How to Eliminate Piles of Paperwork, Part I

A sheet of paper is so thin. It’s light and it barely takes up any space. It’s easy to place down, walk away, and think, “I’ll get to it later. Now isn’t the best time.” Yet, soon enough, another sheet lands on top of the first. And then another. This is how my mother, both before dementia, and increasingly so as the dementia set in handled paperwork. However, ‘later’ seems to be pushed further and further into the distance as the immediacy of the paper’s details get replaced by more urgent matters. I’d like to offer a few strategies on how to eliminate the piles of paperwork so that deadlines are no longer missed and clutter is no longer piling on your countertop.

Information + Decisions + Time

At its core, a sheet of paper (or email) contains three main aspects: it contains information, it contains a decision, and it takes a dedicated amount of time. You inherently know this fact which is why your immediate, automatic reaction is to address it at a later time. These three categories: information, decision making, and time all require your pre-frontal cortex and executive functioning skills. When your brain feels fried, when you’re physically or emotionally exhausted, or when your executive functioning is impaired, your brain is going to default to what’s most immediately pleasurable. In an instant, it’s going to say to you, “Let’s do this later.”

For most of us, this results in negative self-judgment and shame when we realize that we forgot to circle back to the data or invoice. However, I want to invite you to give yourself a bit of grace. It’s natural. It’s common. You’ve simply done exactly what made sense. You’ve followed your brain’s commands to do what’s easiest and most pleasurable in the moment to keep you from doing something boring or hard. Nothing has gone wrong, and you can choose to interrupt this well worn cycle.

Step 1: Decide Your Process

With all aspects of home organization, I advocate starting at the end. Define your goal(s) for a paperwork process, and define what makes sense for your brain and lifestyle. If you’re someone who prefers small bursts of decision making and to spend less time on a dreaded task, own that. Know that processing paperwork twice or three times a week for 10-15 minutes make help you feel more successful than an hour sprint on the weekend. Don’t skip this step, or you’ll find yourself struggling to implement your desired change.

If your goal is to be more detail oriented and thorough, setting aside one session per week may be ideal. If you find the word, “consistency” challenging, get curious with yourself about the absolute minimum amount of effort that feels consistent. Start with a small, achievable goal such as paying all bills or invoices within one week of arriving in the house. There’s no ONE RIGHT WAY that will magically make your process smooth. Looking within to see what makes sense for your current lifestyle is the most valuable thing you can do for yourself.

Here’s a few decisions to think through in advance of making a change:

• What’s currently working in my paperwork process?

  This is an excellent starting place because it directs your attention to the positive possibilities ahead. Even if it’s “I tear up junk mail first thing,” that’s a win.

• Where does paperwork come into my house?
  It may come via mail, from school, from newspaper or magazine clippings, or from computer printouts. You can’t put a limit on the flow unless you know where it comes from.

• Where does it make sense for it to land, once it does?
  This is a common mistake area for folks. The more places paperwork lands (rather than having one central home) the more likely items will get overlooked or misplaced.

• When / how frequently will I make decisions about my paperwork?
  See above. Consider making decisions at a time of day where your brain is functioning clearly rather than slotting paperwork sorting for a time where your energy is lower.

• What will I do with the papers I’ve made decisions about?
  Once you’ve decided and taken necessary information from a piece of paper, you can recycle it, shred it, file it, scan it, or trash it.

• How long will I store these papers?
  You can typically store everyday, non-essential paperwork for anywhere between a few months and a year. Check with a tax or legal professional when storing essential documents and paperwork.

Going through this exercise alone will be revolutionary. Professional organizers use this method of examining your system to both determine what’s working and where the gaps may be in your paperwork system. Next, you’ll learn to save time by implementing a decision making filter.

Join me back here next week for Part II of this series.

I’m hosting monthly workshops! Feel free to register and embrace an organized life today.