4 ways to declutter paperwork
There are always other things that seem more important than managing paperwork clutter, but when you take some time to declutter it always feels better!
I think this is especially true when it comes to paper.
All kinds of paper - important paper, junk paper, old paper - all the paper.
Whether your office is a separate room or just a corner in the kitchen or a dining room table, paper can be a major problem.
It has a way of piling up and it takes a lot of time to go through.
There’s nothing like disorganized paper to make you feel, well, disorganized.
When you let paper pile up it becomes hard to concentrate on what you’re working on, you can’t find what you’re looking for, you are less productive and everything takes longer.
You need a functional and accessible place for paper or it just gets moved from place to place, pile to pile.
Like all organizing, the process of organizing paper is about decision making, but paradoxically, even though a single piece of paper is a small thing compared to other types of clutter it can represent multiple steps of action depending on what it is.
So let’s get down to how to go through the paper in your life.
When you decide what to keep and what to toss, ask yourself these questions:
1. Do you actually need this piece of paper or receipt? What specific purpose does it have?
2. How old is it? If it’s old it’s probably no longer necessary. If it is important then label it and file it.
3. Can it be found on the internet? Now we can access so much information online that used to be only paper. Definitely take advantage of this!
4. What’s the consequence of not having it if you do need it? Sometimes we hang on to things for fear of needing something in the future. It can feel like security or like holding on to other kinds of objects it represents a period in your life that was significant. If so then file it or scan it.
If you find that you need help please contact me. I can help you declutter and organize your paper problems!