We often think of clutter in the way of large items and “stuff.” But paper can be a real source of clutter, especially the mail.
This is a real thorn in my side because although I manage my mail, my husband doesn’t. So he has piles of paper, all stuff that has come in the mail, in various areas. Honestly, if it weren’t for online bill paying, I don’t know how he would do it because you can’t find anything.
But I will ignore his piles and just share with you what I have done. And yes, I have tried to help him organize but he always reverts back to his old ways.
You first need to consider the three ways to handle mail when it arrives. You will throw it away, file/put it away, or give it away.
The most important thing is that you never grab the mail unless you are ready to do one of those three things. If all you have time for is to quick scan it and then toss it in a pile, wait until you have a few moments to choose one of those three actions.
Determine that you will not set the mail down and walk away.
I don’t know about you but the majority of my mail is junk. So anything that I would consider to be this, I immediately toss it in the garbage.
The other action to take is put it away or file it away. For instance, when I get our weekly grocery ad, I put it away, which is inside my meal planner binder. When I get something I need to read or eventually act on, I file it.
You will need to have a filing system, which will depend on the type of mail you receive. If you are the bill payer, it is a good idea to have a filing system where everything is centrally located.
The last action that I might take with my mail is to give it away. For instance, when my son’s “Gamestop” magazine comes in the mail or my daughter’s schedule for childcare at church arrives, I immediately hand these items to them.
I have no mail piles. And my life is much simpler. It is also less cluttered.
Are you ready to manage your mail?
Related Articles:
Maintaining Control of School Papers
Breaking Big Tasks Down Into Smaller Ones
Photo Above: One of my husband’s paper piles