Paperless Part 3 How and Why I Went Paperless and How You Can Too Workflow

Dr. Barrett Mosbacker

Dr. Barrett Mosbacker

— 3 min read

By Dr. Barrett Mosbacker

June 08, 2013

By Dr. Barrett Mosbacker

In my previous two posts in this series — Part 1: Why I Went Paperless: There Had to Be a Better Way and Part 2: How I Went Paperless: What I Use — I explained why I went paperless and the hardware and software I use. In this third and final article I will describe how I work paperlessly on a day-to-day basis.

It is one thing to have a fleet of powerful applications at your disposal. It is quite another to develop a workflow using those applications that is easy, efficient, and dependable. The process of creating such a workflow is never finished, but I believe I have reached the point where I spend little time managing documents, communications, and applications and more time focused on what matters most — people and projects.

Here, in brief, is a sample of how I have created an almost frictionless, paperless workflow. This is not comprehensive, but I hope it provides a useful model for processing the information coming your way without paper.

Incoming Emails

I deal with email in batches, which is far more efficient than responding to messages as they arrive. For each email I receive, I do one of the following:

  • Delete it.
  • Archive it.
  • Forward or redirect it to the appropriate person.
  • Delegate it as a follow-up or project for someone; I forward the email to him or her and simultaneously create a follow-up task in OmniFocus directly from the email.
  • Create a task or project for myself. I do not use my email inbox to track to-dos and follow-ups.

Incoming Paper

When I receive paper or printed documents, I do one or more of the following:

  • Ask my staff to send it to me digitally. I do not accept paper from staff. If the document is from someone outside the school, I also request a digital version when appropriate and practical.
  • Discard it.
  • Scan and archive it.
  • Scan and email the document to someone else as a delegated task or project, and simultaneously create a follow-up task in OmniFocus directly from the email.
  • Create a task for myself if the document is related to a project.

Meeting Notes

Here is how I handle meeting notes:

  • I use ByWord to take notes during the meeting.
  • After the meeting, I create projects and tasks for others and for myself in OmniFocus from the action items in my notes.
  • After creating the OmniFocus projects and tasks, I archive the notes in Evernote and link them to the relevant tasks and projects in OmniFocus for future reference.
  • For a project involving more than one person, I create a collaborative document in Google Drive for those working on the project and link it to the OmniFocus project.

OmniFocus

OmniFocus is the hub that holds the entire workflow together. Every action item — whether it originates from an email, a scanned document, or a set of meeting notes — eventually lands in OmniFocus as a task or project. From there I can view my work by project, by due date, by person responsible, or by context. Nothing falls through the cracks because everything is captured, assigned, and tracked in one place.

The Hard Work of Creating New Habits

I wish I could tell you this will be easy. It is not.

When first beginning the journey to a paperless workflow, you will encounter a steep learning curve. You will initially experience increased stress and reduced productivity as you learn new programs and develop new habits. That is to be expected. It takes time and consistency to master a new routine.

Research suggests that forming a genuine habit takes considerably longer than most people assume — closer to two months than the commonly cited three weeks. The point is not the precise number of days but the underlying reality: meaningful change requires sustained effort over time before new behaviors become automatic. There are no shortcuts.

Hang in there. This is not a sprint; it is a marathon.

Final Thoughts

If you find yourself struggling to manage the relentless flow of information arriving in paper and digital form, if you are working feverishly to juggle multiple projects, and if you want to reduce stress and increase productivity, I encourage you to consider going paperless.

Give it a try. Once you have mastered the tools and workflow, going paperless will save you time, money, and stress. The journey is demanding, but the destination — a calmer, more productive professional and personal life — is worth every step.

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