so, it is time for you to figure out where to focus your attention. After conducting a survey of about 4000+ of my Twitter followers, I learned that people have a real challenge figuring out where to pay attention and how to figure it out.
PUTTING IT INTO ACTION
“Taking action is the real difference between the super-successful and wannabes.” ~Rich Schrfren
Once you figure out the areas you need and should focus, then it is time to get to the real business of TAKING ACTION. All of the best thought out plans will turn into nothing if you don’t take action.
Start by implementing what I call a “Power Hour.” One of my on-line mentors is Alex Mandossian and one thing I admire about him is the massive volume of work he can pump out. His secret? ATTENTION! He tells us to pick one hour a day (yes, one out of the 24 that we have) and focus in on ONE thing. It is not getting a drink or seeing what your buds are up to on Twitter/Facebook. Sit in your working space and work on that ONE thing (picked from your priority listing) for the entire hour.
That’s it! It sounds simple, but it takes practice. In this multi-tasking culture of ours, it is so easy to get distracted and do other things. If you are willing to make the investment, you will be amazed at how much more you can get done in a day/week/month/year. Try it and then let me know how it goes!
About the Author:
Stephanie Calahan is The Business Vision Catalyst and founder of Calahan Solutions, Inc. She works with purpose-driven entrepreneurs, visionaries, coaches, consultants, health practitioners, authors, speakers and all sorts of remarkable service professionals who are experts in their field, to help them embrace their brilliance, leverage their business and get their message out with power, ease and joy; so that they can make a powerfully positive difference in the world, exponentially grow their income and enjoy a highly-successful and meaningful business… while working less. Learn how you can have more freedom in your life! http://www.StephanieCalahan.com
Signed up online with the simplest filing system in the world!
I have bought at least five copies of Paper Tiger over my lifetime for specific spaces, but with so many physical places to work from it seemed unsurmountable to coordinate my different computers; office, home, travel laptop, guest computer, my husband’s ipad, now I have an organized spot in the generous spacious world of cloud computing that previously was held by Evernote! The Paper Tiger Software Is Online.
Even though currently I am a single user, I will be able to access the archives from wherever I am in the world while traveling (was in Bhutan last November) will be in Paris and then Fez this September and October. Very freeing! for your basic Sagittarius) having bought earlier versions under my professional and personal name, I sometimes couldn’t even remember which “location” I was working from as it was space related.
Having the online archive means that my office in Chicago and our Casa in New Mexico or the physical storage facilities that house the bulk of the AvalonArchives are always as near as my keyboard, my local cafe, and a cuppa joe or cappuccino. And then I can upgrade to a multi-user plan and hire people to help me categorize and file the different countries, while I am able to view all work being done when basic filing systems for the O-Z files are in place. And now with the ipad available, we can have wireless updates from these formerly “unwired” storage spaces. Of course, I hope to win an ipad from Paper Tiger!
The Avalon Archives will be cataloging it’s files using the new online version of the Paper Tiger Software. The initial date for the first electronic catalog is set for December 16, 2011. The files currently are password protected. It hasn’t been determined if the online files will ultimately be public.
Schools and universities deal with thousands of students and millions of files. It’s crucial that university record keeping is efficient because there are always times when student records need to be accessed. Most information is kept electronically, but still there are always paper files to deal with. Whether it be in the university administrative office or the professors, a document management software like Paper Tiger Document Management Software and Filing System will be helpful. Especially Paper Tiger Online that can be accessed from any computer or device with an Internet connection.
If any of this information was to become lost or misplaced, that could cause a range of problems, some of which might affect the future of students needing essential information from their records.
Archaic systems really can’t cope with today’s modern education system. Universities offer such a wide variety of subjects that it’s impossible to keep up with them. If you have to locate a particular file in a storeroom full of dusty old files, it could take forever.
It’s vital that all schools, colleges and universities have an efficient document management system in place that is user-friendly and enables every file to be easily located. Qualifications are vital for certain jobs and information may need to be verified by potential employers before hiring someone.
