Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Paperwork will kill you


Yup I've been buried under paper. The fun kind and the not-so-fun kind

- preparing to do my taxes (not-so-fun)

- researching a new novel (fun!!!!!)

The problem with dealing with paperwork is that it will take over your life if you allow it. I started with one small box of receipts and I swear it generated into a week of copying, emailing and faxing. It's sick really.

When I was hired to work at an insurance company in the early eighties I was given a computer (still in the box) and was told to try and make it work because our goal was to become a PAPERLESS OFFICE (my boss always spoke in all caps). Well, when I left the company 10 years later I'm pretty sure I'd personally been responsible for the slaughter of thousands of acres of forest. We're talking landfills of paperwork.

Researching my new book has turned into a bit of a paperwork nightmare too. I'm trying not to abuse my printer and use massive reems of papers so instead I've been using post it notes. I've got them all over my computer, fridge and, yes, even on the dashboard of my car. I need a post it intervention.

How about you? Does paperwork tend to rule your life or do you have the monster under control?

6 comments:

Jeanne C. said...

I constantly have piles of stuff on my desk! ugh... I can't stand it! I go through stuff about twice a month, but I should really do it like, twice a day! :(

Tori Lennox said...

I think a Paperless Office is a myth! :)

Dru said...

I love the fact that I can print to a pdf thus eliminating the need to use my printer.

B.E. Sanderson said...

Since I'm here with a stack of printed chapters on one side and a pile of miscellaneous papers on the other, I can really sympathize. (We won't even go into the receipts stuff on a shelf of my desk.) And I just cleared this off a couple months ago. I swear this stuff is undergoing asexual reproduction while I sleep - like amoeba. One day they'll find me suffocated under reams of the stuff. LOL

Your number one sis; said...

I am a collector of all types of paper (newspaper clippings of interesting articles, school notices, 2 sets of exam schedules, and two calendars full of sticky notes/coupons/permission slips, etc) Like you Wendy I love sticky notes they can be found in most rooms of my home reminding me to do various things and as you are well aware I am a maker of "lists" so I have many of those laying around too.

wend said...

i too work in a paperless office so we have acres of the stuff pouring our of the printer every minute!
Had some paperwork arrive yesterday and I can't decide it its good or bad. I rashly entered a 10km race and my race number arrived yesterday in time for the race in 2 weeks time!!! I have been training for it with Maggie the dog but she looks far better after a 5 mile run than I do - if she would just pant or look tired I would feel better but, at the grand old age of 10, she looks like she's not been anywhere!

other WR