About three years back, I made the conscious decision to uproot my entire workflow and go paperless. The motivation was simple, I was caught between two worlds; working semi-electronically while holding onto countless outdated documents filed away under ‘just in case’. This approach limited my capacity in a way that wasn’t scalable within our very real multitask-driven environment. In short, I reached a breaking point and something had to give.
Having successfully made the digital jump, I offer these few tips to the ‘soon to be digital warrior.'
Identify the right digital tools for your needs. For me, Evernote is the cornerstone of how I successfully operate as a business professional and leader. With it, I develop 'to do' lists, track action items, collaborate with teams, produce agendas, deliver presentations and much more. This is my ‘go to' app, as it also syncs across devices. Meaning, my workflow can start on a laptop, shift to a phone and continue on to a tablet (if so needed); all backed-up in the cloud.
Set up the right data management structure. It’s no good to have the best digital tools, but then not know how to use them. How you organize and group your content is truly a make it or break it detail. Take some time to really think about what this is going to look like. This is no easy task. You’ve got to plan for what type of process you need now, as well as leave the door open for future innovation shifts. Try to avoid painting yourself into that digital corner.
Don’t be too hard on yourself during the transition. At first, you might second-guess whether you’re doing the right thing. When doing something new, it takes several repetitions to make it a habit and even several more to become truly proficient. If you make your transition realistic, you’ll be satisfied with the result.
See you on the other side.
