Job related paper mountains at home - how to manage?

[Elbbob]

Calling all HCP's and others who did degrees for their job and have regular training/teaching sessions... How do you manage the paperwork mountain?!

I am a health care professional and have several lever arch folders from my degree, and over the 10 years I have been qualified I have accumulated several more lever arch files of training handouts.

I do occasionally refer to some of this stuff, so don't want to bin it, but it is all a bit disorganised. I have started scanning new stuff but it would take forever to do the old lot.

I just wondered how others deal with this type of work related paperwork/coursework/training handouts at home? Are you ruthless and chuck it out? Do you have a good system for managing it?

Statutory stuff I keep.
Certificates I keep.

Random PowerPoint handouts I bin if I've not used them in a year.

I'm education if that helps.

I am a HCP, same problem. What I would like to do is keep any notes I have made as they are easy to refer to, in my own writing. But only notes that may help in future exams or where I've summarised a difficult topic.

I will get rid of any guidelines, or massive printouts given at these training sessions that are more than 2 years old. Guidelines are being constantly updated.

Glad I'm not the only one. Good point re: guidelines. I need to be more ruthless with random handouts.
I also have stacks of journals and profession related magazines. Most of which I haven't read so feel bad chucking.

Are those journals online? If so then chuck. Or if you're feeling really organised skim through them for useful articles. Either pull those out for a scrap book or file, or just make a note of the edition and article so you can access online and save as a PDF. Random handouts...if useful then stick in scrapbook, if it's stuff you already know then chuck. It helps to think about what you are saving things for so you can focus on why you are keeping what you keep.

That's really helpful thanks @Dawsonforehead
Most are online yes. The reason I save most handouts etc is because I could see a patient with any condition/ social situation so feel unable to chuck stuff even if I haven't seen anyone it relates to before. Very much a 'just in case' approach that isn't really working for me.

No worries I totally understand. I used to keep absolutely every piece of paper and then realised that medicine is endless and always changing, in some cases it would do me more harm than good to be referring back to old handouts.

I am also an HCP with lots of paper! I have thoughts of scanning stuff and keeping it all electronically but that hasn’t happened yet!

I do try and only keep relevant stuff and clearing it all out now and then. From my course I have put the notes in the loft and just kept assignments accessible. However I don’t look at them they are out of date now so could probably go as well.