3 Tips for Paper Organization

Ready to get rid of the paper clutter for good? Click HERE to get my training “Organize Your Paper” at a 60% savings!

 

 When it comes to organizing your paper, here is what my followers have told me:

“I need to get my paper under control!”

“I’m tired of stacks and stacks of paper!”

And my personal favorite… “Papers…so many papers!”

There IS so much paper. Research tells us our household paper has doubled in the last 25 years – and quadrupled from 50 years ago! It’s no wonder we are drowning in it.

So if you’re ready for clear counters and a clear mind, here are three tips to get you started with paper organization:

And if you’re ready to tackle this problem once and for all, check out my Organize Your Paper webinar.

1. Create ONE inbox for all paper. Take a lesson from email…When emails come in, they aren’t cluttering up the desktop; they aren’t landing in excel files; you’re not digging through word documents; and fortunately you don’t have to surf through the web to collect them all. You know that when you want to check your email, they are in ONE place – the inbox. So set up the same system with your paper. Designate one spot for any incoming paper (mail, school papers, handouts, flyers) and tell the whole family. When the kids empty their backpacks, they know where it goes. When your spouse brings in the mail, it doesn’t end up on the counter.

Tip: Select a convenient location. If it’s not, nobody will use it and paper will still end up on your kitchen counter. My recommendation? An easy to reach drawer in the kitchen. Kitchen drawers are typically big enough to fit a week’s worth of paper, and you don’t have to worry about it looking pretty. Other options include a basket or box on the counter. if you’re really challenged for counter space, you could utilize a wall with one of these products.   

                                        

This is only a temporary solution, however. Want the magic bullet in eliminating stacks of papers?

2. Have a regular weekly paper appointment. Schedule a regular 30-minute appointment with yourself to go through the inbox to address your paper: What action needs to be taken? Bills paid? Phone calls made? Paper filed? Staying on top of these things each week keeps the paper from building up, and it helps you stay on top of to-do’s.

Tip: Pick a time when you motivated and have good energy. I’m a first thing Monday morning kind of girl. If you’re a night owl you might prefer doing this at night when everyone has gone to bed. Be strategic about the time you pick, and then treat it like an appointment. Don’t offer to volunteer at the school or decide to run errands or turn on Netflix during this time. Make your paper appointment a priority by scheduling around it, and you will love how much more control you’ll feel over your paper.

3. File papers with FreedomFiler. This is the ONLY system I will use! The colors of the files tell you everything you need to do when it comes to filing – where to file it, how to find it, and when to toss it. It’s like having a filing assistant right at your side! FreedomFiler uses a system that combines rotating and reusable files so you don’t have to make new files each year, unneeded paper is automatically purged.

Tip:  This is one you’re going to want more information on. Click HERE to learn more about the Organize Your Paper online training and The FreedomFiler.

Ready to really get organized with your paper? My 60-minute online Organize Your Paper training is so simple and intuitive you will wonder why you never thought to organize your paper this way before!

Learn more about the 60-minute online Organize Your Paper training – click HERE!

It’s pretty simple here at The Happy Gal. Get Organized…Live Happy!

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