A paper management strategy for "stuff out" people

Storing papers horizontally in piles is a recipe for clutter and distraction.

A client said to me, "I'm drowning in paper. I need help!"

When I arrived at her home, I saw papers—and lots of them! There were papers in piles, papers inside folders (also piled), and also some papers in folders stored upright in open plastic boxes. She explained that she had several big projects going on right now, including job applications, medical arrangements for a family member, and a project related to a vacation rental property she owns.

"My problem is that I need to have things out," she said. "If they're put away, I'll forget. But then my papers are everywhere. I put them in folders, but I still can't find things and feel overwhelmed."

There are “stuff out” people, and there are “stuff away” people.

Right away I understood that there were a few different things going on here.

1) My client was a "stuff out" person.

There are “stuff out” people, and there are “stuff away” people. Putting everything away and having an empty desk like you live at Ikea doesn't work for “stuff out” people. They need visual reminders of what they have. This is not some kind of a character flaw. It’s simply that some people’s brains work differently than others.

Sometimes it seems like the rules are created for “stuff away” people. We're taught that we organize papers by putting them in folders—and then putting those folders away so your desk is "clear". But putting everything away can trip up "stuff out" people, because things are hidden from them.

2) Not all papers are created equal.

Some papers are "one and done", single tasks. Other papers are part of a project. Projects were a big an issue for my client. As a “stuff out” person, she needed her active project papers to be "out" at all times. But the way they were out was causing clutter and confusion, making her feel like she was up to her neck in paper.

3) She needed a system.

The folders & plastic boxes was an attempt at a system, but it was incomplete and not working for her. There were multiple instances of folders with the same name that she'd created at different times. Papers related to current tasks were mixed up with completed papers and paid bills. This necessitated a constant process of churning and rediscovering which tasks needed doing.

She did also have a filing cabinet, but she wasn't really using it, except as a place to store extra office supplies left over from an old job.

paper management help - how to organize tasks and projects

A system that doesn’t hide your papers from you.

Creating a system that doesn’t hide your papers from you

To begin, we sorted all of her papers into two categories:

Current papers such as bills to be paid, correspondence to be answered, and ongoing projects.

Done papers such as paid bills, letters already answered, and completed projects.

We agreed that done papers were cluttering up her active workspace. How should they be handled? My client said she'd feel OK about putting away done papers in her filing cabinet. They'd be there if needed, but they were no longer "out", creating clutter and distraction. She also decided to donate a large proportion of the extra office supplies she'd been storing in the file cabinet for several years. "I'm never going to use all that stuff, but the school would love to have it."

Tasks versus projects

Now, what about current papers? This was where we needed to make a distinction between tasks and projects.

A task is a “one and done” item. For example, the electric bill. Pay it, and it's done.

We placed the “one and done” tasks in a single In Box*. No folders, just loose papers in a box which would sit on the counter where she could see it. She could go through this box daily, complete tasks one by one, then file the task paper in the cabinet.

*The In Box is also known as the Action Required File. Tasks requiring action should be placed in this box as soon as they enter the house. See this article for more help with paper management.

A project contains more than one task. It can also have reference materials associated with it. This means it's not “one and done”, but will be sticking around for a while, until all tasks that make up the project are finished. Storage in folders is helpful here, but it's best to use as few folders as possible.

A simple system for projects

We created a simple system for projects:

folder with label "Job Applications"

Labels are important visual reminders. Keep your label names simple and obvious..

  1. Each project got its own folder with a label (for example, Job Applications)

  2. Within the project folder, we created 3 labeled subfolders: Tasks, Tasks-Done, and Reference.

  3. Completed tasks can be moved from Tasks to Tasks-Done.

  4. The entire project folder is stored upright in a plastic box.

  5. When the project is done, the entire project folder gets filed in the file cabinet.

We used the open plastic boxes and folders my client already owned. Without lids, the labeled folders were always visible. The boxes themselves would live on the counter where my client could see them.

After our session, my client still has her papers out—but with a difference.

The difference is that they're no longer in piles, or hidden in folders that aren't part of a system. They're organized in a way that works for her: easy to access, and stored in plain sight, where they'll always be top of mind. She's gone from feeling overwhelmed, to feeling in control of her papers and her life.

Overwhelmed by papers? I'm a Chicago-based professional organizer. Whether you're a "stuff out" person or a "stuff away" person, I'll work with you to create a paper management system that's right for you. Contact me for your free 30-minute consultation. 🌱

A simple system to manage your papers

bin full of mail

Many people dread dealing with papers. But it doesn’t have to be that way!

A client said to me, “I need help dealing with papers when they enter the house. I’m good about paying bills right away. But the rest of it ends up in piles near my front door.”

I worked with him and we developed a few simple rules to help him deal with his papers.

First we talked about why papers pile up. It’s when we’re not sure what to do with them. The solution is to have a rule for each type of paper that enters the house—thus eliminating paper pile-up.

Rule 1: Process all incoming papers near your front door.

Don't bring papers any deeper into the house. I recommend having a station with an Action Required file, a Shred box, a Trash container, and a Recycle container. These don't have to be giant bins. You can use any container you choose, such as an attractive basket with sections, or even drawers in a cabinet or other piece of furniture.

Rule 2: Deal with action required papers as soon as they come in.

My client was already on top of this. I find that most people already have some part of their system working. The idea is to build on what’s already working, so that you end up with a complete system that works for you.

Get in the habit of completing action required papers right away. If you can't complete the action immediately, put the paper in an Action Required file or box, and deal with it as soon as possible.

flowchart of household paper management

If you have papers that aren't action required items, but information you intend to read, you can also put these in your Action Required file. Alternatively, have a designated spot for them. In my house, reading material such as magazines and newspapers live on our coffee table.

