Janice Russell

Decreasing Paper Anxiety, Part 1

Do you dread opening mail? Do you have piles of papers on multiple surfaces? Does the thought of filing make you want to crawl under your desk? The good news is that with some simple steps, you can control the fear associated with the business papers that you encounter each day.

Lesson One: STOP Papers in Their Tracks
Do you know that you can decrease—and in some cases, stop—papers from entering your home? Yes, it will take a little effort on your part. But a little effort will go a long way. Even if you throw out junk mail without opening it, you are still using up a minute of your time and those minutes add up. Here are two sources that can assist you in eliminating unwanted mail:

You can take additional steps toward reducing mail by cutting back on magazine subscriptions and only ordering the weekend paper. Don’t be tempted to sign up for store credit cards at each store that offers you a percentage discount for the first purchase you make with the card. Not only will you receive mail from the store, but you will also be placed on additional mailing lists.

Now, it is time to decide what to do with the remaining incoming mail, plus the papers from other sources, such as work or school. First, it is important to designate a landing spot for these papers. Once you have a landing location, you may find it helpful to set up pre-file sort options. These are action folders to help you be more efficient in your use of time when you are ready to work on the papers. Some suggestions for action categories include

I recommend setting up three to six of these action folders. Do not place them in traditional in/out bins. Items get lost, never to be found again! Instead, place them in a sorter that keeps the folders in a vertical position (these are found in most office stores). Then designate a time in your schedule to take action on these papers. If you do not make time to act on the papers, all you have is organized papers that never get processed; this leads to bills that are late and parties you didn’t get to attend.

Lesson Two: Where, oh Where can My Papers Go?
How many of the following papers could you find in one minute?
• Birth Certificate
• Closing documents for your home or rental agreement
• All supporting documents for taxes
• Record of most recent subscription to a magazine or newspaper
• Most recent social security statement

By the way, that was one minute for all of the documents, not one minute per document!

Several steps are required to establish a Home Information Center (HIC). First, you must determine where you are going to process paperwork. You might have one location where you initially process the paperwork and a second location in which you complete associated tasks, or both activities might occur in the same place. Next you need to establish a system for what happens when paper enters your home. Here are some ideas to consider:
• Have a child bring in the mail. A four-year-old can divide the mail into “envelopes” vs. “non-envelopes” to make it easier to go through quickly.
• Throw away as much as possible without even opening it.
• Have a designated place for magazines and catalogs and put them there immediately.
• Open mail and highlight or red-line important information. Process as much of the paperwork as possible. For remaining items consider, the idea of pre-file sort options. Establish time in your schedule to complete any remaining tasks.

Regardless of where you complete the paper processing, establish a work surface, file storage, and drawer or basket filled with basic supplies so that you don’t waste time looking for necessary supplies. If you do the initial processing in one location and the final processing in a different area, make sure to determine how paper flows back and forth between the places to ensure that nothing gets lost or forgotten.

Remember that establishing new habits takes a little time. Don’t let dealing with piles of paper distract you from what really matters in life!

North Carolina’s first Certified Professional Organizer in Chronic Disorganization, Janice Russell, and her firm, Minding Your Matters® Organizing, have built a reputation for helping business and residential clients organize their space, items, documents, and time using the flexible structure principle™. Janice’s workshops on topics such as tackling the “no time” trap, perishing paper piles, and stopping “stuff” from being overwhelming are dynamic, informative, and practical. Minding Your Matters® is dedicated to helping people achieve organization with lasting results™ in their personal and professional lives. Janice is highly regarded within her industry. She is Education Chair for the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO) and past president of the North Carolina Chapter of NAPO. Janice is the author of Get Organized This Year! For more information, please visit www.mindingyourmatters.com or call 919-467-7058.	Nov 05 - Things, Things, and More Things Dec 05 - Gifting and Receiving Feb 06 - Tackling the “Get Organized” Resolution Mar 06 - Decreasing Paper Anxiety, Part 1 Apr 06 - Decreasing Paper Anxiety, Part 2 Nov 06 - Stuff-flow™ Dec 06 - Procrastination is a Waste of Time Jan 07 - Meal Management
Janice Russell, CPO-CD Minding Your Matters® Organizing Consultants Past President, National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO) - North Carolina Chapter Education Chair, NAPO Member, National Study Group on Chronic Disorganization Adjunct Professor, Meredith College