Organize + Energize: Paper Clutter. Where do I Start?

Tuesday, April 14, 2015

Kristin MacRae, GoLocalWorcester Organizing Expert

Because paper management is a huge issue that many people face, I am going to share a question an attendee asked at one of my presentations.

Q. I have a desk that is overflowing with papers and it’s all so overwhelming. I get frustrated and I just don’t know where to begin. I want a neat, organized desk where I can be efficient and productive without all of the paper clutter. Can you please point me in the right direction?

A. The first thing you need to do is break this project down into smaller pieces. Don’t look at the entire desk. The minute you do that, you will get overwhelmed, lose focus, get distracted and nothing will get accomplished. This has probably happened in the past, which is why this project is so difficult for you to tackle. Limit your project to 3 hours. Once you hit that 3 hour mark, stop take a break or go back to it the next day. After 3 hours you will get stressed, overwhelmed, tired, and hungry.

Let me take you through the process of clearing your desk.

You will need a trash can and a box to throw shred into. You will also need to tackle this project on a clear workspace so you can spread out with your paper.

You have to start somewhere. Gather all of the paper on your desk and bring it to a clear workspace. Once that is done, start with one pile of paper. Take the top piece of paper. Decide whether to keep, toss, or shred. Do not worry about what you are going to do with the paper if you are keeping it. The minute you stop to think about what to do with it, you will get distracted, lose focus and it will be difficult to move forward. Just worry about whether you are going to keep, toss, or shred.

You are now left with a box full of shred, a garbage bag full of trash and your keep piles. Create categorized piles of the papers you are keeping. You may see a theme of certain papers. Make piles of those papers. Continue to do this until there are no piles left on your desk.

Now you can sit with your categorized piles and develop a system going forward to contain these papers. Think about how you want to function with these papers.

Ask yourself the following questions:

• Do you have a system already set up or do you have to develop a new one?

• Where do you want to file these papers?

• How often do you grab them?

• Are they items you need to keep right in front of you on your desk so you don’t forget about them?

Once you have completed this project, you should be able to see the top of your desk and you can move forward with creating a work flow and maintaining that organization. Make a point to file paper as soon as you receive it or attach it to your to-do list or your calendar if it needs immediate attention.

Remember the systems you develop will create routines and if you follow those routines, they will form habits which will in turn become an everyday way of life.

Kristin Carcieri-MacRae, the founder and owner of Organizing in RI, has always enjoyed finding creative ways to streamline the environment around her. She has appeared on air on Patricia Raskin's Positive Business Radio and her articles have been published in the Rhode Island Small Business Journal and New England Home Life. Kristin's CD, Organizing Basics, is a 1-hour guide for the person who wants to get organized but doesn't know where to start. She is also available for organizing workshops. Tune into her weekly radio show, Organize, Energize! on talkstreamradio.com.

Related Slideshow: 10 Minute Organizing Projects

Declutter and Organize

Prev Next

Spices

As you take all of the spices out of the cabinet, check for expiration dates and smell for potency. Categorize and itemize your spices to how you utilize them. Contain them in a spice rack that fits the space where they are kept. Don’t purchase a spice rack until you are finished organizing. You want to measure the space and make sure the rack fits and holds all of your spices. There are a variety of spice racks out there. Choose the one that best suits what you need it to hold.

Prev Next

Makeup

How many items do you touch in the morning to find what you need? You want to be as efficient as possible in the morning and having your makeup organized will be a big time saver. Do you have difficulty deciding what to keep or toss? When is it time to throw away makeup? Aline Sarkis, a Providence, RI-based makeup artist, states lipstick can be used for 2 years or until it starts to smell like a crayon. Mascara is good for 2-3 months. Eye shadow is good for 2 years and foundation is good for 1-2 years. Aline also states that some makeup and skincare will be marked with an expiration date of 6-12 months. Begin counting once you start using the product

Prev Next

Women: Purse

Depending on the size of your purse, and what you keep in your purse, this may take you a little longer than 10 minutes. Empty the entire contents of the purse on a table. Declutter, categorize, and itemize the contents. Break this process down and take it one category at a time. Develop a system going forward so the inside of your purse doesn’t look like a cyclone hit it. Contain receipts, gift cards, money, and makeup.

Prev Next

Men: Wallet

It’s time to empty all of the receipts out of your wallet. Do you also store receipts and random items in your car? While you are tackling this project, head over to your vehicle and declutter the center console and glove compartment.

Prev Next

Underwear drawer

If you aren’t using drawer organizers, you should start now. They are very inexpensive and will maximize the space in the drawer. How many of you wear the same item over and over again? With drawer organizers in place, you will be able to see everything you own and can categorize and itemize. Nothing will ever get pushed to the bottom of the drawer again.

Prev Next

Under the bathroom sink

If you haven’t taken everything out of this area in awhile, you may find some scary items under the sink. Empty the contents, itemize, and categorize. Throw away anything that you can’t recognize. Contain items in containers that fit the space like a puzzle. Once again, utilizing containers will maximize the space and allow you to store more items. Develop a simple system where you can locate items and locate them quickly.

Prev Next

Pets

Ninety percent of my clients have a pet. It’s time to organize their belongings. Medicine, leashes, bandanas, clothes, dishes, food, etc. Take this time to also organize any paper work related to your pet. Set up a filing system for your pet. Keep their medical records, rabies and vaccination information categorized in these files.

Prev Next

Junk drawer

Nobody says you can’t have a junk drawer. Junk drawers can be organized. You just have to think about if you need everything in this drawer and if there is a better place to store the items. Remember, store like items together. If you have tools in the junk drawer, maybe you should keep them with the tools in the basement.

Prev Next

Office supply drawer

So many people have office supply drawers that are out of control. Money is wasted on purchasing duplicate office supplies. It’s very difficult to figure out what you need to purchase if items are scattered all over the office and are disorganized.

Prev Next

Top of your office desk

If you can’t see the top of your desk, take this time to focus on this area and categorize and itemize what is there. Do you have a working filing system in place? If so, once your desk is cleared, make a habit of filing once a day or a couple of times a week. If your system isn’t working for you, it may be time for you to re-evaluate your system and make it work for the way you function.