One universal theme I find when working with people, to declutter and organize their lives, is the abundance of paper that continues to infiltrate our homes and businesses. I’m going to share three must-do tips for organizing (all the) paper.
IF you work to implement these three tips, I promise you will be able to tame your paper piles. Paper is still a continued force to be reckoned with, but I’m here to help!
Three Tips for Taming Paper
Tip #1: Choose to go paperless.
First and foremost, opt for electronic or digital paper whenever and wherever you can. Most companies provide this as an option. So opt for it! Everything from monthly bills to statements can make their way to your email inbox versus your mailbox.
Then, if it works for your budgeting, also opt for electronic bills and payment. Depending on the service or company, you may even be able to choose what date the bill is deducted from your account or elect to have an equal pay amount charged monthly. (Where your bills are equalized over the course of 12 months.) Simplifying your bill paying automatically means less paper and less coordination of due dates.
Lastly, set up a separate email for all things home/bills/information related. In other words, those forms of digital communication that you don’t need to be reading or sorting through daily, but instead simply need to have in one spot. This will create an electronic file and a place you can reference when or if you need to.
Tip #2: Choose to go through your mail, once.
When you pick up your mail from your mailbox, commit to sorting through your mail immediately. Take the five to ten minutes and place everything in either: recycling, filing, or action. Action means something that needs your attention. For example a bill to be paid or form to complete etc. If you follow through with moving everything to where it needs to go, it will help you to avoid having papers pile up without a plan.
Tip #3: Choose to say no.
Avoid saying yes to things like flyers, coupons, or brochures. ONLY take something if you absolutely need to. Or consider taking a picture of the paper instead of picking up the actual piece of paper. This small choice will help to keep your paper clutter minimized!
For further help, I have a handy dandy guide for free in my shop. Use this as a reference for what to keep (or not!). It’s easy to hold on to paper that we don’t need to. Choose well, what you keep and don’t keep.
Happy Organizing!
