Trying to Tame the Paper Monster

Summer is speeding to a close. I am quite happy to say that my summer decluttering project is nearly finished as well. I've decided to try using baskets to manage my papers for the week:

I've tried Bring Forward Files however, "out of sight, out of mind" happens all too easily. I've also tried weekly hanging folders. I broke a set of hanging folders because I stuffed it too much.

That brings us to the baskets. They're not that big, so I need to be vigilant to prevent spillage. They do hold more than a file folder, so that's good.

Let me translate and explain the labeling (they're in Japanese):

1. きょう ("Kyou"): Today

2. あした ("Ashita"): Tomorrow

3. こんしゅう ("Konshuu"): This Week

4. しはらって ("Shiharatte"): Pay

5. よんで ("Yonde"): Read

I've tried enough systems to know that my active trays need to be as lean as possible. Keeping it simple is really the only thing I remember out of my copy of Donna Smallin's book,  The One Minute Organizer.

Three is a  good number The remaining two trays contain items that need to be dealt with within the month.

Fingers crossed that this paper management system works!

Revising My Clean Up Strategy

Summertime is a good time to take a look around to see what you can merge and purge from your home and your life. The end of the school year is normally nutty for me, so my office can become a bit of a dumping ground.

It can be overwhelming and sometimes, one just doesn't know where to start.

Normally, I pick a spot, usually by the computer, and work my way out. When I hit a pile or a bag with receipts and books, I dump it and tackle that for a spell.

Last week, I decided to try something different. See that mess in the top left-hand corner? That's my closest/filing area. On Day 1 of Operation Office Merge & Purge, I plunked myself in the closet. That's right - I put myself in a corner. No breaks until I could actually walk out of the closet.

It was an interesting way to do it. Each time I looked out, I could see my sunny (albeit messy) backyard. But at least, I could look out the window and have the sense that I was getting closer to the sunshine.

I see the benefit of being far away from the temptations of the computer and smartphone. Not sure if I'll do it again that way. The first little while, I felt trapped. I worked my way quickly to open up a path.

At the very least, it felt good to tackle the not-so-fun task of organizing my office and cleaning up my mess from a different angle. It felt fresh.

The next time you tackle de-cluttering your space, approach it from a different angle or start in a different place. You're in for a new experience.