Organize + Energize: 5 Reasons Paper Clutter Forms
Tuesday, January 27, 2015
You know if you have paper management issues. You have paper scattered in every room. It’s by the entry way on a table, it’s stuffed in baskets and bags, on your nightstand, in your pocketbook, you name a room and there will be paper in it.
There is a light at the end of the tunnel and you can get out and start fresh. This is a very overwhelming project for some. You may have tried to tackle this before and it was too stressful, so you just decided that it was easier to continue working the way you have rather than tackle this project.
Some people are in denial about their paper clutter and enjoy functioning with piles and piles of paper. Some will say they know exactly what’s in their heaping piles. It never fails, as I help clients go through their piles, we always find something important they had been searching for. We also find things they forgot they had and let’s not forget all of the cash, checks and gift cards that are found.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTLet’s get to the heart of the matter and talk about why this clutter forms. Here are 5 reasons why paper clutter forms:
No systems in place. When there is disorganization and chaos at home and work, it’s because there aren’t any working organized systems in place. When there are systems in place, life has a better flow. Create a working filing system for every piece of paper that enters your home.
You continue to work with broken systems. You may have made attempts at creating systems with your paper, but the systems have failed. Have you continued to work with failed systems? Re-visit your system 3 months after you implement it. If it’s not working, it’s time to re-evaluate and tweak your system to work for you.
Postponed decisions. You may have a piece of paper in your hand and you don’t know where it belongs, so you place it on a table. This will continue to happen on a daily basis. Before you know it, all of these postponed decisions will lead to piles and piles of paper.
A life-changing event occurred. You may have had a death in the family, a newborn baby, or you are going through a break up or a divorce. A life-changing event can turn your life upside down. Routines that you practiced before now get pushed to the wayside and you let things slide. Before you know it, the paper management system that once worked really well, has turned into paper piles all over the home.
Not enough time in the day. Do you have 5 minutes in your day? Once you have systems in place, it’s a matter of taking your mail when it arrives, sorting it and processing it. Tackle it when it arrives, take less than 5 minutes, handle it and be done. Create that routine, the routine will become a habit and it will become an everyday way of life.
After you tackle this project, you will have a fresh start. You will have a process and a system to handle every piece of paper that enters your home. Your mail will arrive, you will take less than 5 minutes, process it and be done with it.
How many attempts have you made to tackle this project? You may find you get distracted and lose focus easily while tackling this project. It may be time to bring in a professional to help you with this overwhelming project.
Kristin Carcieri-MacRae, the founder and owner of Organizing in RI, has always enjoyed finding creative ways to streamline the environment around her. She has appeared on air on Patricia Raskin's Positive Business Radio and her articles have been published in the Rhode Island Small Business Journal and New England Home Life. Kristin's CD, Organizing Basics, is a 1-hour guide for the person who wants to get organized but doesn't know where to start. She is also available for organizing workshops. Tune into her weekly radio show, Organize, Energize! on Mondays at 8:30 a.m. on http://www.talkstreamradio.com.
Related Slideshow: 5 Organizing Blunders
Avoid these mistakes and your project will take less time than you expected. You won’t be as stressed or as overwhelmed as you anticipated. You will be amazed at what you have accomplished. You will be motivated and energized to tackle another project.
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