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Last updated on September 13th, 2023 at 03:53 pm
For as much work as I’ve done to eliminate paper, we still have a lot of mail and other incoming papers to manage. It’s easy for mail, receipts, and other miscellaneous papers to pile up in stacks everywhere. It’s important to give these papers a specific place to live and time for being dealt with.
Over the years, I’ve developed a system that eliminates paper piles, keeps everything in one place, and is dealt with within a timely manner.
In this post, I’ll explain how to manage mail and other incoming papers using the Actionable Paper Hub System.
First, what is the Actionable Paper Hub?
The Actionable Paper Hub is the place where all incoming papers are collected before action is taken on them.
It’s technically a single pile, where all the papers that need any type of action are set down. They’re all in one place, so you don’t have to wonder where they went or have multiple piles everywhere.
The types of papers to add to your Actionable Paper Hub are:
- Bills
- Receipts
- School papers
- Notes
- Random papers you’re not sure what to do with yet
Creating your Actionable Paper Hub
In order to create your Actionable Paper Hub (APH), all you need is a basket, tray, or a file box in which standard-size papers fit.
Your Actionable Paper Hub location should meet one or both of the following qualifications:
- A centralized location where it’s easily accessible to put papers into it.
- In the same location where you end up working on tasks like budgeting, planning, paying bills, etc.
When it comes to choosing a location, don’t overthink it. Think about where your family naturally leaves papers and where you naturally go to work on your paper-related tasks. If you don’t know where that is, choose a spot and see if it works. If you start using it and it doesn’t work, you can change it!
To help you come up with ideas, here are some examples:
I do all my bill paying, phone calls, and filing from my home office, so I keep my Actionable Paper Hub in my office.
I have clients who like to work in their kitchens. This is fine because that’s usually where the family brings in their paperwork. I’ve had clients carve out a little workspace in the kitchen where they can handle all the paper-related to-do tasks.
How the Actionable Paper Hub System works
In order for this system to work, you’ll need to create a couple of habits.
First, you’ll need to get in the habit of adding all your papers to the APH throughout the week. Next, you’ll need to get into the habit of working through those papers each week. (This is so that the APH doesn’t get out of control.)
I’ll walk you through how the system works …
I receive bills in the mail but I don’t have time to sit down and pay them the moment I receive them. Instead, I add them to the APH and take care of it on my CEO Day.
If I receive a paper that I’m unsure if I need to keep, I’ll also add it to the APH. On my CEO Day, I’ll make the decision because that’s the time I’ve allotted myself for making those decisions. If I do need to keep it, I’ll file it in another paper hub. (You can get my list of paper hubs and how to sort papers here.)
When I come across papers that don’t need to be dealt with yet (the bill is due, etc), I leave it in the APH to review again next week.
This system is efficient for two reasons:
- All the papers are in one place so papers aren’t misplaced.
- Papers are constantly being reviewed so I always have a handle on what’s going on.
Here’s how you can create your system to manage mail and incoming papers:
- Choose a place to put your Actionable Paper Hub.
- Download the free Paper Organizing Checklist with a list of paper hubs and sorting guidelines.
- Choose a day each week to sort through and take action on the papers in your hub!
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