Considering that we live in a “digital age” it is surprising how much paper still piles up. If you are overwhelmed by papers, here are some steps you can take to get on top of it.
Stop the Flow:
“Going paperless” (or digital) for most of your bills and other important documents can be a solution for stemming some of the flow but do make sure that you have solutions in place to ensure that all your invoices get paid and that you can easily access reference documents. Set up automatic payments for recurring expenses and choose one day a month to download statements (since most banks and credit cards only show the past three months and you have to email if you need older ones). Try to use the same file-naming format for both your digital and your paper files and don’t over-organize!
Incoming Mail Tips
- Recycle mailers and junk mail immediately
- Shred unwanted mail with personal information right away
- Unsubscribe from unwanted emails and Junk Mail
Set up an individualized incoming paper station. This will look VERY different from household to household depending on the quantity and type of paper (mail, medical papers, school papers, etc.) that each household receives.
Set Up a Paper Station
In many cases, all you need is a basic inbox (for mail and incoming papers), a file sorter with 3-7 action folders, a longer term filing cabinet (or file storage), and a shredder. If this is to work for you, however, the trick will be making sure that you a) shred/recycle the papers you don’t need right away and b) actually take action on those action items. You can do this by scheduling actionable paperwork on your calendar, using a tickler file system, or just choosing one day to pay bills, make phone calls, etc. but if you choose the latter, I always recommend also choosing a back-up day in case something major interferes with your regularly chosen day.
File SELECT Older Documents
Set up a simple filing system for reference files that you really need to keep long term: seven years of taxes (plus the current year), medical test results, vehicle service records, etc.). Name files according to how you will look for them: For example, “Carolla”, “Car”, or just “Vehicle” and be consistent with putting most recent items either in the front or in the back for all your files. If you find that a single inbox is too overwhelming, it may work better to use multiple inboxes: i.e. per person, per topic (medical, school, business), or even both. However, even with a more complex incoming system, you will definitely want to use the best practices outlined above to ensure that your to-dos get to-done!
Deal with the Backlog
Once your short and long-term paper storage is set up, it is time to tackle any bags, boxes, or piles of paperwork cluttering up your space. Try to keep only the papers you need to act on or actually reference. For sentimental paper items (cards, children’s artwork, etc.) set limits (e.g. one small bin of cards or a favorite art paper of the month.) If it helps to take photos and create an album of sentimental paper items, this is another option.
If you follow all the steps above and are still stuck – reach out to Real Life Professional Organizing for a phone or video consultation to see how Bethel can help!
