Getting Organized is described in many different ways. Consider just a few: get organized, paper filing, setup a new filing system, clutter control, document management, the paperless office, declutter, paper management, messy desk, archiving, etc. You can do a Google search on these terms and many, many more to find a link back to The Paper Tiger software. There are tens of thousands of companies around the world that made this search and decided to purchase The Paper Tiger software.
Now, each day, they get the pleasure of being much better organized with their paper filing. They realized that paper was not going away and that they needed a better way to deal with it. Using The Paper Tiger software each day to stay on top of things, really gives them a bit of a thrill and makes them feel good. And in today’s economy, who doesn’t need to feel just a little better each day?
Make yourself feel good by making the commitment to install, fully implement and convert to the software. Once you have it in your office, you are not likely to go back to the old methods. Filing is a difficult, but necessary, task and making it FUN! (okay, well almost fun), is really important so that you will stay on top of it and streamline your office.
Be sure and see our new What is The Paper Tiger? video.
We stand ready to help you achieve your goals!
The Paper Tiger Team
Dump Your To-Do List and Keep Your Sanity
By Rosa Golijan, 5:00 PM on Tue Sep 1 2009
Quickly jotted or carefully plotted out, to-do lists are a staple of many productivity methods. Yet in the wrong hands, these lists somehow morph from helpful road maps into overfilled energy-wasters. Could it be time to dump the to-do?
Maybe you were lazy, maybe you had an emergency stop your week in its tracks. Either way you haven’t kept up on your to-do routine for a few days and now you’re repaying every precious second with interest. If you use something similar to the Gmail GTD Inbox, now your whole inbox might feel like that dreaded post-vacation email buildup. If you stick with pen-and-paper for your to-dos but let things pile up on your desk for a couple of days, it feels like you’ve been ignoring the mailman. Except that unlike your email or snailmail buildup, you can’t simply take your whole to-do list and dump it into the trash… can you?
When Gina covered the art of the doable to-do list, she reminded us that a successful to-do list requires purging:
Just like you should be able to see what tasks are top priority on your to-do list, you should be able to see what items have been on your list the longest as well. Chances are you’ve got some mental blockage around the tasks that have been sitting around forever, and they’ve got to be re-worded or broken down further. Or perhaps they don’t need to get done after all. Deleting an item from your to-do list is even better than checking it off, because you’ve saved yourself the effort.
Today I’m taking Gina’s advice to a bit of an extreme and encouraging you to try the same: Rather than spending the day sorting through a flood of tasks drowning every category to find the ones which can go, I’ll be dumping my inbox-based to-do list entirely and taking a completely fresh start:
That is my moment of bliss. By tomorrow, a new to-do list will be taking form gradually and I’ll add the important tasks in, but today I’m saving myself … time by starting off fresh. Am I running the risk of missing a task or to-do item? Yes. Will that task have been significant? Most likely not. The productive time I’m gaining by taking the risk of skipping the tasks which would be purged in a few days to begin with is worth it. And there are always e-mail archives for reference, just as there are filing cabinets for physical to-do/GTD materials.
Since I’m the kind of person whose to-do list almost always hits the over-filled, under-processed stumbling block, dumping my to-do list will become an occasional to-do from now on as a clean starting point can turn into a productivity booster and give a productivity method of choice the power up it needs. In a perfect world I’d always keep a pristine to-do list, but I’m realistic, and every now and then, this dump is exactly what I need.
If you’re not ready to follow my potentially crazy approach and dump your to-do list, despite the safety net of archival methods, then keep in mind that you can at least tweak your routine to be more effective by incorporating could-do lists, did-do lists, or maybe even some paper and sticky pads. No matter which route you take, try to stick with one task at a time in order to actually get through your to-do lists.
Whether you are in fact taking the “dump the to-do” approach, just plain tweaking your routine, or not doing anything at all, I’d love to hear your to-do list methodology or general productivity horror and success stories in the comments. How do you get back into your routine after vacations, emergencies, or planned breaks? Do you start with a clean slate or do you stoically battle your way through all the build up? Does it work?
Many apologies to Gina for taking her incredible pointers and abusing them in a way she may have never promoted and many thanks to the crazy inbox-clearer who inspired me to do such a thing in the first place.
See full article, make comments and see others’ comments at http://lifehacker.com/5350360/dump-your-to+do-list-and-keep-your-sanity
The time it takes to convert your piles and files is justified!
