“What do I do with all these papers?” comes the plea from almost every client. Paper is one of the main components of clutter. The onslaught of mail and various and sundry papers seems never ending. Like the waves crashing on the beach, the mail carrier brings it in. The kids leave a wake of announcements and assignments as they stream in. In addition, the “really, I’m gonna read it some day,” pile crests at a height a surfer would be envious of. The task of sorting, dealing with, and filing papers can seem overwhelming! If you feel like you’re drowning in paper, you can take ten actions to easy wade through the papers. Harness the power of .,.

Curb the Flow:
#1 — STOP THE JUNK: The easiest way to ease the paper flow into your home is to be removed from direct mailing lists. The amount of junk mail is daunting! There are ways to limit the junk and companies that can help. This takes a bit of effort and can take several months to be removed completely, but it saves you time and aggravation in the long haul.

#2 — LIMIT READING MATERIAL: How much can you actually read in a day, week, or month? That’s how much you should receive. If you don’t have the time to read the paper each day, consider only the Sunday edition. You can utilize the internet for your news sources instead. Cancel any magazines, newsletters, or papers that you simply don’t read. Quite often, an article catches your eye, but you don’t have time right now. If you really must save it, tear it out and keep a file of such things. If you do this though, make a commitment to yourself to sort through it regularly so it doesn’t just pile up. Books can also fall into this category. You know the ones that are sitting on the shelf unread. Consider instead borrowing books from friends, library or BookSwim (it’s like Netflix for books).

#3 — CONSOLIDATE SERVICES & STATEMENTS: Consider consolidating the services, statements, and bills you receive. Contact your bank to request all your accounts be sent in one statement. If you can, consolidate our credit card debt into one account. This will decrease the amount of paper, hassle, confusion, and even postage you have to deal with each month. Many companies are now offering a variety of services, which can be billed through one statement. You can check with you phone company for example and have land line, cell phone, internet service and satellite TV all together.

#4 STREAMLINE ONLINE: Here’s a place where everyone needs to follow his or her own comfort level. Many companies now offer automatic bill paying, online payments, and online statements. This significantly decreases the paper flow, but many people feel it increases risk for identity theft and invasion of privacy. Do what you feel comfortable with. Keep in mind most companies will not ask for personal information through email. If you ever get a questionable request, call them (verify the number elsewhere, not from the email) and inquire directly.

Go With the Flow:
#5 — SORT THE MAIL: Create a designated area for your mail. This will be the place to handle all incoming and outgoing mail. Have a recycle bin handy; so junk mail and envelopes can go right there- don’t even put junk mail down. A shredder is good for everything going that has your address or personal information. Stamps, envelopes, return address labels should all find a home here, and it’s a great place to keep stationary, birthday cards, etc. It’s necessary to have a place for correspondence (like RSVPs) or statements to call with questions, for all bills that need to be paid, etc. You may choose to have your communications area (for family schedules, upcoming events, messages) and bill paying (checkbook, files, calculator) in this same area, but if not, be sure to move any mail to the proper areas right away. When you receive an invitation, RSVP ASAP and mark it on your calendar. Keep the invitation with directions handy. You may want to post it on a bulletin board or keep it in your calendar. If you use a PDA, you can input the information and recycle the invitation, and not even have that around. If you like a clear desk, you may consider having “bills to be paid” and an “in progress” files. If it’s out of site, out of mind with you, keep these out but contained. Now, you are ready to keep the mail flowing, so it doesn’t pile up.

#6 — PUT EVERTHING IN ITS PLACE: Having a place for things goes a long way towards things actually being put away. If you collect coupons, have an envelope or small flexible file and keep it with your canvas grocery bags. Designate a file, envelope, or slot in your mail center for receipts to reconcile with your bank and credit card statements each month. Keep photo and dry cleaning receipts in your wallet for pick up. Find a place now for all those little scraps of paper, and they won’t get lost or fall between the cracks.

Keep it Flowing:
#7 — ATTEND TO IT WEEKLY: Discipline yourself to sift through your "in process" papers once a week. Take an hour (or less!) on Sunday to pay the bills, plan for the events that week, write your personal correspondence, and organize what you need to take action on. If you post things on your fridge or bulletin board, take a moment to take down anything outdated to avoid the clutter there. If you do this once a week, it really shouldn’t take longer than that, and you are ready for the week to come.

#8 — PURGE MONTHLY: Even the best intentions don’t completely eliminate those “important” papers that need to be acted on- eventually. So, how do you keep it from swelling out of control? Establish a limit for it, and revisit it once a month. Some of these papers might be passed by in your weekly sort, but challenge yourself to act on at least two each week. Once a month, sit down with these papers and critically purge. If you missed the event or the coupon expired, recycle it. If it is coming up, act on it. A class you thought you’d want to take at the community college that already started, recycle the catalogue- you’ll get another one next semester! Put the recipe from the magazine on your fridge, read the article, request the information, etc. If you are researching something like switching insurance or making a major purchase, create separate files for these and a hanging section for “pending.” The tendency is for this eventual pile to become a black hole phenomenon, where things are sucked in and never seen again. With a bit of discernment and discipline, it can be functional and maintain some flow.

#9 — FILE WITH EASE: System simplicity can make filing a breeze. Create a filing system that works for you. Try using hanging files and file folders with the tabs all in a row, so you can add/remove and move without throwing off the whole drawer. Color code only if that helps you, and look for post-consumer recycled products, like the ones available at Staples. Group like things together. For a home office, you might create a hanging file for “Utilities” and have individual files for phone, gas, power, etc. On the cover of each file folder, write your account number and contact phone numbers for the company so if you need to call them, you don’t have to search for this information. You can repeat this process for bank statements, credit cards, other financial, property, and insurance information. All important original documents like birth certificates, stocks and bonds, insurance policies, pink slips, and wills, should be kept in a fire proof safe or safety deposit box.

Let the Flow Go:
#10 — REUSE AND RECYCLE: Designate a specific area (a drawer or a box) for paper that can be reused. Kids can draw on the backs, emails can be reprinted on the other side, (use the inevitable last page with one line printed from the email footer), and shopping lists can be written on scraps. This can quickly fill up though, so hold to the limit. If you find yourself with letterhead or stationary that is outdated, blank envelopes, or stacks of newspaper or magazines, check with a local school or childcare. They can often use such supplies. Become good friends with your recycle bin; visit it often. What you aren’t going to file and can’t reuse, should be recycled. Keep in mind that junk mail should never touch a flat surface in your home. As one client said, “I’m too lazy to have to deal with a piece of junk mail more than once. It goes straight into the recycle bin now!”

If you are currently drowning in the sea of papers, don’t despair. You can conquer the piles. Set aside a weekend to tackle it all. Invite a friend over or arrange play-overs for the kids, order a pizza, and take back your life (or at least the flat surfaces in your home.) If that seems too much, take it in stages. Implement each of the steps above one per week, and watch how your competency and peace of mind grow. You can finally be free from the weight of all those piles.