I remember years ago, when computers were coming into the mainstream, there was a lot of talk about a paperless society.
Ah finally, a solution to paper clutter. Ha!
In my observation, the more paperless we apparently got, the more we were buried under paper!
In the office and at home, paper clutter continues to be a problem for a lot of people — including me.
It’s so easy to get buried under all that paper. So much so, that at times it feels futile.
Why Paper Clutter Won’t Go Away
Paper clutter accumulates more quickly and is more difficult to deal with than other types of clutter.
As an example,
Once you clean out your closet, purging it of all pieces of clothing that don’t fit, and organizing it in a way that suits your lifestyle, you are done.
To keep your closet organized, you put back your clothing where you got it from. It is relatively quick each week to spend a few minutes in your closet and tidy up any stray pieces of clothing.
And, it is your choice whether to purchase new clothes or not, and when to purchase them.
Same deal with organizing your kitchen, basement, garage, or any other space in your home.
Not so with paper!
Once you organize and file away your papers, you are done for the day — if you’re lucky.
Because, soon there will be more paper coming into the household or the office that will need to be dealt with.
What makes paper clutter so difficult to deal with is that the paper keeps coming.
No matter what you do, there is always more paper! The mail arrives every day, the kids bring home paperwork from school, documents are printed for review, newspapers and magazines arrive regularly.
You need to continually work at it to stay on top of the paper clutter.
I’ve used the following 3 steps to stay on top of my paperwork, and avoid being buried in a pile of paper clutter (most of the time 🙂 ). It’s simple and effective.
3 Step Solution to Paper Clutter
1. Accept that there will be a continuous influx of paper.
No matter how much you throw out, or how many mailing lists you unsubscribe from, there will continue to be a stream of paper to deal with in one form or another.
Paper is a part of our lives, and I find it’s not worth wasting my energy stressing over it. Better to use that energy to do some filing, or review a bill.
2. Make it part of your regular routine to handle the paperwork, and then file or purge it.
The simplest way to prevent paperwork from becoming paper clutter and to clear up existing paper clutter, is to build in a regularly scheduled time within your week for dealing with your paperwork.
Treat your paperwork time as you would any other appointment.
You’ll be amazed at how much less you’ll be stressing over your paperwork, if you tackle it on a regular basis.
3. Implement a system, and stick to it.
Your system does not need to be anything complex. I always believe that the simpler the system, the more likely it is to be followed.
If you already have a system in place, awesome!
If not, take some time to set up a system that fits your paperwork needs.
If you are looking for a system that is easy to implement and very effective, I highly recommend you read Section 9 – Managing The Paper In Your Home in the book 
The Definitive Guide to Home Organization for Busy People
It takes you through an easy-to-use system for organizing your paperwork.
And once you’re done, this book has many great ideas for tackling other organizing projects around your home.
Click Here! to find out more.
To get you started on setting up a paper organization system, try the following suggestions:
- Designate a specific place for paying your bills, handling and sorting paperwork
- Use color coded file folders or binders to help speed up paper filing and retrieving
- Clearly label your folders, envelopes, binders or whatever other storage you are using for your papers
Make sure the filing system you set up makes sense to you. You are the one who will be using it.
And remember, dealing with paper is an ongoing part of our lives. By regularly tackling incoming paper and paper clutter, you will keep your paper clutter and your paper related stress to a minimum.
And less stress is always a good thing.
To your organizing success,
Barb
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