Find Time to Deal With All the Paper!

The Time Finder with Paula Eder

The way you use your time is the way you live your life.

Find Time to Deal With All the Paper!

Posted on March 10, 2010, under Time After Time.

Finding time to deal with clutter is a challenge we all face … and for many, paper is right at the top of the list! As someone who accumulates paper, I keep coming back to that question – “How Do I Deal with All the Paper?”

Here are 3 tips that I have found very helpful, as I work to let go of the paper that can sometimes build up and clutter my workspace.

I’m a big recycler, and I’ve learned that recycling can be a very helpful intermediate stage in letting go, for me. I put paper that I’m finished with it my recycling box by my desk. There it usually sits for a couple of weeks, until the box is full enough to dispose of. If I haven’t needed one of the pieces of paper that’s in my box in those two weeks, I feel much more comfortable letting go. And if I do need it, in the interim, I know right where to find it!
A second step that I am considering as an aid to letting go is the idea of scanning certain key documents. Being able to categorize and store things on my computer is new to me, and I’m exploring it with some trepidation! I can see the potential, though. The key here is to make sure that you’ve got a really good backup system. You certainly don’t want to throw out any key documents unless you’re sure that you’ve got them saved and secure and well backed up.
A third tip that has been helpful for me in letting go has been to remember that even small accomplishments “count.” I try to get rid of a few pieces of paper a day and validate my choices each and every time I let go! This slow, steady progress builds on itself. I am gratified by the results, and am gradually creating new habits for myself!

Is letting go of paper a challenge for you? Are there systems that you have in place to help you with it? Any tips you’d like to share? I know that I, for one, would love to hear!

What if you could find another hour every day? You can! You are invited to sign up for your FREE Finding Time Success Kit. It puts 3 key tools for your time success right into your hands! Grab it and see how you can recharge your energy, reduce overwhelm and frustration, and come to learn that 24 hours really ARE enough!

Let’s explore time together …

Paula's Signature

There are 5 Responses to “Find Time to Deal With All the Paper!”

#1 Alison - 10 March, 10:24 AM

Great tips! I also have one waste paper basket into which I automatically place all catalogs, however tempting. If I “need” that catalog before the end of the week, I know where it is, and if I haven’t looked at it yet, it’s all ready to go with the recycling.

#2 Kathryn Merrow - The Pain Relief Coach - 10 March, 2:49 PM

Paula, thank you for these ideas. I also call and have my name removed from mailing lists for catalogs that I know I won’t be ordering from. I have let almost all of my magazines expire. I can read them at the library. And I keep a recycling box going for envelopes, etc., that I can drop into right away. I just wish I had a better hiding place for it. But then I’d probably forget where I put it.

#3 Paula - 10 March, 7:58 PM

Thanks for sharing these tips. I love the ingenuity (and humor). It seems that recycling is becoming a staple for lots of us – a very positive development from all sorts of angles!

#4 Pamela S. Wynn - 24 March, 8:27 AM

I’ve been paper-less for about 5 years. Paper gets scanned then recycled or shredded. One thing I’ve noticed is that it is less expensive to have a shredding service come quarterly. They do in a few minutes what used to take my assistant hours every month. We also no longer burn out shredding machines.

Go ahead – take the plunge. You’ll feel so light!

#5 Paula - 24 March, 7:24 PM

That is impressive – and I am intrigued. Letting go of paper is a challenge for me – but I can certainly see what a big up-side it has! Thanks for sharing your experience.

If this is your first comment it may be held for moderation. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS feed, or Trackback from your own site.