Does converting your files to ‘The Paper Tiger way’ seem overwhelming? Do you have an office full of stacks and stacks of paper to be filed and lots of file drawers to convert?
There is an investment of time to set up your new file system with The Paper Tiger, but when you consider that the average person wastes 150 hours per year looking for lost and misplaced papers, even if it took two (8 hour) days to convert …that would be 16 hours vs. 150 hours. The investment of time is well worth it because you will be so much more productive for years to come.
The Paper Tiger actually makes filing easier and quicker to do once you have it set up, because you set up the empty hanging files prior to filing (a file labeled with a number can be labeled ahead of time) so they are waiting empty in the file drawer to receive your paper files. So when you’re ready to file, you don’t have to search for a hanging folder nor do you have to create a printed label at the time you create a new file.
Listed below are some plans of action.
Note: If your hanging file folder has several items that you want to include into 1 Item Name in Paper Tiger, you would simply add keywords for all document items into the Keyword section of the same Item Name. In addition, you may want to separate the physical documents in the hanging file folder with manilla folders. In this case, you might also want to number the manilla folders and include the number that you input on the manilla folder with the coinciding keywords in the Keyword section.
Do a combination of the above in some way that will work for you. Decide on the most important sections of your files and convert them immediately. Then you commit to a couple of hours a week or 1 drawer a day until the rest is done…whatever works for you. Statistically, 80% of our existing files are never referenced again, so as you are going through each file, and you know you haven’t referenced a file for several months (and probably won’t again,) decide if you can toss it or if it needs to be archived. If it needs to be archived, put the file in the last drawer to be converted. When you get to that drawer, you can create a location called Archive within Paper Tiger, input the file item name and keywords in that Archive location, then box the file to be sent to wherever you send archived files.
Also, you don’t have to add keywords for every piece of paper in a file if the file name contains the only word(s) you would ever look up to find it. (ex: invoices)
When entering keywords in your Paper Tiger database, ask yourself, If I or someone else wanted to retrieve this file later, what words might be helpful? You want to input as many keywords as you think might be helpful.
I tried for years to convince my previous employer of the virtues of The Paper Tiger. She just would not buy into the concept. I recently changed jobs and am so very excited to learn that my new employer already has The Paper Tiger system in place! I suppose my former employer is still surrounded by stacks and stacks of paper, but I’m happily utilizing The Paper Tiger in my new office where the paper is neat, tidy, orderly, and highly-accessible. What a joy! Thanks for your great product!
Dear New Paper Tiger User,
So, you’ve been asked to take over the filing from another employee who’s is on leave, gone on vacation or left the company. At this point you now find yourself staring at a software screen trying to understand a software product that you’ve never used before, eh? And to make matters worse, people are asking you to file and find things using this software – you are expected to do this while completing all of your other tasks? So, before you use words that you will later regret : ), let us help you with a few quick tips that will make this process much easier and not consume all of your time:
Relax and Breathe - Tens of thousands of companies use The Paper Tiger software, it is really easy to learn. If all those people can do it, you can do it! Heck, you might even have FUN!
Flying a Jet - You wouldn’t attempt to fly a jet without a little training, so why would you attempt to use a new piece of software without just a little instruction? Okay, I know…you are busy, right? Well spending just a few minutes, we are talking 30 minutes, understanding the concepts and features of The Paper Tiger software will potentially save you hours of “trying to figure it out” later. We make this learning process very easy and best of all, you can do it from the comfort of your own desk – everything is online. See the list of our training tools below including our new The New Paper Tiger message board.
Mistakes - The beauty of The Paper Tiger software is that it is really hard to mess it up. Unlike alphabetic systems (the old way) where if you misfiled something, it could be lost forever, The Paper Tiger software almost guarantees you will find the documents later, regardless of how you filed it. The system works very similar to Google and is truly a “finding system”, not really a filing system. Go ahead, use it – file things, the system will make it easy to find later!
Start Slow - To use the system, you only have to start with the papers on your desk right now. To file with The Paper Tiger software, you don’t even have to get up from your desk. See the training videos to see how this is done. The software really changes the paradigm of filing and makes it not only easy but well…almost fun!
Have a good time and don’t worry…filing with The Paper Tiger software is very forgiving. Spend just few minutes learning the software and you will never look back. We are here to help you in any way!
