Manage the Paper

If you experience clutter in your home chances are paper is involved. It’s not a surprise that we accumulate a lot of paper. “More than 99 million tons of paper and paperboard were used in the U.S. in 2005” according to the EPA. Also, the EPA reports that “Americans receive almost 4 million tons of junk mail a year.” Now that’s a lot of clutter!

All paper that enters your house or office must be dealt with it. By not dealing with it will only lead you to the clutter problem that exists today. Developing a paper management system will allow you to maintain the papers in an organized manner until you are ready to act on them. This includes all paper that enter your home or office – school schedules, junk mail, bills, order forms, newsletters, etc.

Here are some rules to help you set up a paper management system:

• Set time limits. Do not let paper accumulate indefinitely. If you have not acted on paper within a week, it’s time! Give you and your family members deadlines and stick to them.
• Clean up the paper clutter before setting up a new paper management system. Start with a clean slate – you’ll be more inclined to stick with the new system if you start fresh.
• Know document retention guidelines. Some documents must be kept for years and others should have been tossed yesterday. Do your research or talk with a professional if you’re unsure what you need to keep.
• Share the system. Make sure all family members or co-workers know the new paper management system. What if you quit your job or what if you’re too sick to pay a bill – if another member needs to step up to take care of things they must know the paper management system.
• The objective is to reduce the paper flow. There are many ways to go paperless – it may take some time initially to set it up but saves you money and paper in the long run. Also cut down on useless catalogs by visiting catalogchoice.org.

These are just a few tips to incorporate into your paper management system. If you’re struggling to get started or need guidance throughout the process of developing a paper management system contact a professional organizer. A professional organizer will teach you the skills you need to combat the clutter problem by designing a paper management system to fit your lifestyle.