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Recently while browsing through articles by other organization bloggers, I ran across an article for office organization which mentioned the “FAR rule.” FAR stands for File, Act, Recycle. As far as I can tell, the FAR rule is not very well known, and was the blogger’s own invention, but it is a good one. The FAR rule can help you to stay organized at work or in your home.

What is the FAR rule and what do you use it for? The FAR rule is for dealing with the influx of paperwork that is constantly coming into your home or workplace. At the office, that paperwork might include bills, invoices, to-do lists, components of workplace projects, requests from other departments, payroll information, or any number of other documents. In the home, your incoming documents generally take the form of bills, receipts, the occasional letter or request from a bank, creditor, or utility provider, and tax documents.

Most of us have a growing pile of paperwork at any time threatening to topple over and spill all over our desktops. This pile of paperwork does more harm than good. We think we are keeping recent documents accessible, but in reality, we are burying them where they are hard to find. Our “recent documents” quickly become a slew of documents ranging across months or even years. And that pile of paperwork takes up all kinds of space!

Here is what you should do with incoming documents:

• File: If you receive a document which is important, but which you do not need to act on or do anything else with, file it right away. Don’t wait! When you wait, documents accumulate. A filing cabinet works great in an office. In a home office, a simple plastic container set is often all you need. Plastic containers for storage keep your papers organized and out of your way.

• Act: If the incoming document requires some kind of action, do it right away if you can. If you need to pay a bill, pay it or schedule it. If you need to call or email someone, do it right away. Once you have acted on the paperwork, file it or recycle it right away.

• Recycle: If you no longer need your papers, or you receive papers that are unimportant, get rid of them right away. Invest in plastic recycling bins if you haven’t already.

This FAR system keeps you on top of your paperwork as it comes in, and prevents the mountain of paperwork on your desk from growing. If you cannot file, act, or recycle right away, make sure you actually schedule the action you need to take for a specific block of time later in the week or month. Act as soon as you can, and then either file into your plastic bins with lids or recycle.