The Homemaker's Mentor

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Aunt Milly helps to tackle

04/07/10

Posted by: martha

Oh Aunt Milly! If there is one area that really needs some major overhaul in my life, it is the Paper Procrastinator Monster!! I wish I could just subdue it or slay it but so far nothing has really made a dent in that area of my life! Don't know if you are in the same boat but if you have any advice that you have found to be helpful, I would be very willing to hear it. I already handle the mail as it comes in but the whole file it process has a way of needing me when I need to be caring for the family in the many ways that are ongoing. And it is easier to pile it for later and do what I am really good at - Mom - and lie to myself and say that the paper part of my life is not about being Mom, but it is and I don't dwell on it enough!!! Feel free to ignore, just me feeling helpless. Tax season and all and I would rather be almost anywhere but where I am. .

AUNT MILLY:
Paper is probably the biggest consumer of time, physical energy and mental energy and with busy lives many of us struggle in this area. The Paper Procrastinator Monster is alive and well in the homes of nearly all of us. Unless you enjoy lifting piles for exercise and the “where is it” mind game then it is probably safe to say help is needed.Paper is a necessary part of life and should not keep us from doing the things we enjoy or are important to us. It does not take much time to deal with paper on a daily or weekly basis. With a little time and thought you can gain victory over the Paper Procrastinator Monster and get on with those more important items in your life. The best system for paper management is one you will actually use. These ideas/methods are meant to be a spring board, not a rule. Adapt these to fit your life. Try to handle paper only once. When you bring any paper into your house deal with it immediately, if this is not possible place it in a separate place (box or file) to deal with later and plan it-say, every Wednesday give yourself 30 minutes to deal with the “later” pile. And then DO IT! Left too long it will be a daunting and extremely unpleasant task.1. When you bring paper in immediately toss, file or pile. Start by asking yourself if you really need this paper and is it worth the mental and physical energy it will take to keep it. Ask also if you can find it somewhere else-is it available online or at the library? Is it information you can jot down in a notebook quickly and toss the paper?a. Toss extra programs, junk mail, shopping lists, etc. Keep a garbage can close to where you sort paper to make it easy to sort right into the garbage. It also helps to sort mail on the way back into the house and drop the junk in the outside can. If it never makes it into the house it can’t make it into the Procrastination Pile.b. File papers in the filing cabinet or appropriate place: bills to pay, receipts, programs in childrens’ mementos box, recipe from friend in the recipe box, reminder note for tomorrow. Again, it is much simpler if the files are close to your sorting area.c. Pile items you need to deal with later: the census, dry cleaning receipt to pick up cleaning later, insurance you need to file after you receive information from doctor’s office. If it is a busy day and you simply cannot deal with the mail today place it in a separate pile and deal with that pile FIRST-tomorrow-don’t let it sit too long or it seems to multiply.d. Keep a separate envelope or file for items you are done with but need shredded. Receipts, bills, credit card/bank statements, etc. 2. Next deal with the piles. It is a good idea to set aside a time each week to deal with those piles. Start over at the beginning with your pile: toss anything you don’t need or can find easily with an online search. It seems the longer something sits, the less I feel I need it and am more willing to toss it. File those things that need filed. And pile items you can deal with later-for example: take a stack of bills to the doctor’s office or music lessons to pay while you wait—but do it! Another pile is mentally draining. One idea is to keep a small bag which you can throw these items in as you go so when you leave to a place where you might have a little time to deal with the pile you just have to grab the bag and go. Keep this bag near your sorting area. Now is also a good time to shred anything that needs shredding or set a time once a month if that is more realistic for you. A note on bills: if you can sign up for automatic bill pay it will save you one handling of paper. Often the company will still send you a paper bill but you don’t have to send it back. It comes as a reminder to you to enter it in your banking records. Then toss! How freeing! 3. Filing is a matter of personal preference, it seems like we all have a system that works for us but if you feel you need an overhaul or new idea you might try these tips:a. File according to type. A large hanging file holds “Bills”b. File according to specificity. Inside the large hanging file marked “Bills” are folders (which may be color coded if you wish) for “electric”, “water”, etc.c. Keep a file for “deal with it later”. There are sometimes papers that do not fit into a file you already have and there is not time to create a new file or you can’t think of where it should go. Place these in the “later” file and then go through that once a month—schedule it.d. Another method of filing that is becoming popular is electronic filing. Scan documents to a folder on your computer then toss the paper. Just be sure to back up the files and keep them in a secure place or subscribe to an online back-up service.e. Don’t forget to toss from your files as well. There is a time limit on some items like bills and tax receipt and after that feel free to shred and toss! Toss old catalogs, articles that are outdated, old schedules, brochures and receipts, and anything you don’t really love.f. Most importantly—file well the first time! If your files are a mess, tax time, bill paying time or information retrieval time will take that much longer and be more stressful. It may seem time consuming to file into subcategories or into files at all but when you can quickly put your hands on the medical bill the insurance company wants-today-you will save much time and stress. 4. Setting a timer can be a great way to get things done with little guilt. Timer-tasking is like eating an elephant, you tackle big tasks one bite at a time. Set a timer for 15, 20 or 30 minutes and work until the timer goes off. This sometimes helps get things done without the feeling you don’t have time and with permission to not tackle the entire big task all at once. It is surprising how much can be accomplished in these short spurts of time.

If the willy-nilly stacks you already have qualify for their own zip code, take a deep breath and relax, they didn’t get there overnight and you won’t be able to tackle them overnight either. Take it one step at a time. Pick a pile and start there—this is a great time for timer-tasking. Slow and steady will bring victory over those crazy paper piles and willy-nilly stacks!