To avoid pileups of "To Be Read" material, I recommend limiting subscriptions and keeping only the current issue ("One In, One Out"). You can also switch to digital subscriptions.

Reduce the volume of incoming paper by using a service like Catalog Choice to opt-out of catalogs and other paper mail.

Rule 3: Papers that need to be kept (after completing an action, or for reference) get filed as soon as possible.

Avoid filing unnecessary paper by only keeping papers that have a specific purpose. If you can find the information online, it's OK to let go of the paper.

Another common pitfall is thinking that you need to create a complicated filing system. I recommend using the simplest filing system possible. Use as few folders as possible, and name each folder something obvious, such as “Bills”, “Medical”, or “Auto”. If you are in doubt as to what to name a folder, name it the first thing that comes to mind.

Another roadblock that gets some people is what to do when you need a new folder in your filing system. If this is you, keep a few blank folders ready in your file box. You can even keep a pen in there to label new folders. Don't let the supposed necessity of creating a fancy label be an obstacle to filing items promptly.

simple rules to control papers

Rule 4: Place a Shred box near where you process the mail.

Anything to be shredded, goes into the box. It doesn’t have to be shredded immediately, just when you have time. Or it can be taken to a shredding service, if you have a lot. Office Depot/Office Max offers secure shredding by the pound.

Rule 5: Place a Trash container near where you process the mail.

Anything to be discarded, goes into the trash right away. It never gets any further into your house than that. (You can also separate trash and recyclable paper into two separate bins.)

Papers can be a tough category to deal with, because they rarely bring joy (although they may bring usefulness). Having a lot of paper clutter around isn't only annoying and unsightly, it can cause you to miss or misplace important papers that need attention. Understandably, many people dread dealing with papers. But it doesn’t have to be that way. My client found that all he needed was a few rules to help make sure he controlled his papers, not the other way around.

Got piles of paper? I understand it can feel overwhelming. I'll work with you to tame your papers and create a system that works FOR you. Contact me for your free 30-minute consultation. 🌱

Tidying Mom's storage space


Me with a cartload of items destined to be donated .
 

You might not think of paper as the most sentimental of categories, but the papers in the storage space packed the biggest emotional whallop for Mom and me.

 
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But after all, Dad didn't need these papers any more. Mom and I decided that he'd be okay with us letting them go. It doesn't change how much we love him, or how proud we are of his service as a state representative.

This August I visited my mom in Hawaii, where she lives (and where I spent my high school years). Of course we did the typical things we always do: go to the beach, walk the dog, and eat a lot of yummy "local grinds" (food, that is).

And then there was a non-typical, somewhat daunting vacation task: clearing out Mom's storage space.

Mom had been renting a 10 foot by 8 foot unit at a local self storage facility. She explained, "When your Dad's health began to decline, all this stuff was in the way. I just needed to get it all out of the house."

Dad had been gone seven years now, and Mom really wanted to clear the space out and be able to save the $244 monthly rental fee. But as a busy community organizer and activist, she hadn't been able to find the time. Every so often she would go to the space and tackle a few items, but most of the stuff remained. And she wasn't sure exactly what was in every one of those boxes and containers. After all, it had been a while.

We definitely needed to get the space cleared in one fell swoop, because I was only going to be there for a week. So we went over there and took stock of things.

The space contained three shelving units, each about 8 feet high. Each shelf was stacked with either plastic bins or cardboard boxes. As we began to pull boxes and bins down and investigate their contents, we found there were several categories of stuff.

First, there were household items such as clothing, decorations, books, and random knicknacks. These were mostly Mom's things, and she and I were able to divide them fairly quickly into "keep", "sell", "donate", and "discard" piles.

There were several boxes of games and miniatures that belonged to my brothers. We marked these as "keep", making a mental note to ask later if they still wanted them. There were also boxes of my brothers' high school and college notes. Mom and I felt confident putting these in the "discard" pile.

Then there were picture frames. Lots and lots of picture frames. Some contained photos, but many were new and still in their packaging. An avid photographer, Dad had always enjoyed framing enlargements of his favorite photos. Mom and I appreciated this, of course, as one of the many ways Dad showed us how much he loved us. But we also had to chuckle at how Dad's framing ambitions had turned out to be much greater than the available wall display space in my parents' modestly sized home.

The new picture frames went into our "sell" pile. We decided to remove all the framed photos and put them aside for later inclusion in a photo album, which takes up a lot less space. The reclaimed frames would be sold or donated.

Finally, there was the largest category: paper. My Dad, a retired Foreign Service officer and former state representative, had always had a thing about paper. He saved all of it.

We quickly realized that most of the papers in the storage space dated from Dad's time at the Hawaii State Legislature. He served ten years and was a prolific writer. There were many papers relating to bills he had helped pass, including letters to various departments and officials. There were also op-eds he wrote for the newspaper.

You might not think of paper as the most sentimental of categories, but the papers in the storage space packed the biggest emotional whallop for Mom and me. It was the way Dad had stored them. There were hundreds of large manila envelopes, each meticulously packed with letters, articles, and often additional envelopes full of more papers and business cards. We also found tax returns dating from as early as 1977, also carefully packaged in manila envelopes.

In his own way, Dad had probably felt that he was being organized and taking care of things for us, with his elaborately nested envelope system. And here we were discarding most of it, save for the best pieces of writing and a few photos.

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But after all, Dad didn't need these papers any more. Mom and I decided that he'd be okay with us letting them go. It doesn't change how much we love him, or how proud we are of his service as a state representative.

And that's how Mom and I ended up getting the storage space cleared out. It took us several sessions of about 3 hours each. Now Mom has more money in her pocket each month, and the storage space is no longer an unfinished task hanging over her head. And we said goodbye to Dad, again.

It's never just about the stuff.