Setting up this handy file for magazine articles and reports that cross your desk will help. Then when you have a few spare minutes before a meeting starts or during lunch, grab something from your file and catch up on your reading. Just before you leave for your trip, put the file in your briefcase and go. Anything that doesn't fit into the files already listed is a candidate for your general file. A caution, however.
Some people like to color code their files.
For instance, all vendor files might be in red folders, while all invoices might be in blue. Others use a combination of letters and numbers to identify their files. An example would be EX-97 for all business expenses files for the year 1997. If you need to hold on to paper documents but don't want to file them away, investigate microfilming or digital imaging for long-term storage. Microfilming converts paper to microfilm, while digital imaging converts it to a digitized electronic image that can be stored on a magnetic disk, optical disk or a combination of both.