30-Day Organize-athon | Day 14: Organize Your Paperwork

30-Day Organize-athon 14

Welcome to the 30-Day Organize-athon!

In today’s 5 minutes we’re going to express-organize your paperwork.

Ready, set, organize!

Day 14: Organize Your Paperwork

Step 1: Gather all the paperwork from around your home – whether strewn throughout the house, covering every surface of your home office, or assembled in a towering pile. (If this alone takes more than 5 minutes it doesn’t count!)

Step 2: Quickly flick through the papers and create 3 piles:

  1. Action Pile: Papers that need your attention – look for bills, school notices, invitations, etc.
  2. File Pile: Papers that need to be filed – look for warranties, tax info, insurance notices, important receipts, etc.
  3. Discard Pile: Papers that you don’t need – look for junk mail, notices for past events, random scraps of paper, etc.

Keep it moving and don’t overthink. If you’re really in doubt about something, put it on your Action Pile to consider when you have more time.

Step 3: Schedule a time during the week to action the Action Pile and file the File Pile.

Step 4: Discard the Discard pile. Be sure to shred sensitive information.

And you’re done!

NOTE: We’ll tackle the rest of your desk, den, study, or home office area tomorrow.

Got an Extra 5 Minutes?

  1. Start dealing with your Action Pile now. It’ll be easier to continue later if you start now; and/or
  2. File your File Pile; and/or
  3. Shred your sensitive Discard Pile.

Now don’t you feel liberated?

The 30-Day Organize-athon Mantra

Move fast. Don’t overthink. Let it go!

Start the 5-minute timer now.

Leave Your Comment Below…

Please leave your comment below to say you’ve done today’s task.

See you tomorrow!

[Image by aussiegall]

175 thoughts on “30-Day Organize-athon | Day 14: Organize Your Paperwork

  1. Diane says:

    Finished without too much trouble in this area–still took advantage of the guidelines, though, and made some improvements! Thanks!

  2. Molly says:

    I found these amazing binders that I use for everything now!!! They really helped me organize my office and my son uses the binders for school. I think they also have wallets for photo storage. But I like these because I can add an insert and label the spine and I was told they are safe for long term archival storage. I’m thinking about buying the planner soon.

    Here is a link if you want to check it out;
    http://www.univenture.com/binders_albums/index.html

  3. Landa says:

    April has rushed in… every day seems like non-stop action. I haven’t had a moment to begin any of the missions. Guiltily, I kvetched to my husband how I felt so far behind on all of these. **EUREKA** He suggested I sort through some of the missions and parcel them out as chores. My 3 pre-teens, who are off from school this week, can handily help with many of the missions. And it fits my “commission” based chore schedule, which replaces “allowance”… Now, each can earn their spending money helping me get organized!!

    I’m glad I was introduced to your site! It’s helped me a lot!!

  4. bee says:

    I don’t see my “begun but never ‘done’ ” post on this list Could be because I was in a great deal of back pain and not thinking clearly… perhaps I failed to hit the “submit” button with adequate aim/force/patience before signing off the computer?

    ciao

  5. Lavinas says:

    I have a 4 drawer filing cabinet and an in tray to deal with urgent matters so the paperwork is generally always organised as I spend time on it each day.

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