Tackling Paper Clutter

This morning I am catching up on some of my own paper clutter using these techniques, originally posted in September 2012. 

Speaking at Multiple Births Canada National Conference, Oct. 2011

Since founding Simply Organized Life in 2005, the question I am most asked is "What to do with all those pesky paper piles?"

After a busy summer filled with lots of activities outside the home, I found myself with some sizable paper piles in my office. I made the piles go away and am only left with my current project folders on my desk. Here's what I did: 

1) Set Aside the Time

Being a professional organizer, I know how to handle paperwork and (gasp) actually enjoy it. However, several rounds of house guests and our busy summer schedule kept me away from my home office where the paper piled up. At the first opportunity, I scheduled time in my calendar to deal with the paper on my desk. 

2) Just Do It

Paper piles can be pretty intimidating. It is much easier (and more fun) to check your e-mail, surf Facebook or do just about anything other than sorting through the papers. What I find works for me is to set a timer for a short amount of time (say 15 minutes) and just starting dealing with the paper pile top down. If a bill appears, I pay it. If project papers appear, I schedule time in my calendar or create a project file. Most people can handle those types of action papers, but what about those pesky papers that you *might* need to refer to in the future? 

3) Put it Away 

Everyone needs a system for those little bits of paper that we want to refer to in the future. The thing is that if we cannot retrieve those papers when we need them, what is the point of keeping them? 

I utilize a combination of paper files, like the family binder I referred to in my "Get Organized for Back to School" post, and am slowly shifting to a paperless system for other things. For my children's artwork I either take a photograph or scan the items. These things are stored by month and year with our digital photos. For other things, like interesting magazine articles or websites, I scan and save to Evernote, which I can then search at a later date.  

Source:  www.evernote.com

Carolyn Anderson-Fermann is a public speaker, organizing expert and founder of Simply Organized Life. Carolyn will be presenting "Spring Clean Your Clutter" at Ann Arbor Rec & Ed. on May 10, 2013. Register now with Ann Arbor Rec & Ed. Please note that Carolyn was not compensated by any vendors for this blog post. 

Pesky Paper Clutter

Speaking at Multiple Births Canada National Conference, Oct. 2011

Since founding Simply Organized Life in 2005, the question I am most asked is "What to do with all those pesky paper piles?"

After a busy summer filled with lots of activities outside the home, I found myself with some sizable paper piles in my office. I made the piles go away and am only left with my current project folders on my desk. Here's what I did: 

1) Set Aside the Time

Being a professional organizer, I know how to handle paperwork and (gasp) actually enjoy it. However, several rounds of house guests and our busy summer schedule kept me away from my home office where the paper piled up. At the first opportunity, I scheduled time in my calendar to deal with the paper on my desk. 

2) Just Do It

Paper piles can be pretty intimidating. It is much easier (and more fun) to check your e-mail, surf Facebook or do just about anything other than sorting through the papers. What I find works for me is to set a timer for a short amount of time (say 15 minutes) and just starting dealing with the paper pile top down. If a bill appears, I pay it. If project papers appear, I schedule time in my calendar or create a project file. Most people can handle those types of action papers, but what about those pesky papers that you *might* need to refer to in the future? 

3) Put it Away 

Everyone needs a system for those little bits of paper that we want to refer to in the future. The thing is that if we cannot retrieve those papers when we need them, what is the point of keeping them? 

I utilize a combination of paper files, like the family binder I referred to in my "Get Organized for Back to School" post, and am slowly shifting to a paperless system for other things. For my children's artwork I either take a photograph or scan the items. These things are stored by month and year with our digital photos. For other things, like interesting magazine articles or websites, I scan and save to Evernote, which I can then search at a later date.  

Source:  www.evernote.com

Carolyn Anderson-Fermann is a public speaker, organizing expert and founder of Simply Organized Life. Carolyn will be presenting "5 Habits for an Organized Office" at Ann Arbor Rec & Ed. on October 12, 2012. Register now with Ann Arbor Rec & Ed. Please note that Carolyn was not compensated by any vendors for this blog post. 

October Seminars

October will be a busy month for me with three seminars, including my first "international" seminar in Windsor, Ontario, Canada! Carolyn will be traveling to Canada on Saturday, October 15th to present "The Best Organizing Tips for Busy Families" at the 33rd Annual Multiple Births Canada National Conference. Parents of multiples certainly need all the help they can get. On Monday, October 17, 2011 Carolyn will be presenting "Organizing Tips for Small Business Owners" at the Women Making Connections Fall Empowering Conference in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Come out, network with wonderful women business owners and learn practical tips for making the most of your time. Register now to join Carolyn on Friday, October 28, 2011 for "Five Habits of an Organized Office" with Ann Arbor Rec & Ed. If you have an office at work, at home or on the road this seminar is for you. Learn five simple habits to keep your office organized for optimal efficiency. Do you need an organized speaker for your event? Carolyn has availability from November 2011. Give me a call at 734-646-4177 to learn more.

Home Office Organizing Tips

Even if you do not own a business, nearly everyone needs a home office (or kitchen corner).

Last week, I wrote a guest blog for Entrepreneurial America titled "Home Office Organizing Tips for Solopreneurs". If you own a business, these tips will help you be a success in your chosen field. Non-business owners can glean a few tips for the home office as well.

Entrepreneurial America is a blog for those in business and contemplating their own business. It is edited by my good friend and former business school classmate, Amber Clark.

Discounted Office Products

Approximately 90% of my clients do not need to purchase any organizing products when working with me, but for the remaining 10% I try to recommend products that will truly meet their needs. I should note that I am not affiliated with any products, so there is no conflict of interest.

A fellow organizer in New Jersey brought to my attention this week that Ultimate Office is going out of business. This is a shame, as their products seemed to be of high quality and were truly unique. Hopefully another company will fill the void as many of these products cannot be found at Staples or Office Depot.