{"id":265,"date":"2021-03-15T15:27:56","date_gmt":"2021-03-15T23:27:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/604fe0f81851a50057eb5c2d"},"modified":"2023-02-28T12:02:06","modified_gmt":"2023-02-28T20:02:06","slug":"paper-managing-the-monster","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nancyorganizes.com\/blog\/paper-managing-the-monster\/","title":{"rendered":"Paper: Managing the Paper Monster"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Time to Tame the Paper Monster??<\/strong><\/p>\n

It always seems this time of year I get a lot of requests to help people organize their paperwork. Sometimes its because they went to do their taxes and spent way more time looking for things than they should have. Sometimes it\u2019s the \u201cspring cleaning bug\u201d and they are tired of looking at it. Sometimes it\u2019s because they are helping a parent (brother, sister, cousin, friend\u2026) relocate and they are suddenly looking at an avalanche of files, mail, etc. And, unfortunately sometimes its because a crisis has occurred and they are dealing with a \u201cget it done and get it done now\u201d situation.<\/p>\n

For many of us, dealing with important documents and paper clutter can be a struggle. And what happens is we \u201cwill get to it\u2026someday\u201d, but then when someday happens, it\u2019s very rarely at a convenient time. For that reason it’s crucial to set up a functional home filing system that works for you ahead of time and that you will actually use. Your filing system must account for all the different types of paperwork you have, and staying on top of it can help alleviate a LOT of heartache at the time when you least need it\u2014when a crisis happens. The best way to deal with it is to just buckle up and DEAL with it. And it starts with getting rid of the papers you don’t need to streamline the storage. Here\u2019s the easiest way to get it organized to finally get it organized.<\/p>\n

Start with gathering all your papers in one place. <\/strong><\/p>\n

The first step in paper management is paper location. Corral it all in one place. Paper tends to live in several places if you let it: Check common places where paperwork can accumulate, such as the kitchen counter or inside a work bag. Bring it all to one spot where you have lots of room to spread out. Round up any spare bits of paper you find in every room, no exceptions, into one pile or container. This includes the garage, the kitchen, the living room, the bedrooms, the family room\u2026.everywhere.<\/p>\n

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Next, Separate Your Papers Into 5 Categories <\/strong><\/p>\n

Now it’s time to sort all of your paperwork. Each document<\/a> will go into one of these five categories: action, archive, household, recycle, and shred. Here’s what to put into each of these categories:<\/p>\n