Digging out from under stacks of paper might seem like a daunting and insurmountable task. Let's face it, paper can be intimidating and overwhelming. It comes relentlessly and without warning, and it never stops coming - bills, insurance policies, faxes, to-do lists, invoices, tax information, user manuals, receipts, itineraries...Add in the magazines, brochures, drafts, booklets, letters, drafts, etc., and it's easy to see how paper molehills become paper mountains. And here's the worst part - somewhere in this ever-growing mound of chaos lies your business - important phone numbers, bills that have to be paid, clients that need attention, receivables that need collecting?
Before I help you to dig out of the paper clutter, let me assure you of two things:
1. You are not alone.
2. There is a light at the end of the tunnel.
My goal is to "unbury" you, by helping you to pare down and organize your papers. Before we start though, let me suggest that you don't try to do everything in one day. Work in 1-2 hour chunks of time.
The first step is sorting, To sort, we'll need some containers (I use laundry baskets or milk crates, but any boxes will do). Label the containers accordingly:
-Take Action ? anything that requires you to do something within the next two weeks. Includes bills, appointments, meetings, etc.
-Read ? includes any paper, newsletter, announcement, magazine, etc. that might contain information you want to read. The secret here is to cut it out the article, and throw away the rest of the publication.
-30 Days ? includes things that must be done within 30 days, but are not as critical as Take Action items which must be done within two weeks. Includes bills due, appointments, events, to-dos, etc.
-File ? These are archived items that require no action, but must be retained. Includes contracts, bank statements, receipts, warranties, product information, tax information, etc.
-Throw Away ? anything that is six months old and requires you to take no action.
Now that we have our containers, let's start. Grab a stack of papers, and sort through it, placing each paper into the appropriate container. Since you're sorting by general category, it should go pretty fast. Be thorough, but quick. The key is to touch each piece of paper only once, and not to read each paper. Just glance at it, and quickly put it into the correct container. We will do a more specific sort later. For now, we are doing a general sort, and discarding trash.
Of course, the biggest question is what to throw away. The simple answer is to throw away anything you don't need. You need to ask yourself, "Do I really need this, and what is the worst thing that can happen if I throw this away?" I worked with one person who published a local, specialized newspaper. He needed to keep one or two copies of each back issue, but when we sorted his paperwork, we found 40-50 copies of each. We also found records of events he was involved in years ago, wedding photos, some of his children's artwork, DVD rental receipts, last year's to-do lists, his son's birth certificate, the title to his SUV, etc. We also found owners manuals and receipts for items he no longer owned, stacks of bank statements from the 1980s, and so on. Remember, this is your workspace. For you to be most efficient, effective and professional your paperwork needs to be in order.
By now, you've gone through each stack of paper. You sorted correctly, you have five containers or boxes of papers to be filed, and (most likely) a lot of discarded paper for recycling. Congratulations on your hard work and progress. Stay tuned, and I will discuss how to set up a filing system, and what to do with the papers you sorted.
Marc Rifkin is a Professional Organizer, and owner of OASIS professional organizers, which provides organizing solutions for homes and offices in Seattle, WA. http://www.oasisorganizers.com
?2005 OASIS professional organizers
May be reprinted with full author credit, bio, and all links intact only
executive chauffeured services Bradford .. Madison to Airport carClutter is postponed decisions?. Here are some suggestions to simplify... Read More
Have you ever wondered how some people seem to have... Read More
Digging out from under stacks of paper might seem like... Read More
In your quest to get 'up and running' so to... Read More
Finish each day and be done with it. You have... Read More
Collections are the outward manifestation of a deeply-felt principle or... Read More
I followed my boss to a co-worker's cubicle where my... Read More
Recently, in an online group, we talked about "balance" and... Read More
Remember when you charged into the office that first day,... Read More
Buried under mountains of paperwork from your company? Do the... Read More
"Junkyard Wars," a TV series showed two teams of experts... Read More
Do you feel like you are running around in circles,... Read More
I have a huge white board in my home office,... Read More
You arrived on earth without clutter. Your parents and doting... Read More
Each area of your home has a symbolic meaning with... Read More
Questions come my way all the time regarding my God-given... Read More
So you've decided to get organized, but you just don't... Read More
Light, Work, and YouWinter is here-and with it, short days,... Read More
1. All or nothing thinking/taking on too much." I'm going... Read More
Parenting is always a challenge, but particularly so if your... Read More
You know, in psychology there is a rule, especially within... Read More
When I tell people what a FREEING experience moving is,... Read More
Does Your Present Internet Filing System Work?Do You Really Know... Read More
When you embark on a life transition, the skills that... Read More
? Do you feel overwhelmed by all the "stuff" in... Read More
O'Hare Chicago prom limo ..In many of the companies I have worked in, there... Read More
Article excerpted from the new book, "How to Do Space... Read More
Technology has given us the tools to reduce routine tasking,... Read More
Have you ever heard that having a cluttered home can... Read More
'A well-ordered life is like climbing a tower; the view... Read More
Have you ever wondered how some people seem to have... Read More
Paper1. You may already be in the habit of filing... Read More
When you embark on a life transition, the skills that... Read More
I recently had a conversation with a friend about clutter.... Read More
Working for one of the top Marketers online (David Ledoux)... Read More
Cindy looks at the calendar and sighs. Ah, the end... Read More
For some reason, Americans think they have something to prove... Read More
Do you use to-do lists? Do you find it satisfying... Read More
We previously noted that papers must be sorted before they... Read More
Keeping on task and getting organized starts with a basic... Read More
Nature loves clutter. Just think of all the stuff that... Read More
You arrived on earth without clutter. Your parents and doting... Read More
What do you do with those special items that have... Read More
What does "quality of life" mean to you? If you... Read More
I recently conducted a survey to look at the relationship... Read More
A lot of us grew up with Mom taking care... Read More
1) It's easy to have a good clear out: Not... Read More
Every day I find junk mail waiting for me, whether... Read More
Obviously, productivity involves producing. Producing widgets, events, reports, sales. The... Read More
Spring?. Fresh breezes through open windows, sleeping trees come awake... Read More
Get Organized - Organization |