Ditch the Paper: How to go Digital in Your Home

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Though some of us love the idea of having handwritten notes and letters, most find the unnecessary stacks of paper on their desks and counters to be a hindrance to their productivity. If you have found yourself wanting to get rid of clutter and maybe save some trees along the way, here are a few habits you can adopt to go paperless now. 

Use Digital Versions

If you want to eliminate as much paper from your life as possible, consider using a digital version of your common paper products as a starting point. Instead of writing your notes in a notebook, use applications like GoogleDocs, GoodNotes, or, if you have a touch screen computer, install writing software so you can still get the feel of writing. Instead of a physical calendar, use the one that comes with your phone. And, instead of cluttering your desk with sticky notes, use task manager apps to keep you organized and set reminders. 

Change the way you get Your Mail

One way to do this is to simply open up your mail at the mailbox. This way, you will not be bringing any unnecessary clutter into your home. But, if you are someone who is actually trying to eliminate the use of paper products, consider ditching your physical address and switch to a virtual mailbox option. By switching to a mailbox (this is not the same as email), you are essentially eliminating all paper being delivered to your home, making it easier for you to ditch paper all together. 

Scan Everything

You never know when you might need something, even if it seems unimportant at first. Going paperless at home or work this year can be done by scanning everything into your system and ditching the paper. Whenever you are given a physical piece of paper, just scan it to your computer or even to the cloud. You can find scanner apps anywhere, so you can install and do it right away. Always make sure that you will not need to keep the original version after scanning, you don’t want to find yourself stuck in a sticky situation. 

If you are trying to ditch paper and maybe even shrink your environmental footprint, these few tips are a good place to begin the paper purge. Don’t be afraid to be annoying about it too, people may get frustrated with you, but you are doing something good at the end of the day. This can be a hard adjustment, but if you stick with it and really commit, you can purge yourself from those overwhelming stacks of paper and live a more digital and environmentally friendly life.