For many sorting through papers is a daunting, unsatisfying task, but if you let it get
away from you, it becomes something that can take hours or even days to get a handle
on. When I am helping people get through their paperwork, the first step once again is
gathering all the paper into one place. If you have any sort of filing system already, this
should not be too difficult, but if you have piles in various rooms spread all over the
house, this can turn into a big project quickly.
Once you have all the papers consolidated into one space, the next step is deciding
what NEEDS to be kept. In most cases, there are very few physical pieces of paper
that need to be held onto. There are the obvious: wills, deeds, contracts, licenses, legal
documents (birth, marriage etc.) that need to be kept forever, but most others have an
expiration date! Talk to your tax professional about what tax related documents you
need for filing taxes, but once you have filed them, most of those can be tossed or
shredded, and in most cases, you only need to keep the filed taxes for 7 years (but like I
said, check with whoever files your taxes, because this can vary).
One thing that I recommend is to change all your statements and bills to electronic
ONLY. If you prevent the papers from ever arriving at your home, it stops you from ever
having to decide about them in the first place! If you have not done this yet, there are
usually instructions on each paper statement explaining what to do to opt in for
electronic versions.
The same is true for most medical records and statements, your insurance company
and service providers most likely have a member portal that contains all the of your
payment records, statements, and notes from office visits as well as vaccination
records.
Many people also have a hard time parting with manuals for electronics, appliances,
and furniture. If you have them all in one place, now is the time to go through them and
at the very least get rid of the items that you no longer own. Nearly all of these will be
available online, and in the case that you need help with troubleshooting, most people
will do a web search for the problem instead of digging out the manual anyway. Most
products have the part number printed on them, and that is all you need to be able to
look up a complete digital copy of the manual. In conjunction with the manual, you can
usually find the warranty registration information. In my own Kon Mari (decluttering)
experience I found that I had kept the manuals and enclosed warranties for several
baby items and had not registered the warranty! Registering them is not required, but if
you don’t, you may have trouble receiving service, a replacement if there are issues,
and most importantly, you will not get alerted if there is a recall on the item. I now
register those warranties immediately (as everyone should) because it is not only easier to know all the required information (copy of receipt/purchase date/location etc.), but
also because you then no longer have to hold onto the associated papers!
Now comes the hard part. After pulling out all the above, you will have a mix of all the
other papers: greeting cards, old school papers, recipes, articles and more. Sort these
by type and decide whether you have a reason to keep any of it. Greeting cards with a
long heartfelt message from grandma, sure. Keep that and cherish it! But the card from
your niece that is just signed “love, Katie”. toss that right now…
I know that you spent hours and hours on your high school calculus homework, but now
that you are a corporate lawyer, will you ever think to look at it again (most likely the
answer is “no”). Same goes for conference and workshop programs and papers. Even
if it is relevant to your current job, be honest with yourself about if you will ever
reference any of it, and if so, do you have a digital copy of that deck somewhere,
because that will be a lot easier to track down with a computer search than sorting
through stacks of physical papers.
I apologize if this one sounds harsh, but if you cook/bake a lot in your normal life, feel
free to collect recipes that you think you will have an occasion to make, but if the extent
of your baking is a box of cake mix and tub of icing, I am sorry to break it to you, but that
4 hour recipe with 35 ingredients is so unlikely to happen, that if the occasion did
miraculously arise, you could probably search for a new recipe anyway. Honestly, a
digital archive of recipes is better for the avid baker as well! Create a digital document
where you can copy and paste the recipes by category and then use the search function
to track down the one you need.
Now that your pile has been significantly reduced, it is time to decide on a filing system
that is right for you. Everything should fit in a file cabinet or box, create labels that make
sense to you and are not too specific (micro organizing the papers can lead to difficulty
keeping up with incoming paper). Designate a place for “action” items like invites that
need an RSVP, bills to be paid, permission slips to be signed. This should not be a
place to drop your incoming mail. Mail is most often full of items that can be recycled
immediately, so spend the minute walking from mailbox to trash can/recycling deciding
on those items every single day. Finally, add a recurring weekly event to your calendar
and tackle the entire “action” pile at that time! If you handle the build up weekly, this
task should not take more than a few minutes, and then you can recycle the papers to
clear the way for next week.
Have a question about a type of paper not covered? Feel free to reach out and I would
be happy to help!
Are there any other areas that need a fall refresh in your house?
I would love to help you get your house in shape!
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