{mosgoogle}While there is no "quick fix" for years of postponed decisions, avoiding the problem in the future is easy. Today's mail is tomorrow's, so to get results, ignore the mistakes of the past and start over. Our company offers a money-back program we call "The 24-Hour Miracle." We teach people to start making decisions about information with the papers on the desk -- after all, that's where the most important stuff is. There are only three choices for any piece of paper. We call it The FAT System: File, Act, or Toss. When we finish the desk, we move to the papers on the floor. That's where you put all those good intentions, isn't it?

Paper is here to stay -- at least for the foreseeable future. Research shows that introducing e-mail into a company increases paper printing by 40%. Let's face it. The portability of paper often makes it more desirable. A printout of a complex e-mail message, which requires thinking and conversations in meetings, and results in handwritten notes, is frequently far more valuable than the original electronic document. On the other hand, the ability to send information electronically, and let the user determine when and if to print it out, offers the best of both worlds.

One financial management company spent an immense amount of effort developing and producing an incredibly valuable policies and procedures manual, which ended up in dusty binders on employee shelves. Today it resides on their wide area network, easily accessible at a moment's notice and always up to date.

Before this article reaches your desk, new technologies will be available to store and easily retrieve electronic information. But don't get the cart before the horse. Making the decision of whether to go electronic or remain paper should come after a careful analysis of what information is important to you and your company.

Barbara Hemphill is the author of Kiplinger's Taming the Paper Tiger at Work and Taming the Paper Tiger at Home and co-author of Love It or Lose It: Living Clutter-Free Forever. The mission of Hemphill Productivity Institute is to help individuals and organizations create and sustain a productive environment so they can accomplish their work and enjoy their lives. We do this by organizing space, information, and time. We can be reached at 800-427-0237 or at www.ProductiveEnvironment.com