Some students study at more than one university over the course of their life. Teachers may need to confirm information about the student such as grades, diplomas and degrees or other pertinent details with staff at a previous university staff. A modern, computer-based filing system will speed up this process enormously.
Records retention guideline policies must be followed. Proper record keeping practices ensure that all university records, whether they’re digital or paper based, are easy to locate, retrieve, and are credible. To achieve this, files must be maintained by the best possible document management system. These practices also apply to inactive records that must be retained for legal purposes.
Some records must be kept or archived for legal or financial reasons, for future administrative needs or because of historical significance. Retention periods for other records may be determined by university policies.
An efficient document management software is more crucial in today’s modern computer age, because a lot of the work students do is on a computer. Instead of having to turn every assignment into a paper-based document for grading, CDs, DVDs and other formats are now mediums that are permissible for assessment. Such documents can also be stored in this same format, which reduces the volume of paper wastage and the amount of room needed for such storage.
At the end of each year, files can be sorted, stored, archived or destroyed as required. The document management software that is used can track throughout the life-cycle of the files. How to archive is simple with Paper Tiger. You would have a Location named ‘Archives’ in Paper Tiger, then simply conduct a Transfer Move of the file or files being moved to the Archive Location within your database. Paper Tiger will assign a file number in your Archives file to move the file to in the physical location. For items needing to be destroyed, you would conduct a Toss of the item in the database to open the slot for another file to be inserted.
Because the management of any filing system is complex, universities generally have staff that are responsible for ensuring all filing is carried out correctly.
It would be a huge job when first converting to a more efficient document management system because details about all files would have to be entered into the computer and a standardized labeling system implemented to reduce duplication which can easily occur due to many teachers dealing with the same students.
Generally departments are responsible for their own filing and everything must be coordinated so it’s done the same way for the whole university, even if there is more than one campus.
Email is a necessary part of university life. A large proportion of a university’s operational communication is carried out via email. It’s widely used for: contact with students, advice of meeting arrangements, instructions, negotiations, authorizations, development of policies, employment matters, university announcements and circulation of reports and committee minutes.
Since most of these emails are deemed to be official records, it’s necessary to ensure they’re effectively and efficiently managed.
Email transmissions may also be requested as evidence in legal proceedings or criminal investigations. It’s vital that emails be filed properly and be easy to locate if urgently needed.
It’s crucial that university record keeping is efficient, because it helps meet legal and financial obligations, and saves time and money when filing, and especially, when in need of locating files.
That’s why we refer to Paper Tiger Document Management Software and Filing System as the ‘Finding System.”
In the past my offices have always been a mess – papers everywhere. My home was the same and I was sick of wasting time shuffling paper looking for that lost piece of information. A few years ago, I decided that was not going to happen in my new job. I didn’t have any money, having been out of work for quite some time, but I decided to call a professional organizer who recommended I try Paper Tiger.
To cut a long story short, people started commenting on how tidy and organized my office was – something I had never heard before. When someone asked for something, even something obscure, it would be in their hands in seconds: they were just blown away. And it took me only the equivalent of a day or so, spread over a week to set up, checking and re-filing all the paper I inherited, plus the papers I was creating and receiving every day.
I use Paper Tiger to organize me at home too. For once in my life I know where my tax return is, where my vehicle documentation is. I’m now a part-time university instructor (I’m the part-time bit – not the university), a communications coach and a career coach. I need to keep these roles separate, yet I have only one place to keep all these papers and materials, plus personal stuff. Paper Tiger means I can do this perfectly – everything is organized, separated yet integrated, and takes so little time to keep it that way.
I’m a Mac fan and a continuing frustration over the years has been the lack of a Mac version – I had to keep an old clunky desktop pc just to run PT. I also hated having to work fixed at one spot to use the program. I tried using LogMeIn for remote access on my Mac laptop – better, but it just wasn’t ideal. The pc finally gave up and took everything with it. I was lost – I was even tempted to try a bit of reverse engineering to try to create a Mac version for myself.
