Paper organization can be very overwhelming and frustrating. It takes twice the time than any other area in your home to organize. And what if you shred an important document! We have created a chart to help you decide what to keep and what to toss.
You will need for paper organization:
- Recycle bin
- Shredder
- Hanging folders & folder tabs
- File cabinet or file box
- Phone scanner app like Google Drive
- Your computer
- Marker & sticky notes
- Black gel pen
Paper Organization Process
Step #1 – Prep
Collect all paper organization supplies mentioned above. Clear surface where you will be working on, it can be table or floor. Choose a pile to work on, do not attempt to do everything at once.
Step #2 – Sort
Take one piece of paper and identify what category it belongs to:
- Recycle
- Shred
- Scan & shred
- File
If it belongs in “Scan & Shred”, you will use your phone to scan, and your computer to name the file right away, and put it into a digital folder. After that, you will put it into shed pile.
If it belongs in “File”, you will put it in a hanging folder and write its name on a sticky note on top.
Step #3 – File
Now as you’re done with your selected pile, you will label your folders with your neat handwriting and black gel pen according to sticky notes name you wrote before. Put it away into filing cabinet or filing box.
Step #4
Repeat this few times a week, limiting yourself to one pile at a time. Soon enough you will be done with all that loose paper and home office overwhelm.
By doing a little bit each day, you can get a lot accomplished.
– Gretchen Rubin
TIP:
Go paperless whenever you can. I cannot tell you how great it is not to have mail to open and deal with! You can pretty much switch 90% of all your papers to online.
Look through the list above and see if you can transfer any of the paper documents to digital. For instance, ask to get bills and bank statements by email. Scan, or take a picture of all the important documents.
At the end of the day, if you still find, that you’d rather do something else and have a professional come into your home, and organize it all for you, fill out the contact form, and we’ll be happy to help!