# Give paperwork a next action

Published by Pawel Jozefiak. [About this project](https://adhd100.jock.pl/about/), [How we check sources](https://adhd100.jock.pl/methodology/)

- Canonical: https://adhd100.jock.pl/paperwork-next-action/
- Language: en
- First published: 2026-09-29
- Evidence checked: 2026-09-29, using AI-assisted source verification
- Clinical review: Not clinically reviewed
- Number 85 of 100 in the list: https://adhd100.jock.pl/#paperwork-next-action

Split what needs doing from what only needs keeping, so a pile doesn't turn into a hidden task list.

**The number:** Use simple filing and regular admin time ([BYTES Primary Care Network, NHS, 2026](https://www.bytespcn.nhs.uk/autism-and-adhd/))

## The evidence

- How sure: Certainty of evidence: Not rated. Measured in people with ADHD.
- Evidence grade: C. Grade C: small or mixed studies, expert consensus or clinical practice. Worth knowing, not worth betting on.
- Basis: ADHD clinical guidance and programme content; the isolated strategy has no separately rated efficacy estimate.
- Benefit: 41/100. The benefit score is an editorial prioritization for the general list, weighted by certainty. It is not a prediction of what will happen for you.

## Why it matters

The adult ADHD CBT skills description includes organising papers and bills, and NHS ADHD advice recommends simple filing and regular admin time. Those recommendations target trouble with managing multiple steps, but a paper system has no separate proven effect on ADHD symptoms. A small processing routine lets you see whether fewer important actions vanish into the pile.

## How to do it

1. Keep one place where new paperwork lands.
2. Take one document and decide: act on it, keep it, or get rid of it.
3. Put any action and deadline in the task list or calendar you already use.
4. File it in a simple labelled place, and stop after a batch you can manage.

## Putting it into practice

### Start now

- 1 minute: Pick one paper lying around that needs an action, not more sorting.
- 5 minutes: Process one document: name the action, record any deadline and decide where the paper belongs.
- 15 minutes: Work through a small batch using the same action, keep or dispose decisions.
- 30 minutes: Clear current incoming papers and make only the simple folders you actually need.

### What it looks like

- A renewal letter becomes a dated task, with the letter kept in a known folder.
- A receipt that needs keeping is filed without being left among unpaid bills.

### Common mistakes

- Sorting folders takes the place of the urgent action. Write down the deadline before you file.
- You take on every old pile at once. Start with a small batch of current papers.

### A structured start

**Keep current papers moving**

1. Establish one incoming place.
2. Process a small batch into actions or storage.
3. Repeat at a regular cue and simplify unused folders.

### Trusted how-to guides

- [Autism and ADHD](https://www.bytespcn.nhs.uk/autism-and-adhd/), BYTES Primary Care Network, NHS
- [Making Sense: A Guide to Living with Adult ADHD](https://leicspart.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Making-Sense-of-Adult-ADHD-booklet.pdf), Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust (PDF hosted by Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust)

## Sources

- [Autism and ADHD](https://www.bytespcn.nhs.uk/autism-and-adhd/), BYTES Primary Care Network, NHS, 2026 (Tier 1 guideline)
- [Description and Demonstration of CBT for ADHD in Adults](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3874265/), Cognitive and Behavioral Practice, 2010 (Tier 2 study)
- [Making Sense: A Guide to Living with Adult ADHD](https://leicspart.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Making-Sense-of-Adult-ADHD-booklet.pdf), Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust (PDF hosted by Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust), 2013 (Tier 1 guideline)

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General information about ADHD, not a diagnosis or an individual treatment plan. Tailoring changes the order of suggestions; it does not assess you. Medication decisions belong with you and a qualified clinician.

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