How to Divide and Conquer Paper Clutter
Perhaps you have a drawer or entire cabinet somewhere in your home you never open for fear a shower of papers will fall out, or maybe your work surfaces and tables are cluttered with stacks of paper you intend to organized at some point. Taking a chunk of time to gather everything, sort it and give it a home all at once is the first step to dividing and conquering your paper clutter, but maintaining a file system you use daily is important for long-term success.
- Difficulty:
- Moderately Easy
Instructions
Things You'll Need
- Box or bag
- Shredder (optional)
- File folders/containers
- Labeling supplies
- File drawer
- Inbox/letter sorter
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1
Gather every piece of paper in the room into one pile. Double check drawers, cabinets, shelves and under the bed and on the floor. Repeat for every room in the house until you have a large stack of all your paper clutter.
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2
Sit down in front of a large work surface or the floor. Place a recycling box or bag next to you for papers you won't need.
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3
Go through the stack, sheet by sheet. Sort papers into categories; common groupings includes banks statements, school papers, bills to pay, paid bills, vital documents and coupons, for instance.
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4
Throw any papers you don't need in the recycling box. If in doubt, toss it, especially if the information is stored digitally somewhere. Get rid of any duplicate items, old to-do lists or graded papers or work reports from a class you no longer take or an old job, unless you're using them as writing samples. Shred or tear documents such as bank statements, credit card bills and 401(k) statements, that have your personal information on them into small pieces.
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5
Go through the entire stack in one sitting. Leaving the project unfinished may tempt you to pile everything back up later when you need the empty workspace, and you'll be back where you began.
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6
Place each stack of paperwork in its own file folder or filing system compartment. Items that don't need immediate attention should go in a file folder placed in a file drawer in your home office or storage area. Tax returns from the last seven years, bills for the current calendar year, warranties and vital records should all have their own file folders in your system.
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7
Place items that need immediate attention in a letter sorter or inbox.
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8
Organize the papers in each category by date and relevance, depending on what it is. Label the file folder or compartment clearly.
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9
File any file folders or expandable files alphabetically or by how often you need to access them. Color-coding works well, and hanging file tabs allow you to quickly reach a file without thumbing through the entire drawer.
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10
Give bills, letters and "in flux" papers a home. Place an inbox near your door where you immediately place bills due, permission slips or correspondence that needs attention.
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11
Place a "to be filed" folder near your inbox. Clear it out every several days to keep abreast of your paperwork and prevent clutter from piling up again.
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12
Switch to online billing, newsletters and coupons. They save paper and keep clutter out of your home.
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13
Print out documents only when necessary. Keep them on your computer instead and back them up on an external hard drive or online server.
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