For a society that claims to be going “paperless”, we seem to be dealing with more and more paper everyday. What are we supposed to do to get all this paper under control?
Paper is really a necessary evil so we might as well learn how to deal with it; right here, right now. October is a great month to start organizing all the paper that has accumulated throughout the year so far. It’s important to start by putting some systems in place; systems that can help to keep paper to a minimum. Be ready to start organizing paper the minute it arrives. Here are a few important tips to get you started.
• Sort regular mail immediately.
• Throw junk mail away.
• Put bills into a “bill slot/file/folder/basket.”
• Put important papers into a file folder immediately.
• Put the file folder into a file cabinet or file box.
• Read newspapers daily and immediately put them into a recycle bin or throw them away.
• Do not save old newspapers.
• Read/thumb through magazines. Recycle, give them away, or throw them away.
• Do not save old magazines.
• Cancel all magazine subscriptions.
• Learn to shred paper on a regular basis. Everyone needs a paper shredder.
• Do not stack paper into piles all over your house/office. File, file, file.
• Keep less paper in the first place. Learn to say “no” to additional paper.
• When it comes to a piece of paper, make an immediate decision about it.
• Keep all papers contained in some sort of container. No loose papers please.
Make it a point to keep up on “paper maintenance” at a specific time every day. Get off mailing lists. “Opt out.” Stop mail from coming in. Start now and reduce the backlog of paper. Throw away old (unused) recipes, old clippings, old cards, old calendars, old phone books, and old road maps.
File papers as you go throughout your day. Go through existing files to make sure the information inside is still necessary and relevant. Keep all files put away and only bring a file out when you’re going to work on it. And put it back where it belongs when you are done.
Have a basket or box where you put “misery” items. These “misery” items are pieces of paper you want to postpone dealing with. Then one day a week/month, go through the “misery” basket/box and deal with each piece of paper at that time.
Organizing paper does not have to be a chore. It can actually be seen as a fun challenge. So, if you are ever feeling overwhelmed with too much paper, now you know what to do. Take control of paper before it has a chance to take control of you.
