With the change of seasons from laid back summer to fall, we typically see ourselves getting busier and our schedules becoming full again. Now is the time to get focused on being organized and eliminating clutter in your life. Paper is a major contributor to clutter at home and at work. Everyday items like mail, school flyers and work papers can add up and start to clutter our environment in which we work and relax.
Since mail is a big contributor to paper clutter, it is important to sort through it everyday. The task does not need to be daunting, simply sort the bills from the junk and place any catalogs or magazines in a basket. Toss the junk mail, making sure to shred or tear thoroughly any credit card applications or other items that may put your identity in danger. Then open the bills and file them in a centralized location such as your office in the ‘to do’ file, so you will know to pay them. It takes a few short minutes a day and if done daily you will not have to deal with a huge stack of mail to sort after a few weeks.
Another tip is to purchase a simple filing cabinet or set of files and then separate items by frequency of use using three simple categories: current, reference and archive. The current files will contain things that are used on a regular basis such as bills and ‘to do’ items. The reference file can contain things that you will only need occasionally such as health insurance information and contact information such as addresses and phone numbers. Lastly the archive folder will contain information that is needed long terms such as tax information, receipts and legal documents.
Instead of printing every important email you want to save or interesting article you find online, save them to a folder on your computer. You will be able to access these files easily and you will save money on computer paper and ink!
These are just a few pointers to help get you inspired to get organized and reduce clutter. We all have busy lives, but with a few changes and a couple minutes a day, you will see the benefit that comes with being organized and having a clutter free environment.