Is Paper Weighing You Down?
by Lisa Gessert, NAPO Member since 2014
Paper seems to be one of our biggest issues when it comes to clutter. Whether it is for a business or a home, paper seems to be the prevalent issue. “How do I reign in all these papers?” is one of the most frequent questions I am asked.
I was working with a long-time client of mine, and as we were working on the last of her papers to be shredded or filed we were talking about different diets and what has worked and what doesn’t, when she turned to me and said there should be something called the “Paper Weight Diet” for people who keep too much paper! BRILLIANT!
Is paper weighing you down?
Here are the ingredients of my Paper Weight Diet:
- The taming of your papers start from the minute you receive your mail. This is when the decision is made to either keep it or toss it if you are keeping it then where is it going to go?
- Is this long term paperwork? Or does it have an expiration date? Every piece of paper that you are going to keep needs a destination, a home, where does it belong?
- Making sure you have a great system in place is KEY!
Recipe:
- Gather all your ingredients – all papers, yes from everywhere!
- Lay all “ingredients” out in front of you – Start making separate sections for each of the categories you have.
- Start “cooking” – Create folders for each of the categories you created.
- Your finished product – Start filing your paperwork into the folders in your file cabinet.
Using products that you enjoy working with, will make your space YOU and motivate you to maintain and keep it updated. Keep the papers you keep lean. Check out my Pinterest Board for more tips on how to tame your paper clutter.
I couldn’t live without a Paper Weight Diet, it keeps my head from spinning and knowing where to find everything keeps me stress-free, we have enough stressors in our lives, no? Me and this wonderful client have gotten rid of a lot of needless paperwork and making a home for what is truly needed.
She is catching onto the “less is more” idea and checking her mail BEFORE she puts it down. I like teaching clients to make decisions on mail when you pick it up from the mailbox. If you have a system in place everything should have a home, if not, either get rid of that piece of mail or make a new category for it.
There are such pretty and easy ways to sort your mail and keep your mail. From pretty binders to command centers and filing cabinets! Another way is by scanning, but I will save that discussion for another blog!
Happy Paper Weight Dieting!
-Lisa
Lisa Gessert has been organizing since 1999. She specializes in home offices and small business offices as well as hosting workshops on time management and space management. You can find Lisa at www.organizingbuzz.com.