The Paper Tiger support staff helped me get going again on a laptop a friend donated – they were very patient and helpful. Then during the recovery process, I just happened to enquire about a Mac version. The wonderful support lady, Janet Baker, mentioned there is now a web-based version. I knew how much I missed PT and how much I wanted to run it on my Mac, so I jumped at the chance. Once I knew I had the database back, I signed up. Didn’t need to check it out – I knew already what PT had done for me and I knew I was lost without it. Plus I’m now liberated from my crappy pc. I’m a very happy man – I have my Mac and my PT.
I’ll always be grateful to my organizer friend, to PT in general and Janet in particular – thanks. I recommend it to everyone.
David Woodward
Heading back to school can cause a lot of chaos and anxiety for both children and parents, so organization is the key when going to school.
You may have children starting school for the very first time, or going back to school at a higher grade level. Overall the same principles in the tips below should apply to all ages. The better organized you are, the better it will be for you and your children.
Purchasing School Supplies
Most schools provide a list of supplies needed to bring when the new school year begins, i.e., pens, pencils, folders (can be color-coded), labels, highlighters, etc.
Backpacks are essential for carrying books, papers and other supplies. According to the experts, contents of the backpack should be no more than 10-20% of the child’s weight.
If you live in the U.S., check the Sales Tax Holidays at http://www.taxadmin.org/fta/rate/sales_holiday.html for individual states before shopping.
A calendar will be necessary to ensure everyone keeps up with the new schedule, with after-school and/or sports activities. If you can, use an online calendar that both you and children can update with important dates. This will be helpful when trying to juggle work and school commitments. It can be updated and either of you can access it from anywhere. At the very least, a wall calendar for everyone to see at a glance, and update as necessary.
Establish a Routine
• Start a few days before school and have your child(ren) go to bed and get up at the normal time to get ready for school.
• Plan your evenings so they will be able to go to bed at a time to get the required amount of sleep for each individual child. According to National Sleep Foundation, “Sleep is especially important for children as it directly impacts mental and physical development.” See http://www.sleepfoundation.org/article/sleep-topics/children-and-sleep
- Set a regular time for bed each night and stick to it
- Avoid feeding children big meals close to bedtime
- Avoid giving anything with caffeine less than six hours before bedtime
- Make after-dinner playtime a relaxing time
- Establish a calming bedtime routine
• Plan for a healthy breakfast and healthy snacks for each day, so they will have the energy to handle the day’s activities.
• Plan for homework and exercise/play time.
• Every night before going to bed, have children get in the habit of picking out their clothes for the next day and packing their backpacks. This will ensure that you don’t have to iron something in the morning or a last minute search for that paper that needs to be signed and turned in.
• Get together periodically (daily or weekly) to talk about what projects are due, when they are due, and what supplies are needed so that you won’t have a last minute run to the store the night before a project is due.
• Once school starts, the calendar will quickly fill up with activities. Study will be a major component. Teach children to schedule their homework times so they don’t become overwhelmed, and don’t wait till the last minute to complete assignments.
Learn Productivity and Organizational Skills
Try this great resource of activities to help your child succeed in school and learn productivity and organizational skills, as well: http://www2.ed.gov/parents/academic/help/succeed/index.html
To keep all the school papers and instructions organized, create a filing system where you can keep all records in one place. Receipts for everything associated with school can be included, in addition to information such as school reports, excursions and any extra curricular activities. These files can be indexed in Paper Tiger Document Management Software and Filing System so when you need something, you can quickly conduct a search for the keyword relating to the item and find it quickly.
Organization is the key when going to school. Planning ahead and getting organized will reduce stress when it’s time to go back to school.
How Did I Navigate My Father’s Papers After His Passing?
My father passed away at the age of 87. He lived alone, in Budapest, Hungary. I, his only son, live in Toronto, ON., Canada. How, in a matter of a week or so, after his funeral, did I manage to take care of his affairs in a country famous for its bureaucracy?
