Don’t you wonder how that “paper pile” appears? The USPS told me this…

Each day an average of fifteen pieces of mail arrive in your mailbox. If you flip through and deal with only ten of the fifteen pieces, you are left with five dangling pieces a day to be dealt with “later.”

That’s why stacks of mail can appear from out of nowhere.
At the rate of five pieces of mail per day, that means 150 pieces a month, 1,565 pieces a year, or sixteen inches of guilt piled on your desk or countertops.

5 File Folders in a portable file from an office supply store like Staples or Office Depot will clean up any paper pile that accumulates during the day. A portable file holder is a key ingredient for a “Personal Organizing Center.” Every home needs one.

Do you wonder how those “mail piles” appear? The USPS told me this…

Each day an average of fifteen pieces of mail arrive in your mailbox. If you flip through and deal with only ten of the fifteen pieces, you are left with five dangling pieces a day to be dealt with “later.”

That’s why stacks of mail can appear from out of nowhere.
At the rate of five pieces of mail per day, that means 150 pieces a month, 1,565 pieces a year, or sixteen inches of guilt piled on your desk or countertops.

Five File Folders to Handle Mail

1) Calendar – Put an item in the CALENDAR file only after putting it on your monthly calendar. This cleans up “refrigerator clutter” and includes invitations, schedules, & upcoming events.

2) To Do – Only if an item takes more than 5 minutes to do AND you’ve listed it on a Master List on the countertop can you put it in this file. Assign it to the 3 days you can most control: Today, Tomorrow, or the next day.

3) To Decide – Place items that you are thinking about doing, ordering, or following up on in here. Then when you decide to do it, you know right where to find it! The last day of the month, toss the unused items for a fresh start next month.

4) To Pay – If you don’t have one place by your checkbook to pay bills, keep them in a designated file folder so they don’t get lost. Important!

5) (Your Name) – Keep anything of interest just for you in there. Now add a File Folder with each person in your family. Explain that no longer will there be visible paper clutter on the counter, and it needs to be emptied daily or by Saturday noon on the weekend.

TODAY’S TIP:
Spend 15 minutes a day to make sure the papers are done, filed, or tossed. Work until your kitchen counter is clear of paperwork. Done!

A Client Story: One client spent all Saturday cleaning up her paper piles, her husband even made dinner since she was doing a great job catching up. She finished by bedtime but said, “I kept running downstairs about 5 times just to see how clean it looked! I felt great!”

Are you ready to Organize Your Paperwork? Join Marcia with 1-1 Coaching in “Paper Organizing Made Easy! 

Paper Organizing Made Easy Class

 “Paper Organizing Made Easy”

Do you struggle with catching up on your paperwork, emptying your In-Box, and keeping up with your To Do List? Streamline your workspace and get all your paperwork setup right! Includes Space Planning for your situation. Learn to setup your workspace the right away.