Conquering Paper Clutter

By Cyndi Seidler

Clutter can make a person feel cluttered (obviously!) and, therefore less able to put things into proper perspective, or prioritize important tasks. Stacks of paper are usually formed out of a person's indecision on what to do with some piece of information, or out of fear to put something away because they may want to act on it "later." Also, they may fear that they would forget it if it was put away (yet it often becomes a forgotten particle once it is buried in a stack!).

Accumulated paper piles can give one that "so much to do and no time to do it all" feeling. It is difficult to focus on anything when we feel overwhelmed and, with maybe a few exceptions, it is practically impossible to manage your business affairs efficiently.

Paper which is "on the loose" is like trying to find a pet mouse you allowed the freedom of getting out of its cage. When its time to find the mouse, you now need to do a search. You know you left him in the room, you just aren't quite sure WHERE in the room he is. So, you spend several minutes, maybe several hours or more looking for him. When you finally find him, you may not have time left now to play with him.

The comparison I'm trying to make here is that time was spent looking for something that wasn't in its "home" or place where it could be quickly and easily found. I feel our time is much too valuable for this sort of thing. And, we've all heard that "time is money." What do you think that means?

Now that we understand how we get into a cluttered mess and why its hard to operate under such conditions, let's take a look at a simple approach to handling it.

Every piece of paper and every item should have a "home" in which it belongs. If not, then it can, most likely, be discarded (thrown away).

Piles of paper indicate may "homeless" pieces, waiting to be stored in a proper place. As items sit in piles, they are often neglected or forgotten about all together.

If you have any piles or loose particles lying around, decide to make the time to deal with it. The paper-sorting process can be done in a relatively short period of time, once you start. You just handle each piece one by one until the pile disappears!

Here is a summary of steps to take to get rid of clutter (also, see details on sorting paper in "Paper Management"):

1. Gather all paper lying around in stacks or alone and "homeless" and put it in one (or two) piles.
2. Place a large trash can next to you.
3. Have a tray for paper to be filed, a tray for reading material, and file folders.
4. Have a To Do List pad at your side and a vertical file holder on your desktop area for Action and project files.
5. Pick up one piece of paper at a time and make a decision on what to do with it.

The sorting process involves that you make certain decisions on step #5. Here is a break down of how to do this decision-making process:

1. If you want to DO some action on it, note the task on the To Do List and put the paper in an ACTION file folder. Place the folder in a desktop vertical file holder.
2. If the paper involves an ACTIVE PROJECT, it may require some action, maybe not. In either case, the paper will go in the project file for the project, the task will be noted on the To Do List (which can be broken down into categories and projects), and the file can then be placed in the desktop vertical file holder.
3. If you want to READ it, put it in a designated reading pile placed in a basket or tray. The reading basket (or tray) can be on a shelf near your work area.
4. If you want to SAVE it for reference or document retrieval, put it in a "to be filed" basket or tray.
5. If you have no use for it, THROW IT AWAY!

Once you've cleared away all loose papers and items, here is a simple technique to apply in controlling clutter:

• When you retrieve a document or pull a file out, place it in a temporary location (in an "Action" file or on a vertical file holder on desk), unless you are ready to do something with it immediately.
• When you are finished with a file or retrieved document, place it in an "Outgoing" or "To Be Filed" basket to be stored away.
• When you are done using something, put it back where you got it right away. Don't let it sit around "homeless."
• When you do your mail, handle each piece of paper after you pick it up. If you want to save the paper, place it in a "filing" basket. Do not store it in your mail basket to decide later what you're going to do with it. Make a decision right then and there! Take action!

To maintain your flow of paper, use tray baskets to receive incoming and outgoing paper, use vertical file holders for Action and pending projects, and schedule desk time to handle your Action. This "desk time" should be scheduled into your routine as an administrative function.

This method will help simplify your workload and help maintain a pleasant work area for you to enjoy being in. Even if you tend to get papers scattered all over your desk while you work, take a few moments to send those papers "home" before leaving your desk at the end of the day and you'll be pleased when you return to work the following day!

Copyright © 1997 Cyndi Seidler.  All Rights Reserved.