Thoughts On Organizing Paper

Paper can be a tricky thing to figure out how to file and organize. I have tried several different ways - mail slots, folders, magazine holders, trays, etc. and I've discovered that it really does not matter how you organize all that paper, as long as you do three things.

First, learn to make decisions. Making a decision about something can one of the most challenging parts of dealing with paper. If you like to give yourself a few days, do so, but when that task reminder comes up, know it is time to deal with it and do it. 

Second, make sure you have a regular time to go through the paper and deal with it. Sometimes we do not have time to pay that bill right away or know how we will respond to that invitation. Just like with email, have a place to hold those paper items that you are "waiting" on and have either a rotating reminder that tells you to "clear off desk" or simply have a task for each specific thing you need to deal with in the next week. If something does require a more immediate response or handling, just deal with it right then, or make a task and leave it in a place you will remember to handle it by the end of the day.

Third, write down dates immediately. If you know that there is a pretty good chance you will be attending that baby shower, add the date to your calendar and if you see that there is a conflict, you'll know how to handle that situation right away. If you get a new sports calendar or school schedule, add all the dates to your calendar as soon as you can.

One time I signed my son up for basketball. All the games were played on Saturday except one Tuesday night game. Only five boys showed up and they had to play the entire game. I was sitting with my friend (boys on the same team) and we both felt so sad for these boys who did not get a break once and were completely exhausted by the end of the game. It turned out that all the other parents had not even thought to look at the schedule and had only checked the time of the Saturday game the night before. Not putting those dates into their calendar had hurt the whole team. 

Figuring out how to handle all the paper can feel overwhelming. Only keep what you have to and remember to clean out things regularly. Make decisions and move forward. You've got this!