Setting Up

The paperwork had been stored in a slightly musty storeroom that incorporated the hot water system for the apartment. There was a mild smell of mildew.

We set up a workflow for efficiency. This included-

• Garbage bag

-for old rusty paperclips, old, perished rubber band and dusty plastic sleeves

• Shredding Box

for papers that had names, addresses, emails or personal details.

• Recycling box

for papers that could go straight in the recycle bin. We used a stiff paper supermarket bag to hold the recycling papers. It made it easy to place the paperwork in the open bag, because the supermarket paper bag stands with an open mouth & it is easy to get the paper into the large opening.

• File for Paperwork to Keep. Set up a simple easy filing system before you start to pile up documents.

   **The best filing system is one that you can set up and use easily**

I do like an open top hanging file, such as a filing box with a lid or a filing cabinet. The secret is to make it easy to place new paperwork into the filing system. Not many people enjoy the act of filing.  Try to be realistic about how many steps you can manage to put a piece of paper in the file.

Getting Started

The hardest part of sorting paperwork is starting.  This is where a Professional organiser can add value and start you off correctly.

Looking Though Old Stuff

One of the boxes was from 2001, so 20 years or more old. It had old training course notes, pamphlets from interesting self-help courses, financial records, superannuation statements.

We had a laugh about the very old training notes that detailed operational procedures for the systems that banks, software companies and big business needed to use back in 2001.

Some of the papers we found were obviously typed on a typewriter. The fonts and paper layout just screamed the 1990s when we didn’t have email or webinars or laser printers.

****Even when you are distracted by interesting old stuff, be mindful that you are trying to get through lots of paperwork and only look at really interesting papers.

Do you struggle with feeling overwhelmed before you start? Read my blog on this subject here

Working As Long As Possible

My client and I kept working steadily for two hours. We only kept a very small number of papers. We were very careful to put anything with personal details into the shredding box- to be taken away to be shredded.

Using a Shredding Service

Think about outsourcing the shredding – if you have a large amount of paperwork with personal details. It is also good practice for preventing identity theft. If a third party gets your name, address, date of birth or other details, they could get access to your bank accounts.

Before the session my client organised a shredding pick up that included a special labelled bag. It will get picked up when full.

Using a shredding service makes it simpler and easy to get rid of paper. When you have a large amount of paper to get through, I prefer a shredding service to relying on a home shredder. In my experience home shredders jam or get overheated when doing lots of shredding.

Hint for home shredding – shred often and for a very short period of time.

Try to shred those personal papers ASAP – just after they come into the house. Or better yet, get your bills or notifications emailed to you.

Paperwork Takes Longer Than Think

After 2 hours of work, my client hit a wall. She needed a cup of tea and a break from paper. Taking a short break made it possible to do another half an hour of sorting, but then we definitely needed to do something else. 

A Reset from Paper Clutter

We had a couple of doom boxes to deal with. Doom boxes are boxes that have an interesting mix of items in them. On this day they had a mixture of empty candle boxes, garden items, presents, greeting cards, crystals, business cards & pet supplies.

We created an organised and dedicated space in a cupboard for wrapping paper and greeting cards.

We took the garden supplies down to the storeroom and put anything DIY in the linen cupboard with other tools.

It was simple to take the recycling to the communal recycling bins at the front of the apartment block and the rubbish to the waste bins.

We still had 3 boxes of papers to do. But this needs to be done on another day.

Paperwork simply takes so much time. At the end of the session, you really don’t have much to show for it. Like many things in life, it is best done in small but concentrated chunks of time.

Top tips for getting on top of Paper Clutter

• Don’t let it build up in the first place.
• Decide what you want to keep and what to go straight into recycling or shredding.
• Touch paperwork only once and decide. Don’t think “maybe I will decide tomorrow” -This is how you got the excess of paper in the first place
• When sorted the excess, have a nice big recycling bin close by, so it is easy to throw paperwork in it.
• If you have to keep papers, have a system that is easy to use and doesn’t have more steps than you can cope with.
• If you really must keep paper in plastic sleeves or in a lever arch file, make sure you have time to complete ALL the steps.
• Colour code folders if possible. For instance, important papers in the red folder, health in the green.
• Have one designated place for your paperwork that fits the amount of paperwork that you need to keep. An overflowing storage place will lead to the disorganised piles of paper again.
• Get as much of your paperwork digitised and sent to you via email. Or scan it into your digital files using your phone or scanner.
• For ongoing maintenance, keep a recycling bin near the spot you deal with mail or paperwork coming into your home.
• Pair paper sorting with something that you do enjoy, such as listening to a podcast, enlisting a friend to just sit with you and chat, or book a Professional organiser to get you off to a good start.

Book here for a free chat on Zoom or phone to see how we can help you

Taming paper clutter isn’t the most exciting task, but a little effort upfront can save you from drowning in piles of paperwork later. Keep it simple, set up a system that actually works for you, and don’t let decisions pile up—touch it once and sort it.

 And remember, paperwork is best tackled in short bursts, preferably with a beverage of choice (and maybe a Professional organiser on speed dial).