How to Organize Your Papers
From Paper Clutter to Clarity
…how to get rid of those growing piles of papers once and for all!
The dreaded piles of papers
Ever found yourself drowning in papers? Frustratingly moving the piles around the house to different surfaces or stuffing them inside of drawers? If so, what you need is a declutter + to set-up a paper system.
Prepare for the Declutter
Set yourself up for success for the paper declutter:
Location: Choose a location where you can spread out the papers and create multiple piles of paper. Bonus points if it’s a space that you can leave the papers out undisturbed, if you want to do this across multiple days. Personally, I use the floor!
Trash can or garbage bag: Have a trash/recycling can or garbage bag within arm’s reach to instantly dispose of all the papers you want to disard.
Sticky notes and pen: This will help keep your papers sorted and will be used to temporarily label the piles of papers, so you remember the categories.
2. The Edit
You don’t want to organize papers you don’t need, so the first step is to declutter and decide which ones are important to keep. Here are some starting questions to ask yourself during the paper edit:
Is it easy to find this information or get a copy of it?
When is the last time I looked at it or needed it?
Is it the most updated version of information?
Do I already have a digital copy of it saved to my computer?
Is its value worth giving it my space, my time, and my management?
Does it spark joy?
3. The Editing Process
Gather your paper piles: To start, gather a portion of your papers to begin work on. Work in sections, so you are not too overwhelmed. For example, start with one pile of papers or bring out one drawer of papers.
Start with a “Shred” sticky note: place all papers with sensitive information in this “Shred” pile. If you don’t own your own personal shredder, check out my donation & recycling guide for tips on where to take your papers for bulk shredding.
Joy-check and sort your papers by category: create general “themes” or categories for the papers you want to keep. Use the sticky notes and pen to label them, so you don’t forget.
Examples of categories could include:
Finances
Health
Pet
Manuals
Career
Label and Store: once you’ve gone through all of your papers, you can permanently label folders and store them.
4. Storage Products for Organizing your Papers
I highly recommend storing your papers vertically and to choose colors and aesthetics that spark joy for you!
5. Maintaining Your Organization System
By doing this process, you’ll have created “homes” for each paper you own with a category label - which is your new, efficient system for filing and managing new papers.
So, next time you enter the home with a new piece of paper:
A) Decide whether you need to keep it, and immediately discard the paper if you don’t need it.
B) If you want to keep it, file it under one of your current file folders based on what category it falls under.
C) If it’s a brand new category, make its own file folder and label.
D) Audit folders at least once a year. (Tax time is a great annual event to do it at!)
Enjoy the feeling of being in control of your paperwork and the joy of no more paper piles! 🙌🏽