The Paper Tiger Team
Let’s face it, everyone would like to have less paper in their lives and many people are trying really hard to limit paper. If you are trying to greatly reduce the paper in your business and personal life, we think that is a great idea. However, if you are like most people, you will find that you can only take going paperless so far and you will still end up with quite a bit of paper – for this you should use The Paper Tiger software.
As we mentioned in a previous newsletter, with paper you only have 5 choices to deal with paper: TOSS IT in the trash (toss as much as you can), STACK IT (all that stuff on your desk), FILE IT alphabetically (the old fashioned way using abc’s and the file cabinet), SCAN IT (very tedious and time consuming) or INDEX IT (use The Paper Tiger software to index your paper files).
However, one of the best ways to get yourself better organized is to eliminate as much paper as you can upfront (i.e. don’t get it in the first place). If you want to get rid of as much paper as possible, here are a few ideas to consider:
Emailing - if at all possible, scan your paper documents into a computer and email them to your recipient rather than using a fax machine. If you do this, you are keeping a copy for yourself and reducing the paper on the other side. Your recipients will thank you for doing this!
Postal Mail - use an online service such as DMAchoice to take your name off direct marketing mailing lists. It is also not a bad idea to remove your name from telemarketing call lists at the same time.
Catalogs - use an online service such as Mailstopper to take your name off catalog marketing mailing lists.
Pay Online - pay bills and receive statements online. This eliminates quite a bit of paper. However, make sure you have a good electronic copy of the statements on your computer, in case your bank or other vendor decides to remove old statements. You can usually download a copy of all statements in .pdf format.
Digital Lists - reach for your iPhone, iPod Touch, Netbook or other such digital device before using paper to write down notes. There is great software available to help you keep organized and stay on top of your lists (free one at gmail tasks – Google). There is even a system available where you can call in and the system convert your voice to text called Jott.
PDFs - not everything needs to be printed to paper. You can save trees and laser toner/ink by simply printing documents to .pdf format and saving them on your computer. The bigger question is do you really need to save the document at all?
Scanning - scanning allows you to convert paper files into digital format. This can work out quite well for you and can make you feel “really organized”. There are many good choices in the market including The Neat Company. However, realize the pitfalls – scanning can consume quite a bit of time, some documents do not lend themselves to scanning and computers can and do break, so be sure and have a “bulletproof” local and off-site backup system or you could lose everything with a computer malfunction or a virus/database corruption error. You could even use The Paper Tiger to organize the physical documents that have been scanned, if you are worried about tossing the paper and later having a total loss situation due to a computer malfunction.
Paper - believe it or not, even if you did everything above, you would still have paper and lots of it! This is especially true if you are running a business. This is where we hope you will use The Paper Tiger to better manage the information. The Paper Tiger software is the easiest way to manage the paper in your business and personal life. At its core, it is a powerful indexing system that allows you to use the computer to Find Anything in Your Office in 5 Seconds or Less…Guaranteed! It is simple to learn and it really works! Take a 10 day FREE TRIAL!.
This article by Stephanie Calahan, of Calahan Solutions and a Paper Tiger Expert provides many different ways of using Paper Tiger in addition to indexing paper files. She helps implement Paper Tiger Document Management Software and Filing System, which she recommends based on her clients’ needs and the way that they work. She understands that every person is different and requires systems that work for them.
Over the years, we have worked with a number of clients to help them implement the Paper Tiger and get their offices and time under control! We know for sure that the software is not just for paper! In this 3-part series, I will share some of the different ways that Paper Tiger clients have used the software. Basically, anything you can number, you can Paper Tiger!
Test Tubes - University professors and other scientists use Paper Tiger to cross-reference samples. You put numbers on the test tubes. Then, Paper Tiger is used to hold the cross reference information.
Wine - Like wine? It may not be as big as this one, but you can manage your collection! You can use the keywords to track the name, type (wet, dry, red, dessert, etc.), vintage, vineyard, types of food it is best with (chicken, steak, fruit & cheese, etc.), and guest favorites.
Car Lots - If you are in any type of business that requires the changing of cars in and out of lots, Paper Tiger can help you know where each vehicle is! Towing, Rental cars, Used car lot and more! Store, VIN, year, make, model, color, etc.
Craft Supplies - Do you enjoy de-stressing by crafting? Making jewelry, stitching, knitting and more! In this example, each section of the divided box has a number. The keywords in Paper Tiger document contents such as the color name, color number, shape, brand and any pattern or item for which it has been used.
