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Paper piles are like a plague in many houses. It’s tough because there are a lot of decisions to be made about what to keep, where to store them, and how to manage them. In other words, every home needs an effective paper organizing system.
I’ve done a lot of paper organizing over the years for clients and personally. With this experience, I’ve identified 5 traits a paper organizing system must have in order to be effective.
Let’s look at the 5 must-haves of an effective paper organizing system.
01. Paper Categories
One of the rules of organizing is to categorize your items. The same rule applies to paper organization.
Over my many years of organizing papers, I identified 5 common paper categories. This allows me to choose where each paper should be stored and how long it should be kept.
The 5 categories I’ve identified are actionable, reference, long-term, educational, and kids’ papers.
Before keeping every single paper, though, it’s important to know which ones you can declutter.
02. An Easy Decluttering System
Everyone wants to know, “What can I get rid of?” If you’re able to identify the main categories of your papers, this question becomes a lot easier.
I use a set of Guiding Questions to help me decide which papers belong where and which papers I can toss. These questions are inside the Paper Hubs System, along with a list of no-brainer papers to throw away.
If you have a lot of kids’ papers, my (then) 6-year-old teaches other kids how to declutter their own papers in a bonus video training that comes with the Paper Hubs System. Teaching your kids how to declutter now is a skill they’ll keep later in life.
03. Accessible Storage
An organizing system only works if you use it! Wherever you decide to store your different types of papers, the one rule is that you’re able to access the ones you need on a frequent basis.
There are many ways to store papers such as filing cabinets, binders, and desktop file boxes. The best system for you is the one that you use!
04. File Organization
The next part of a storage system is the ability to find the papers you need. The only wrong way to label a file is to label it with a name you would never think of.
There’s a list of typical file names for the different paper categories in this post.
05. Fewer Paper Piles
It really goes without saying that fewer paper piles means better organization. But the system I use includes a single paper pile that I sort through every single week. Because I go through this one pile every week, I automatically see any papers that need action (such as bill statements).
I explain the entire system inside the Paper Hubs System. And now you’ll get a bonus video training on my paper and task management system so you’ll always stay on top of your paper-related tasks!
In order to have an effective paper organizing system, it must have:
- Paper Categories
- An Easy Decluttering System
- Accessible Storage
- File Organization
- Fewer Paper Piles
Want a plan laid out for you to create your system in 7 days? You can get a complete system to implement —from paper categories to storage to decluttering to weekly paper management —inside the Paper Hubs System.
Now through April 30, 2023 you can get $5 off the Paper Hubs System using code JD5J1WP
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