There are things we all agree we’re better off without. For instance, does anyone have an 8-track player anymore? No. Does anyone still have a Mag card typewriter? No. What about those microtapes for dictation devices? Does anyone still have a fountain pen? Okay, okay, I know some of you love fountain pens (but even you know you’re kinda weird).
So what are you holding onto that you should really leave behind?
Here’s my list:
1. File cabinets (you don’t need them if you’re paperless, and we’re long past the time when you should have made this move)
2. File folders
3. Fax machines (use the online services if necessary, but even those should go)
4. Rolodex (does anyone still have one?)
5. Paper calendars, diaries, etc. (online calendars are shareable and available on your phone)
6. Pencils (what do you need a pencil for at this point?)
7. Hole punchers (if you get rid of the paper, you get rid of the holes)
8. Hole reinforcers (remember those little glue-on circles?)
9. Desktop computers (give your employees laptops so they can work from wherever they are)
10. Servers (make the move to the cloud)
11. Paper publications/books (get it online, or don’t get it)
12. Paper clips (what’s left to clip?)
13. Landlines (go to VOIP or cellular)
14. Trial notebooks (do it on the laptop or a tablet)
15. Staplers (might need a few for courts that aren’t using digital filing, but you don’t need one for every desk anymore)
16. Copiers (you’re probably better off with scanners and printers than the old-fashioned big copier)
Don’t stress: you can keep your pens and legal pads—for now. However, I wouldn’t encourage you to buy stock in pen makers.
What did I miss? What else should you get rid of? What will you never let go?