Your Thoughts - This is one of my favorites. I keep all of my random thoughts in Paper Tiger. New product ideas, speaking topics, things I have seen that I want to look into, you name it! When I am ready to start a new project, I do a search on that topic & have all of my resources right there.
There are so many great ways you can use the Paper Tiger software that I’m breaking the thoughts into 3 articles! Pick out the ones that work the best for you. What have you used Paper Tiger for? Tweet me at @StephCalahan and let me know. Share your tips because I KNOW you will help another reader! If you would like help getting all of your systems put in place that match the way you think and work, let’s talk!
The Many uses of The Paper Tiger (Part 1 of 3)
The Many uses of The Paper Tiger (Part 2 of 3)
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
These are your options for dealing with paper:
1. Trash it (come on, man – trash it), this is the best filing system ever invented, if you can find it later, then put it in ‘file 13′- the trash can.
2. Can’t trash all the paper in your life, well okay, then stack it, I know your mom told you to keep a ‘clean desk’ but if it works, why change it?
3. So if stacking is becoming a problem (either an image problem or you really are spending too much time finding stuff) so you need to look beyond the stacks for a better way! WAIT – I know what you are thinking – don’t do it – the alphabetic method stinks – come on, use a computer – it is the 21 century you know, wouldn’t you like to find your paper files as fast as you find information on Google?
4. Are you with me still? Okay, you have just two options left and they both are pretty cool. The first is Scan it! If you like it, great, but realize the problems. They are listed for you on our website.
5. The final option, another cool method : ) is INDEX it! The Paper Tiger is an indexing method and it is the method that we think makes the most sense for many people. Let me tell you more about it…
This article by Stephanie Calahan, of Calahan Solutions and a Paper Tiger Expert provides many different ways of using Paper Tiger in addition to indexing paper files. She helps implement Paper Tiger Document Management Software and Filing System, which she recommends based on her clients’ needs and the way that they work. She understands that every person is different and requires systems that work for them.
Over the years, we have worked with a number of clients to help them implement the Paper Tiger and get their offices and time under control! We know for sure that the software is not just for paper! In this 3-part series, I will share some of the different ways that Paper Tiger clients have used the software. Basically, anything you can number, you can Paper Tiger!
Storage Containers – We use Paper Tiger to help with family communication. All of our storage containers are numbered & placed in numerical order in our basement. I type in the keyword & the container number comes up in seconds. It is much easier to ask my husband to get box #10 than to ask him to get the Fall decorations! 
Moving Boxes - Numbers are placed on the box with a description of the contents entered into Paper Tiger. You can use the category for the name of the room the box should go to. A description of the contents is entered for each box. Unpacking becomes a breeze! 
Bank/Fire Boxes – If you have a special spot that you store your precious items, make sure you remember what is stored in what location. Make sure to tell your emergency contact where your inventory list is in the event that you cannot get to it. 
Inventory – Insurance agents frequently tell us that we should have a documentation of our belongings in the event of a disaster. Paper Tiger is a fabulous tool to identify the important items in your home. Place photos in your file and list the items in Paper Tiger! 
Storage Sheds – While we would like you to consider de-cluttering before paying for multiple storage sheds, that is not always possible. Many use Paper Tiger to identify the contents of each storage unit. 
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There are so many great ways you can use the Paper Tiger software that I’m breaking the thoughts into 3 articles! Pick out the ones that work the best for you. What have you used Paper Tiger for? Tweet me at @StephCalahan and let me know. Share your tips because I KNOW you will help another reader! If you would like help getting all of your systems put in place that match the way you think and work, let’s talk!
The Many uses of The Paper Tiger (Part 1 of 3)
The Many uses of The Paper Tiger (Part 3 of 3)
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
This article by Stephanie Calahan, of Calahan Solutions and a Paper Tiger Expert provides many different ways of using Paper Tiger in addition to indexing paper files. She helps implement Paper Tiger Document Management Software and Filing System, which she recommends based on her clients’ needs and the way that they work. She understands that every person is different and requires systems that work for them.
Over the years, we have worked with a number of clients to help them implement the Paper Tiger and get their offices and time under control! We know for sure that the software is not just for paper! In this 3-part series, I will share some of the different ways that Paper Tiger clients have used the software. Basically, anything you can number, you can Paper Tiger!
Hanging Files – Anything that can be put in a hanging file is the #1 use of the Paper Tiger software. The files are numbered and keywords are associated with each file. (there are other ways to use it too.) You search the keyword and the system quickly tells you where the file is! You will go right to it in seconds! In the example below, the files are labeled Reference 1, Reference 2, etc.