You see, my father has always been what you might call, absent-minded. As he got older, his short term recall has also begun to fail. In order to combat his memory challenges, he developed a “system” for filing his papers.
This “system” was, what helped me navigate his papers quickly and effectively, even though we live a world apart. As it were, he developed the most advanced filing system, which is the basis of Paper Tiger. This system is the numerical filing system.
What I found on my father’s desk, was a box, containing large, numbered, vertically stacked, cardboard envelopes and an index card in front of them. The index card listed the content of each numbered envelope, with a main heading, followed by key words of the documents they contained. Not unlike a report you might print from Paper Tiger. I just sat in front of the box…and I was “in business.”
It so happens that I am a professional organizer specializing in office/business organizing. Having been a user as well as a re-seller of Paper Tiger for the past 6 or so years, I was surprised and not any less impressed by having discovered my father’s “manual” version of this fantastic system.
Anyone familiar with the Paper Tiger knows, that locating paper documents is really just a matter of seconds. Try to tell that to a person sitting at, what must be his/her desk – except that the latter is not visible for all the paper piles covering it. The usual answer is that “I have no problem finding what I’m looking for.” However, when I ask: “OK, but could someone else find it, when you are not around?,” I suddenly have them scratching their heads. That’s when the light goes on.
So there you have it. One of the biggest, yet less often thought of benefits of using Paper Tiger is, when someone else needs to navigate your files. My father, who has never had or used a computer, managed to figure out the “secret” behind the Paper Tiger system. Leaving me sadly alone with his numbered envelopes and his index card, I was able to navigate his papers with ease. My heart might not have been at ease, at the time, but I had no problem finding what I needed in order to take care of his unfinished affairs.
Alex Revai, Productivity Solutions
Our public works office has been using the Paper Tiger software for several years. We use the software to keep our filing system in order, up to date, and user friendly. Currently, we use it to keep track of our general public works and archive files. This system has been so helpful in organizing our files.
When I first started working in our office, the filing system was very small, but over the years the amount of paper files grew substantially. With the growth our filing system, came the need for a better way to organize our files. I began the task of researching online for different types of filing programs that were both user friendly and would assist in getting our office and filing system back on track.
I ran across the Paper Tiger system online and after reading what it was all about, was convinced this is what we needed to organize our filing system. We purchased and installed the Paper Tiger Network version on a few of our computers, which has allowed not only me, but my coworkers to create, edit, and access files they are looking for. Saving everyone time and not leaving them reliant on only one person knowing where a specific file is located. Since implementing the Paper Tiger software, we have had so much success in organizing our filing system. Locating files is very easy and rarely is anything found misplaced.
In the last couple of years, our office has started using Paper Tiger to organize our paper maps. We have maps from subdivisions, maps of water and sewer lines, etc. These maps go back many years and were never really organized and it was always difficult to find the map you were looking for. By adding a “Maps” location to our filing system, we’ve been able to organize our paper maps and make them easily accessible to everyone in the office.
Earlier this year I saw that Paper Tiger was going online and that we would have the chance to beta-test it. We currently utilize an online system for work orders which has been very successful and eliminated the need for software on everyone’s computers. Knowing this, when I saw that Paper Tiger was doing the same I knew I had to try it out. Everyone in our office was very excited because this was something we had hoped for because we knew how great it was with our online work order system. We’ve beta-tested the Paper Tiger online version and can’t wait to sign up for the small business version. It will be so nice to not have to worry about updating software on each computer. Also, we won’t have to worry about the server where our database is stored crashing (which has happened to us a few times).
I saw today that the small business version will be available as of August 22, 2010 and we are counting the days until we can make the transition over to the online version. No longer will our office be reliant on a server that could crash at any moment in our office and lose all our filing information. Now we all will have easy access via the Paper Tiger online website, where everything is easily accessible, stored, and backed-up. Plus we can access it from anywhere if needed.
