Tackling Your Paperwork in Six Steps

Do you have an ever increasing paper pile that is getting out of control? Are you avoiding tackling your papers because it feels too overwhelming?

We recently discovered a large file of old papers and I must confess it has been sitting in my "to file" draw for some months because I just couldn't face dealing with it. I knew that the papers needed to be sorted but as there were no urgent papers for our attention, I was delaying tackling the job! I much prefer dealing with small amounts often rather than having to tackle a huge filing job! Maybe you have a similar paper challenge?

This is my six step system for handling papers:

1. Collect all papers together in a single spot ready to be sorted.

Create an in box or basket where you can regularly drop incoming paperwork. If possible, try to decide immediately what needs to be done with each piece of paper as it comes in instead of allowing a pile to accumulate. Deal with your most recent incoming papers first if you have a large backlog. As I have a school aged child, I have a separate basket for all incoming school papers as there are a lot of them! You might also choose to go digital where possible to reduce incoming paper.

2. Create an "Action" file of everything that needs immediate attention.  

Create a folder of items that need action taken (or if you are a visual person it might be useful to pin reminders to a noticeboard). I keep a small concertina file of "current" paperwork. Remember to act on these papers and then file or shred them once they are dealt with. I also like to make a note in my planner of things to do and remember.

3. Sort papers into categories.

This is really the worst and most time consuming part if you have a lot of papers. Basically you need to decide what must happen with each piece of paper.In my mind there are basically three categories of paperwork: "Action", "File" and "Shred".

If you have a daunting paper pile like I did,  it might be helpful to tackle the sorting job in one extended session (taking regular tea breaks of course!). I like to play music I enjoy while I am sorting, and set a timer for breaks. Although it is a painful and boring job, I am so glad and relieved to have got it done! If it is not feasible to get the job done in one day, it might be helpful to set a timer for a set amount of time each day and just do what you can manage.While you are sorting, try to keep like documents together in the "file" pile to make the next step a bit easier.

4. File everything that you need to keep. 

If you don't already have one, you will need to create an effective filing system. I try to keep file categories as broad as possible so that it is easy to file and I don't have to look through a multitude of folders to find an appropriate piece of paper. This step might take some thought as you may need to have different methods for different types of paper.

For example, important documents to keep indefinitely might need to go into a fire proof box. You may keep a sentimental items box to keep a few pieces of children's art work per year. Manuals and guarantees might have their own box or other filing method. Other documents could go into labelled folders. It is worthwhile to give some thought to what will work best for the types of papers that you need to deal with. Basically you want to be able to find papers that you have filed relatively easily!

5. Shred what can be recycled.

I have created a "to shred" box so that I can spend a small amount of time on shredding each day while watching TV or listening to music. This is far less overwhelming that tackling the huge pile all at once!

6. Review your system. 

You may find that your system is not working well for some reason. It might be useful to reflect on what works best for your personality and habits and to tweak your method from time to time to make it more effective. It might also be useful to go through your filing system periodically to purge old papers that are no longer necessary.

I encourage you to make a start on that paperwork you might have been avoiding! You will feel so happy and relieved to get the load off your mind. Once you have dealt with all that paper make a resolution to keep on top of it in future so you never need to face that mountain again. You can read a previous post on dealing with paperwork by clicking here.

Getting on Top of the Paper Pile

Getting on top of the paper pile is a job that I think most of us avoid because it can be boring and time consuming. I think the key to getting the job done is to try and make it more fun. I have quite a paper pile of filing to get through, so my plan is to put on some music, set a timer and take a few coffee breaks until the pile is reduced. I think I might also try and use more colourful and pretty stationery in future, to make this mundane more appealing. From now on I would also like to try a "little and often" approach instead of letting the pile accumulate to a point where it is painful to deal with it!

Photo by Andrew Pons

The following tips and suggestions are ways in which I find it helpful to conquer the paper mountain when it threatens to become overwhelming!

Step One:
Starting to deal with paperwork requires gathering all the bits of papers around the house as step one. At least having a central paperwork place will help things from getting mislaid or even lost. There are some lovely "Command Centres" on Pinterest that can act as inspiration for an area in which to deal with paperwork on an ongoing basis.

Step Two:
The next step is to categorise the papers. Some can be immediately thrown away as either junk mail or no longer relevant. Remember to shred personal information! Some useful categories that I use include:

1. Important Documents and Records to Keep Indefinitely
2. Action Items: Incoming Bills to Pay/Paperwork that Requires a Response
3. Children's Artwork and Keepsakes
4. Receipts 
5. Papers to File
6. Manuals and Guarantees

Step Three:
Step three is to consider the systems to keep in place to deal with the different types of papers and to use them! I have different systems for the different types of paperwork. Using the categories above as examples:

1. Important Documents and Records to Keep Indefinitely: These need to go in a safe place, which is at least locked, preferably even in a fireproof box. It might also be helpful to have scans of these in case they are damaged or lost. 
2. Action Items: These need to be kept to hand, and ideally the actions that need to be taken diarised or done immediately. They can have their own file that needs to be kept on hand and checked regularly. When the bill is paid or item is actioned it can be moved into the filing system or shredded and recycled. I need to set up an accordion type file for these.
3. Children's Artwork and Keepsakes: I have set up a big plastic box with a number of plastic envelope-type folders inside it to put in special artwork, greeting cards and certificates each year. Anything that we want to keep goes inside this box. Other artwork can be temporarily displayed and then recycled when new ones are created. I keep large artwork and 3D projects elsewhere, and my intention is to take photographs of these as a memory and then recycle the original project.
4. Receipts: I have a glass bowl where all the current month's receipts go until they are recorded. At the end of the month they all go into a labelled ziploc bag to be kept until the end of the tax year when they can be shredded and recycled.
5. Papers to File: This is my most problematic category as I tend to have a build up of papers to file that need to go into our manila folder filing system. At the moment there is just a pile of these papers that sit in the drawer until I can get to them. This is the paper mountain I need to tackle! These also need to be categorised and filed away on a more regular basis. We have gone onto electronic billing as much as possible, but there are still a few paper based ones that need to be dealt with.
6. Manuals and Guarantees: I staple the receipt onto the manual as a proof of purchase and then they all go into a plastic box where I know I can find them for future reference.

I hope that these tips and suggestions inspire you to get started on your own paper pile! Please comment with more ideas for tackling paperwork.