Bills, receipts, bank statements, school forms, medical records, insurance policies, business cards, flyers, magazines… the list goes on. This endless stream of paper can be overwhelming. I’ve helped countless clients conquer their paper clutter, including some who were so overwhelmed by paper that they avoided opening their mail, and identified three primary causes of paper clutter.
Let’s explore the three main causes of paper clutter.
Cause 1: Paper clutter is the result of your inability to make timely decisions
Many people are unable to make decisions on the spot when a paper enters their home because they’re not clear about what to keep and how long to keep it for. They fear they might need it in the future. They worry that if they file it, they might not be able to find it when they need it.
As a result, they leave it unattended on a flat surface on their desk, in the living room or in the kitchen, in the hope that an answer will eventually come to them. But soon enough this piece of paper is covered by another piece of paper, and another one, until it becomes a huge pile from which it’s very difficult to find anything.
Related: 37 questions to help you declutter your space, paper and schedule
Cause 2: Paper clutter is due to a lack of systems and procedures
Most people do have a filing system in place, but quite often it’s not up to date. They got married, had children, bought a house, signed up for new insurance policies etc. but they didn’t revisit their filing system, or they maintained multiple systems in parallel. Or they never purged their files and they are no longer able to fit another piece of paper in it. A paper that doesn’t have a dedicated “home” will end up in a pile or will be randomly filed.
But paper clutter is not only a case of a poor filing system. It’s also due to the lack of proper procedures and the absence of dedicated time in your schedule to deal with the paperwork. With the right systems in place, you’ll quickly realise it doesn’t require much time every week to stay on top of your paperwork, probably even less time than you currently waste trying to find a document when you need it.
Related: How to refresh your home filing system so you can instantly find any document you need
Cause 3: Paper clutter comes from being unrealistic about your reading capacity
Many people tend to subscribe to more newspapers and magazines than they can possibly read. Their schedule doesn’t allow them to find the time to read all of them. Yet they struggle to let go because they’ve paid for them and feel it’d be a waste of money.
Related: A books’ lover cum professional organiser books’ decluttering approach
I highly encourage you to think about where your paper clutter comes from because having clarity on the cause of the problem can help you get into motion. And if you’re not sure how to address the issue, reach out! Together we will find solutions to unburden you from your paper clutter!
This post was first published in Connected Women magazine.
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