Our office has really enjoyed using the Paper Tiger software and look forward to continuing being a customer of Paper Tiger and utilizing their online program. Thanks for keeping our office organize!
Alissa Angelo
City of Stayton
How do I use The Paper Tiger to make my life easier? It might be easier to say how I DON’T use the program!
I am half of a business that services the Alberta oil patch, plus I am a farmer, an artist, a sewer, a woodworker, a gardener and a family history researcher. The Paper Tiger helps me with all of these.
For our business: I have a Files database to record where to look for all of our business files; invoices, information articles, etc.
- Vendor company changed its name? Until PT, I never know how to file receipts when a company changed its name. Now I just enter the new name as the file name and the old name goes into the key words.
- If something happens to me, my husband knows where to look for older, archived files, because the summary of the “Old” location tells him to look on the steel shelves in the east basement.
- I have made my work even easier by using the PT file number as part of the company name in my accounting program (“Fas Gas (File 237)”), so that I don’t have to look it up every time I need to file an invoice.
- Wills, passports, etc. are all detailed, so they can be easily found (eg. “Safe in se corner of basement”).
I have separate databases for different types of books and magazines; art, farming, genealogy, gardening, woodworking.
- Each book becomes a “file”, and I create detailed key words for each one (eg. Art database, book Light and Texture in Watercolours, keywords “page 16 watercolour pansies”, Farming database, magazine Western Horseman 2006 June, keywords “page 27 treating laminitis”). And the Location says to look for that type of book on the shelves in my studio, or the big resin shelves in the basement center, etc.
- I store magazines in magazine boxes, so each box becomes a location; Box 01, Box 02, etc. Then the 20 or 25 magazines in each one are labeled with the “file number”, so I have Box 1, book 22. That way they have more tendency to get put back in the correct place, so that they are easy to find.
Fabric, ornamentations and patterns are detailed in a Sewing PT database, so I know where they are stored (Box 1 on steel shelves in basement center, Box 25 in white cabinet on south basement wall). I have to use solid Rubbermaid totes to store my fabrics, because of mice. So without my PT database, I might have to look through every box to find the piece I want.
I am also slowly detailing our huge collection of photographs, by entering keywords such as when the photo was taken, who is in the photo, where it was taken, and other pertinent information.
My biggest limitation with The Paper Tiger is the time to get everything entered into it!
Doreen Neilley
by Meggin McIntosh, “The Ph.D. of Productivity”™ and Paper Tiger Expert
One way to diminish overwhelm is to hold things lightly. This is something I learned from my coach, Dr. Joelle Jay of Pillar Consulting. When we first started working together several years ago, she would hear me talking about all the things I had to do, everything I was working on, how worn out I was, and, well, you know the litany. She would sometimes ask, “Meggin, what if you held these things lightly?”
Her voice would be light as she asked it. Then I’d start to think about what it would feel like it if I held the tasks, commitments, projects, etc. ‘lightly.’ It made a difference.
Think about this for yourself. If you’re seeing your to-do list, your job, your family, and the things that you’re responsible for as an enemy and you’re holding everything so tightly that you’re all bound up and tense, that’s completely different than Joelle’s phrase of ‘hold it lightly.’
Holding things lightly involves a mental shift and a ‘reframing’ of how you are perceiving that which seems to be weighing you down. As Charlotte Bronte said, “A ruffled mind makes a restless pillow.” See what you can hold lightly…and then see if you sleep better with the softer, lighter, and more buoyant pillow this provides.
What Does It Mean to ‘Hold Things Lightly’?
Here’s what it is not:
* Holding things tightly.
* Holding things fearfully.
* Holding things in a stingy manner.
* Holding things with clenched jaws.
* Holding things with a standard of perfection hanging over your head.
* Holding things rigidly.
* Holding things as burdens.
* Holding things with worry.
* Holding things ___________.
