Organizing with Hellen

I was on Steven and Chris yesterday talking about the number one reason clients call me for help: paper clutter. The show airs this Monday, January 25th on CBC, but I thought I would share some of my tips with you in advance.

We are all inundated with paper, now more than ever. And it’s no wonder – we get more mail in a week than our grandparents got in a year. But there is an easy solution. The key to conquering your paper clutter once and for all is to use a system that fits your natural way of doing things.

You are either a filer or a piler. Filers prefer to keep their papers upright, while pilers like to stack them. Pilers tend to have messier offices but claim they know exactly where everything is within the piles. On the other hand, filers tend to have neater looking offices but seem to accumulate more paperwork and access it less frequently than pilers. One type is no better than the other. Even though pilers may look messier, it doesn’t mean they are less organized or less productive than filers.

If you want your organizing systems to work over the long term, it’s important to use the right organizing products for your filer/piler preference. Here’s what I suggest:

Piler:

What’s most effective for you are products that keep your papers sorted in categories yet still laying flat. Here are some examples:

-Stacking letter trays; label them: ‘in’, ‘out’ and ‘file’;  or use for bills to be paid or school forms to be filled out

-Shallow baskets or bins; label them with each child’s name and put school projects/artwork; label one ‘articles’ and tear the articles you want to read from magazines, store memorabilia (greeting cards/letters)

-Literature sorter (pictured below); for personal/household paperwork, one category per slot, label each slot: ‘receipts’, ‘warranties’, ‘insurance’, ‘medical’, ‘taxes’, etc.

Filer:

What’s most effective for you are products that allow you to keep your papers upright yet easily accessible. Here’s what I suggest:

-Desk top file box (pictured below) with hanging files and folders inside; label them: ‘bills to pay’, ‘bills paid’, ‘articles to read’, ’school’ (one for each child), ‘activities’ (extra curricular: hockey schedule/contact phone numbers, birthday party invitations)

-Accordion file folder (same categories as above)

-Step sorter or incline sorter (pictured below); put a file folder in each slot and label: ‘in’, ‘out’, and ‘f’ile’; use for bills to pay, school forms

-Rolling cart (pictured below) for personal/household paperwork: insurance papers, will, tax forms, medical, etc.

-Filing crates/bankers boxes (same categories as above)

-Wall files (pictured below); label: ‘in’, ‘out’, ‘file’; for paperwork you need to access regularly, stick to one category per wall file

Keep in mind that the papers you use regularly should be stored in convenient places, like the kitchen or other designated ‘communication central’ place. Keeping your papers sorted and easily accessible will provide peace of mind. Remember to label by category and be very specific (miscellaneous is not a category).

Whether you are a piler or a filer, having a system that fits your natural style will go a long way in helping you keep your papers organized and within easy reach. If you’ve tried any of these, let me know how they are working for you.