Spending more time at home last year because of Covid-19 gave me the opportunity to tackle a personal organising project that I had been keeping for a later stage in my life when I would have plenty of time in my hands: re-organising old photos albums dating back from the late 1980’s to the early 2000’s before the advance of the digital era into photography.
In a previous post, we explored the 3 main reasons that lead to paper clutter. While having clarity on the cause of the problem is the first step towards solving it, I’ll be sharing in this post the 4 most effective tactics that I use with my clients when organising their paper at home.
We’re drowning in paper clutter. Even if you have an extensive wardrobe, I bet that the number of pieces of paper you have in your home is at least 50 times greater than the number of pieces of clothes you own. Right? No wonder most people are intimidated and paralyzed at the idea of tackling their paperwork. In fact, the fear is so strong for some people that it prevents them from opening their mail, which can lead to costly consequences. Having helped many clients better manage their paperwork, I attribute paper clutter to three primary causes.
Do you wonder how to organise the user manual, warranty and receipt that come with new purchases so you can find them when you need them – whether you want to learn how to operate the item, need to get it fixed without incurring the repair cost or during the hand-over of your home to your landlord? Like for any other types of paper, the answer lies in having a robust process. But don’t let the idea of setting a process put you off as I’ve got it all work out for you below. I promise, it’s simple!
Of course, you have a filing system in place! Except it’s not up-to-date… You got married, had children, bought a house, signed up for new insurance policies etc. but never revisited it or maintained multiple filing systems in parallel. Or you never purged your files and are no longer able to fit another piece of paper in it so it ends up in a pile or is randomly filed. So how to refresh it so you can instantly find anything you need, without even arguing with your spouse?
Are you one of these people who dread to sit at their desk because they know they’re going to waste time finding what they need amongst piles of paper? Or who can’t even sit at their desk because the top is too cluttered to do any work? Or who struggle to focus on their work because they feel distracted or even stressed by the clutter around them? Well if it can reassure you, you’re far from being alone! But if you’re ready to reclaim and organise your desk so you can really get some work done, read on…
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