Binders – By numbering the binders and entering in keywords describing the contents of each binder (newsletters, company names, slogans, themes, what ever you have in the binders, etc.), you can save a lot of time finding what you are looking for! This works much the same as what you might do with a hanging file, but you want the items to be a bit more mobile.
Books – Are you an avid reader or do you have a number of books that you use for reference? Paper Tiger can help you quickly find the right book. You number the bindings of the books and keep them in numerical order. With Paper Tiger, you can now search by keyword and find all books pertaining to the subject you need. No more time wasted on scanning through shelves and pages of your material to find what you need.
CDs – No matter how you store your CDs (I have mine in these numbered tabbed envelopes) you can number the CD itself or the edge of the jewel case & find the one you are looking for by using a keyword or category search. This is great for a household that has two people arguing about how they should be organized! You can document genre (classical, jazz, hip-hop, etc.), artist, year & more. You can also use this for audio books or even software titles.
DVDs – You can use Paper Tiger to record the title, production company (Disney), type (comedy, SciFi, cartoon, etc.), owner (mom, dad, son, etc.) We keep track of our son’s DVDs by numbering the DVD and the storage sleeve. (Using a silver Sharpie marker.) He knows where to put them away and Paper Tiger can be used to tell us where to find it! To make it even sweeter, each birthday and holiday time, when family members are asking for wish lists, we print out what he has on inventory and they get something that is not on the list.
USB Drives - How many USB drives do you have in a drawer or box on your desk? Do you know what you have on each one? You can number your USB drives, and then use Paper Tiger to document the files on each drive. This will save time because you won’t have to insert each drive to find the file you need. Think about it …. would you rather insert 5 drives to search for the file you need, or conduct a search in your Paper Tiger database and know immediately which drive the file is on?
Collections – Do you own collections that others may not know the value? Use Paper Tiger to identify your special possessions & anything you would like to remember. This is great for insurance inventories. Some people also print out an inventory of what they own & give it to family members so that duplicates are not bought!
There are so many great ways you can use Paper Tiger software that I’m breaking the thoughts into 3 articles! Pick out the ones that work the best for you. What have you used Paper Tiger for? Tweet me at @StephCalahan and let me know.
The Many uses of The Paper Tiger (Part 2 of 3)
The Many uses of The Paper Tiger (Part 3 of 3)
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
It’s a good idea to print out a File List anytime you’ve made significant changes or additions to your Paper Tiger filing system. That way, if your computer is off or the power is out, you have a handy backup to see the contents of each file. Place a copy in front of each of your physical locations. While in Paper Tiger, click on Reports, then choose File List Report or File List w/Keywords Report. There you can choose how to sort, which locations to print, select the font you want to print, hit Suppress Lines to keep from printing the ‘open’ items. From the Preview button, you can preview prior to printing and you can also choose to export the report using the ‘Save’ icon. You can choose to export in pdf, xls, doc. Happy Paper Taming!
The Paper Tiger Filing software is not only a filing system for your papers, but a finding system that can be used for so many other things for which you want to keep track. One of our attorney customers told me he uses Paper Tiger for keeping track of and check for client conflict of interest. Watch for our upcoming newsletter and our blog for other great ideas. If you don’t currently receive our monthly newsletter, sign up today on our home page www.thepapertiger.com.
Make your life a little easier, especially when first setting up your files The Paper Tiger way!
You know that we suggest you write the location, either directly on your paper file or on a ‘Post-It’ type sticky note that coincides with your hanging file location, so that when you need to re-file it, you’ll know exactly where it goes.
Why not plan ahead and print out a 2nd set of labels for sticking on ‘Post-It’ type sticky notes instead of having to write out every file location. (I use Avery 8167 or 5160 size labels for this) This way, you can put each file label on a separate sticky note, place each sticky note with the file in the corresponding hanging file location.
The next time you need to retrieve the file, put the sticky note on the file so that when you need to re-file it, you’ll know exactly where it goes; back to it’s home location! Happy Paper Taming!
We are on a roll here! Please enjoy 2 more videos of great learning material for your convenience. We cover how to use the Transfer Report function, as well as the Action Date feature in the Paper Tiger.
Please let us know what else you’d like to see in our videos, we are all ears.
The Paper Tiger Get Started Now! Guide
Keep filing!
