Let's Talk About Your Paper Piles
Let's Talk About Your Paper Piles.
They're on your desk, your kitchen counter, your dining table, and maybe your dresser, too. The paper piles. And they keep growing! I find that most people have piles on their desk they can't seem to keep clear because they don't have a home for their actionable papers that are in progress. When sorting through piles of paperwork with clients, I often hear "Oh that paper? I just need to file that. Oh that one? I need to call about that. Oh shoot, this one? I called them but need to call again to follow up". When items in your house don't have a designated home, they end up as clutter- and this applies to papers too!
Often times my clients already have a filing system for papers that need to be kept. But what about the papers that need some attention ("actionable papers"), and aren't ready to be filed or recycled? This type of paper needs a proper home too, and ideally its not in the form of a paperwork mountain on your desk.
Below is one of my favorite methods for organizing actionable papers. If you'd like to learn more about this 5-Tier Paper Processing System and how you can tailor it to your needs, I'll be presenting a free mini-talk on this paper organizing method on May 18th, more details to come!
5-Tier Paper Processing System: One of My Favorite Methods For Organizing Actionable Papers
I should probably have a catchy name for this system I created, but I don't yet. So for now, I'll call it my 5-Tier Paper Processing System. I use this system personally, and I've helped lots of people set up systems like this in their own homes, and personalize it to their specific needs with great success.
I love this system because it gives your actionable papers an organized home, which keeps them from taking over your surfaces, and it makes them easier to find because you're not having to search your whole house for that insurance form you know you put somewhere. I also love that you can easily see at a glance how many papers need attention. Here's a quick run-down of how it works:
First things first, immediately after you pick up your mail, spend 30 seconds and toss any junk mail directly into the recycling bin. The mail that makes the cut will go into your 5-tier paper sorter with the following categories:
1. "Inbox"
The "Inbox" tray is the landing zone for incoming mail and any other paperwork that comes into my house. This includes receipts that I may potentially need to hold onto, letters home from my son's preschool, handouts from meetings, etc. This system isn't limited to just mail- it's a system to process all the actionable paperwork in your home life.
2. "To Start"
About once a week I open all the mail and look over all the papers from the "Inbox", and any papers that need some sort of action (i.e. "actionable papers") like bills that need to be paid, offers I want to consider, permission slips, insurance issues that need following up with, etc, get sorted into the "To Start" tray. In this phase, I'm not taking action on any of the papers beyond just getting my eyes on them and acknowledging whether or not they they need some sort of action, and then sorting them into the appropriate tray. Then when I'm ready, I come to the "To Start" tray and begin working on processing the papers. If, while opening mail, there are papers that need to be kept but don't require me to take any action, they go directly into the "To File" tray.
3. "In Progress"
This tray is for actionable papers that I've started work on, but are not yet resolved. For example, papers you called your insurance company about, but are awaiting a response before they are finished. I like to differentiate "To Start" from "In Progress" because it allows me to see at a glance which items haven't even been started, versus which items just need some loose ends tied.
4. "Outbox"
Items that are going to be mailed out, like paid bills, correspondence, and return-to-sender items go in the "Outbox". Then every couple days I put them in my mailbox for the mail carrier to pickup.
5. "To File"
Papers that are "finished" and need to be kept (medical records or test results, tax documents, contracts, updated insurance info, etc) go into the "To File" tray. I don't file things immediately- I let them pile up a bit in the "To File" tray, and then once a month or so I file everything. Some people like to file as they go, and that's awesome. Maybe one day I'll be there. But it's just not how I'm wired now, so I created the "To File" tray to accommodate this.
Occasionally I'll look for something in my filing cabinet, and it's not there. But I don't stress, because I know the only other place I need to look is in the "To File" tray. And I find it there, every time, because I know that this is the one place in the house I put things that need to be filed. It's a thing of beauty.
Also good to have within reach:
Recycle and shred bins. Most of the papers that come into my house don't require any action and don't need to be kept, so they get put in the recycle bin. Papers I don't need to keep, but have sensitive information, get put in a paper grocery bag under my desk labeled "To Shred", and when it's full I take it to Staples to be shredded.
For some, the 5 categories is too much to navigate, and if this is the case for you, it can be simplified to the most essential 3:
1. "Inbox"
2. "Actionable/In Progress"
3. "To File"
If this paperwork organizing system appeals to you, give it a try! And if not, don't fret. Everyone is wired differently, and this is just one of many great paper organizing systems out there.
4 Paper Sorters for Organizing Your Actionable Papers
From left to right:
1. Kvissle, kea $19.99 (this is the one I use)
2. Relaxdays Bamboo File Holder, Amazon $47.38
3. 5 Tier Plastic Desk Letter Organizer Trays, Amazon $19.99
4. Bigso Steel Blue Stockholm Stackable Blue Letter Trays, Container Store Container Store $17.99 for 2
So with that, gather up those piles and start giving your actionable papers the proper home they deserve. If you know someone who could benefit from this 5-Tier Paper Processing System tutorial, please share this blog post with them! And if you need a hand, I'm here for you.