Is paper clutter piling up?
Adding this new routine can help you conquer that mountain of paper once and for all!
(Disclaimer: I am a procrastinator so this sorting routine goes against my nature. BUT paper clutter makes me anxious so I just tell myself to “do it anyway” on a daily basis. As a result, paper is not much of an issue in our home anymore.)
1. Try sorting your mail before it even comes inside (or at least before you’re tempted to lay it down). This is called the “touch it once” method. I often sort mine while I’m sitting in the car.
2. Throw recycling and trash in bins in the garage or toss as soon as you bring those items inside.
3. Only two remaining piles make it inside...one for shredding/bills/important papers to look at later and another pile of magazines and ads. Put the remaining mail where it belongs instead of making one pile on the counter. Use the shredder if needed (keep plugged in all the time for quick shredding), put bills away/file important papers📂, keep magazines together, and briefly look through ads before recycling. It only takes a few minutes to do this. If you skip a few days just jump back in ASAP...we are shooting for progress over perfection!
Starting with a huge pile of paperwork?
Set a timer for 15 minutes a few times per week and sort through mail little by little until you no longer have a huge pile (or lots of smaller piles). Then implement a routine for dealing with paperwork daily. The pics above show my sorting process...the paper from the picture taken outside never made it into the house. 🚫✉️📄