It's no secret that paper can be a major source of clutter (and frustration) in our lives. Even though technology has helped a bit with this paper monster, it
hasn't succeeded in eliminating it.
Many of us like our paper. Very often, if it's digital, it's then in some never-never land. Out of sight, out of mind.
Of course, paper has its challenges. It can accumulate quickly turning into a chaotic situation in no time if we're not handling it on a regular basis.
Plus, it's not as clear-cut to organize paper as it may be to organize other areas
of our lives, like a cabinet (all big dishes together, all bowls nested within each other), or a closet (all shirts in one area, all pants in another), or our refrigerator (veggies in the crisper, deli meats and cheese in the deli drawer.)
People are often confused what to do with
paper...
Do I have to keep this and for how long?
What folder do I put this in?
Car? Insurance? Vehicle repairs?
I don't know how to categorize this. I'll just stick in "miscellaneous."
Even when they do decide what to do with it, there are challenges later, like...
I can't remember what I filed that under.
I swear it's in this pile somewhere.
OR, it sits in a paper pile or filing system forever...and ever...and ever, until that filing system is jam packed with so much paper that you can barely move a file folder back
and forth to get to it.
Here is some help:
1) Limit its entry.
The very first step in getting paper under control is to limit its entry into our lives in the first place.
Maybe you just received a thick catalog selling corrugated boxes. But you have no
need for corrugated boxes. Contact that company and unsubscribe from receiving that catalog.
If you pay your bills online already, do you really need the paper bill mailed to you? Consider
opting for paperless billing.
Be careful about printing paper you don't need as well. Think before you print. Mail? Get rid of what you can immediately.
2) File what must be filed. Once you have minimized the amount of paper coming into your space, focus on organizing what remains. This is where having a good paper management system in place comes in. You'll have:
a) papers that require immediate attention (bills, field trip permission slips, documents that need to be signed).
b) papers that you're going to work on in the
very near future (like this week or next)
Both categories A and B are best kept in an "Active Binder" categorized by topic.
c) papers that must be stored (those that need to be kept for legal reasons or that you'll very likely have to reference in the future).
3) Establish a paper management routine. This entails dedicating time each day to go through mail, pay bills, handle paperwork TO DOs, and/or file important documents.
Consistency is key here as it's easy for papers to morph into a huge paper pile-up when you don't stay on top of them.
If this sounds like a lot of work to you, it really isn't. It will only take a few minutes a day if you don't allow a paper backlog to form.
And if you do have a backlog, work on getting that under control for 10 minutes a day, consistently, until you're caught up.
4) Know when to hold 'em and when to fold 'em. Knowing when to get rid of paper is a
question many people have. While it can be tempting to hold onto every document just in case, this can quickly lead to clutter.
To help you with this, I've included a bonus called "How
Long Should I Keep This? Paper Retention System" in my My Oh-So-Organized Filing System with more
specific, and easy, guidelines. Most people are not at a point at which eliminating paper altogether is the best answer. Getting its volume down and managing the rest is the name of the game!