A teacher who’s a subscriber sent me this email: “I’m a teacher and when I think about everything that has been added to the plate of today’s teacher, I wonder if it’s ever possible to just be ‘just whelmed’ again.”
It’s a reality that people’s plates are “too full,” and thus pretty darn heavy. Practice reframing your view to hold what’s on your plate ‘lightly.’ Holding things lightly is to see them as
* airy
* bright
* soft
* feather-light
* buoyant
* weightless
* lighter-than-air
* floaty
* of low density
Do you get the idea?
The Earth is Heavy. Spring Forth and Dance
In 1988, my husband and I moved to Nevada so I could become a professor at the University of Nevada, Reno. We bought a new house in a new development and there was lots of dirt and no vegetation (it is a desert here, after all). We started the process of landscaping it ourselves (mostly Larry). Somewhere during the first year of this project (which continues today, by the way), we went to a field where there were a lot of rocks. Not exactly boulders, but BIG rocks. His idea was that we were going to lift them into the back of a truck we had borrowed. They really weren’t that big and yet, when we tried to lift them, they were VERY HEAVY. I remember exactly the sense that came over me. Earth is so heavy. I guess I had never really thought about it before but after trying to lift a little tiny piece of planet earth, I had this incredible sense of how heavy the earth was.
The reason I’m telling this anecdote, which I hope you haven’t skipped over, is this: Yes, Earth is heavy. Yes, your tasks, responsibilities, commitments, issues, etc. are heavy. And….you can choose to ‘hold them lightly.’ The alternative is to keep holding on to them ‘heavily’ and bear that burden. What does that do to your life? Do you like that weight, that burden, that rigidity? Or would you rather spring forth and …dance?
“Life may not be the party we’d hoped for, but while we’re here, we might as well dance.” Author Unknown
Maybe, if you’re holding things too tightly, feeling oppressed, or your burden is just too heavy, consider thinking about whatever that is and say, “In the big scheme of things, this _______ is small compared to __________.”
It’s not too hard to come up with what to put in the last blank. Just watch the news or look around next time you go to the grocery store or think about someone who has lost their child to illness. Pretty much, that helps me to reframe (that’s a key word & concept) my thinking to move to holding something more “lightly.”
Doing so does not negate your feelings of overwhelm (fear, stress, anger, frustration, pain, etc.), however it may help to put them in perspective.
See if this works for you.
And if the heaviness of your responsibilities is just one area that overwhelms you – and you would like to be ‘just whelmed,’ then you’re invited to join others (worldwide) who receive Meggin’s weekly emails (free!) at
**I Want to Be Just Whelmed (http://www.JustWhelmed.com)
If you would prefer quick, short weekly tips, then the following site is another place to find suggestions and other tools to support you in your quest for peaceful productivity:
**Top Ten Productivity Tips (http://www.TopTenProductivityTips.com)
(c) 2010 by Meggin McIntosh, Ph.D., “The Ph.D. of Productivity”(tm). Through her company, Emphasis on Excellence, Inc., Meggin McIntosh changes what people know, feel, dream, and do. Sound interesting? It is!
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Meggin_McIntosh
Our customers come from all over the world and use Paper Tiger Document Management Software and Filing System in the most fantastic ways! Would you be willing to write a short 500 word BLOG post about how you use Paper Tiger in your office or home? We want to tell the world how people in various professions use the software to reduce stress and better organize their business & personal life. If you will take a few minutes to write a BLOG post and we post it (we plan to post all entries), we will credit your Paper Tiger Online account for 3 months of service for FREE and automatically enter you into our Apple iPad Giveaway – drawing to be held on October 31st!
Send your 500 word BLOG post to sales@thepapertiger.com. Please feel free to include pictures, audio or video content. To see an example of a BLOG post, Click Here.
Also, you may have specific stories relating to one or more of the examples in Stephanie Calahan’s 3-part article series entitled Many Uses of Paper Tiger.
We look forward to hearing how you have implemented Paper Tiger in your office!
