6 Easy Steps to Organising Your Paperwork
Even in this day and age where we rely heavily on the internet, email and the electronic world, we are still drowning in papers!
Paper seems to enter our world not only through our letterbox, but from work and also sneakily coming into the house in our children's school bags!
Do you have a dedicated system for the constant flow of paper entering your space? Or is your kitchen bench the general dumping point?
Are you wasting time and feeling frustrated and stressed every time you look at your desk? Tired of having to shut your office door whenever unexpected visitors call by?
Now imagine a world where you can easily deal with the everyday bombardment of paper, plus quickly locate those important documents when needed and you have a system in place to help you remember when to deal with items when the due date arises.
There are a few main steps to consider when starting to set up a reliable system to keep control of the constant stream of paper entering your space:
Assign a dedicated place for incoming paperwork. Try the one touch action system-this is where you only touch each piece of paper once! Open your mail, make a decision on what to do with it and do it then and there.
Sort, categorise and label files in a way meaningful to you. Don’t try to be clever here - filing systems don’t need to be complicated so broad categories are OK. In fact they make it much easier to file your papers away.
De-clutter Your Papers. We actually keep so many papers that aren’t ever needed again. You can often access things like instruction manuals online so you really don’t need to keep these any longer. Those old receipts that have faded and you can’t read any more… straight to the bin please!
Archive old papers that you still need and free up more space. There are some papers that we do need to keep like old tax records but these aren’t usually accessed often so I suggest they be stored up on a shelf out of the way or in the least easy to access place in your filing cabinet. Save the valuable, easy to access space for those items you need to use more often.
Make it simple to find important documents by setting up a Grab and Go file for emergencies. Keep important paperwork like wills, birth, death & marriage certificates, insurance policies etc in here. I also recommend you take photos and upload to the cloud for extra security/safety just in case.
Most importantly creating a filing system that works for you, everybody thinks differently! Remember the KISS motto… Keep It Simple Sweetheart 💖 You’ll be more likely to use the filing system and you’ll be able to find what you need more easily.
The relief of re-gaining control of your paperwork can be immense. It can reduce your stress levels, save you the embarrassment of missing important events and money on overdue fines for paying bills late,
If you’re struggling with paper clutter a simple review of how you currently handle your paperwork, plus setting up a system you can easily manage and maintain can bring about an amazing result
Let’s make your life less stressful, maximise your space and save you time and money. 😊
Need help sorting out your paperwork and organising your office/workspace? Check out my Paperwork and Office Organising Package!