Home > Productivity > Peace, Productivity and Embracing Your Piles > How to Deal With Repetitive Crap

Dear Kirsten,

After reading your previous columns, I know I’m a Fantastical. I’ve made my pile organization system official and it’s made my life so much easier. But there’s one pile in particular that I just can’t face: my receipts. The thing is probably three or four inches high, and I’m supposed to file expense reports for all of them! I don’t even remember some of the expenses, and the thought of tracking them down makes me want to curl up under my bed.

Do you have any advice for me?

Just Suck it Up

Dear Suck it Up,

Your pile sucks. I know it does. Fantasticals are particularly bad with repetitive work, and filing expense reports is about as repetitive as it gets. That said, you do have several options to get through this without falling asleep from boredom.

First off, how far back do your receipts go? It might be worth asking your employer to forego the past expense reports if you can promise to get them in on time in the future. After all, you yourself said that you have no idea what some of them were for, so surely your boss understands that your time is much better spent on something other than trying to track down year old receipts. (I know you’re thinking, “but I can’t promise to get them in on time in the future!” I’ll get to that in a minute.)

If forgetting about the pile is a no-go, then your next best option is to find someone to do the detective work for you. Put out an ad for a local college student, hand over the pile and your calendar for the time covered, and pay them $10 an hour plus a $100 bonus when the reports are in. I guarantee you’ll have a completed project in the minimal time possible.

Your final option is to do it yourself, but find a way to make it more palatable. Do you have a favorite movie that always engages you? Try doing your receipts while watching. Or turn it into a game, with rewards unlocked per reports attained. Had your eye on a fish tank? Each report you turn in is another fish, or every five is a decoration.

Now, what about this system to keep you current on your reports? Well, the best option is going to be that college student. How much is it worth per week to you never to have to deal with this again? My guess is significantly less than what it would cost to hire someone else to do it.

If money is tight, then you need to create a system that keeps you on top of the reports. Get a separate wallet to hold your receipts, and set aside a box in your office that’s just for them. Then come up with a reward that can be broken into small pieces and use that to keep you motivated through the paperwork. It has to be out of the ordinary – no walking the dog or making dinner – but inexpensive enough that you’re not breaking the bank.

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