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Decluttering All the Paper – Week 3
By
Melissa |
September 2nd, 2009 |
Category:
Organization |
3 comments
Melissa Smallwood is a professional organizer, mother of three boys, mommy blogger, and the owner of the informational website, Organized Life by Design. You can catch up with her on Twitter @multitaskingme.
Decluttering All the Paper – Paper Pushing
Editor’s Note: If you’ve been following along with this series, you’re ready for the tips to maintain your decluttered paper situation. If you are just joining us, read the first 2 parts first:
Tips to keep in mind when dealing with paper:
Papers should be filed so that you can access or retrieve them in less than a minute.
Some people are convinced they have a good system for filing but then wonder why there are papers on the coffee table, end tables, etc. It is because you do not have an adequate filing system. An adequate filing system works! Find the system that works for you.
Filing cabinets or portable file baskets/containers should be stored within reach of where you deal with paper. File cabinets in the basement are of no help to you if you don’t go down to the basement often. The same principle applies with an office or attic.
Two important questions to ask when handling paper- What is this?, Why am I saving it?
Avoid keeping paper for sentimental reasons, keep it only for necessity. This will drastically reduce the amount of paper in your home. How do you know if you are keeping paper for sentimental reasons? Ask yourself the questions above.
Dealing with paper clutter is not only about appearances and organization. It is also about safety. The more paper you have lying around your home or apartment is the more “kindling” a fire has if one were to develop in your home. Consider that as motivation to deal with the accumulation of paper clutter in your home. Happy Organizing!
Visit Works for Me Wednesday for more life organizing tips.
[...] Dealing with Paper This is part 3 of a 3 part series I did for Home Ever After. You can get to the other two articles from the link above. I write weekly for this site as well. [...]
Another great article! I just posted about organizing, and it seems everyone’s talking about it,but paper is the hardest kind of clutter to deal with. Thanks for the tips!
Good point about the kindling!