10 Steps to Reduce Paper Clutter by Janet Schiesl, CPO

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Mar 4th, 2013
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piles of paperWith the wide variety of paper that comes into your home everyday, you need individual systems (a defined way) to deal with each kind of paper. Having a system will make it easier to determine what is necessary to keep and what should go. Here are 10 steps to reduce all kinds of paper clutter.

  1. Stop the junk mail and catalogs by signing up for Catalog Choice to remove yourself from mailing lists.

  2. Manage your magazines from coming into your home by cancelling subscriptions that you don’t read consistently. Rip out the articles that interest you and file them in categories in folders to eliminate the bulk of the magazines.

  3. After reconciling your bank and credit card statements shred all receipts, except for large purchases, business expenses and items under warranty. These need to be filed.

  4. Post only needed paper on your bulletin board. This is where less is more. You’ll be able to see what you need without the clutter of the unwanted or old paper.

  5. Simplify your library by trading or giving away duplicate books. Consider purchase an e-reader for future reading, so you don’t add to your collection.

  6. Manage business cards by scanning them into a contact management software program or organize them into a notebook made specifically for business cards.

  7. Only keep your kids artwork that is display worthy. Keep everything together in one box and take photos of the 3D projects that you want to keep as a memory.

  8. Gather your new greeting cards into categories and store them in a card organizer. Evaluate the sentimental cards you have received and only keep the ones with a high value to you.

  9. Keep coupons in an organizer that will allow you to use them. If you find that you are not taking them shopping with you, stop the practice of clipping them.

  10. Curtail your printing. Save digital copies of bills, statements and other documents on your computer or in the cloud instead of printing them.

Janet Schiesl, CPO© is the owner of Basic Organization, a professional organizing firm in the Washington DC area. The Basic Team provides services to busy families, business owners, downsizing seniors and the chronically disorganized. We can teach you the skills to get organized and live a more simplified life, by providing you with ideas, information, structure and solutions to help you regain control of your space.

Janet is a co-author of the book Get Organized Today. A collaboration of professionals, that provides inspiration for getting organized. The book offers practical ideas that you can use immediately to live a better, more effective life. Find us and more information at www.BasicOrganization.com.

And if you liked these tips you may be interested in the Get a Plan! Guide® to Ridding Your Workspace of Clutter part of the Get a Plan! Guides® series designed to give you the ideas and inspiration to do your work easier, faster, and in a more focused fashion.

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