The paper clutter in your office can be costing you time and money if you’re not careful! In fact, research has shown that the average person loses roughly eight hours every year simply looking for things they know they put somewhere, but are no longer able to find! Fortunately, there are ways to manage your office paper so that you can get more done and keep more of the money that you earn! Here’s how to deal with paper clutter once and for all…
Step 1: Choose a day
Decide on a day, or a weekend, when you will tackle your paper clutter. Put this date on the calendar now so that you don’t forget. Choose a time when there is no chance of distractions like children home from school or work, or other people coming in and out of the house.
Step 2: Go through each room
2. Go through each room in your house, set up a box or two, and start throwing anything that seems like a piece of paper into it. This may seem pointless but trust me, it’s not. It might take an entire day or even more than one day to go through a whole house but the only way this process will work is if you stick with it until everything is dealt with. Yes, this means you’ll need to actually empty out all those drawers and closets too. Once you’re done going through each room, sit down on the floor (or wherever) and look at what’s in front of you. If there are some things that should be kept then either file them away where they belong or make a pile nearby labeled keep.
Step 3: Sort what’s left
3. Sort what’s left
-Toss anything that is clearly garbage.
-Keep anything that is worth keeping (e.g., heirlooms, college degrees, sentimental items).
-Make a list of everything in the box or drawer that needs to be done before the item can be thrown away. Consider adding this list to a spreadsheet so it can easily be updated as needed.
Step 4: Call the service provider
Call the service provider for help. They will come to your home, evaluate the problem, and offer a solution. For example, if you need an organizer but don’t want to spend money or have time to shop for one, they can provide one as part of their service. If the papers are scattered throughout the room, they may be able to come in on a weekday evening so that they won’t disturb any other members of the family while they work.
Step 5: Get everything in order
In order to take full control of the situation, you need to start by sorting your papers into categories. You’ll want files for bills, receipts, projects, invoices, etc. Make sure that each category is clearly labeled so that they can be easily found later on.
