Papers are my nemesis in life. I detest papers lying around in my kitchen, cluttering up the counter in piles. Somehow you go through them, yet those white sheets somehow end up in another stack requiring your attention. Junk mail, receipts, invitations, bills, school papers....they all seem to threaten taking over your house.
Have you ever noticed that junk mail and papers seem to multiply in your house? In particular, I find that in spite all organizational efforts, papers continue to find their way into my kitchen, making random piles across my counter (especially at super time).
After helping a friend lately sort her own office papers, I realized that this is a common problem for every household. You will always have that dreaded pile of papers. My friend described her fate as the papers "just keep piling up." "I do not know what to keep and where to put them." Does not this overwhelming feeling sound familiar?
My friend (like so many others) desires to tackle the source of the problem and implement a system that can continue to lessen the paper load (literally). You have to figure out what works for you and your own household. Define the problem and then resolve to fix it. Here are a few hints to help you tackle your paper clutter.
1. Do all your bill paying and banking online. This cuts down on the number of receipts, bank statements, and financial records you need to file away in your desk.
2. Keep important papers and documents in a safety deposit box. This keeps these documents safe and clean. Keep the key in your purse for an occasional pick-up of passports for a trip.
3. Utilize an empty drawer in your kitchen for loose leaf papers and notes so that the clutter is out of site and work space. This drawer needs to be sorted once a week (or when full) and followed up on. Then take the remaining papers to the office area to file directly.
4. Have a spot in your desk intended for address changes and business contact information. Every so often take a pile out and update your electronic address book so that you can throw the papers away.
5. Keep and store only health information, tax papers, important family documents, and house information past a year.
6. Utilize electronic resources for to do lists, remember lists, and other lists. Evernote provides a "memo" pad environment to family phones so that all can access and update grocery lists and to do lists. Bookmark and file your favorite information on the Internet for just about any subject instead of keep the "brochure."
7. Color coordinate your online calendar for each family member. Hook it up to your husband's calendar at work too. Assign the same colors to file away school papers as they are brought home.
8. Back up all your photos to another source whether via an online directory or copying a backup disc for the safety deposit box. Scan in your old black and white family photos to electronically archive. Then take three ring binders with archival cover sheets to store remaining photos. Use archival boxes to store additional documents. Store these boxes in a dark, dry environment only (never the basement).
9. Have a spot for office supplies handy. Organize these items into cubicles or separate drawers for easy access. More specifically, have a place for postage and envelopes so that you do not have to dig for them when needed.
10. Always take care of the junk mail upon receipt by throwing it into the recycle bin. Never let the mail pile up unattended.
These are some of the items my friend and I are implementing in our attempt to recover the house. Consider attacking your papers instead of letting them attack you!
No comments:
Post a Comment