Recently, I was having a conversation with a client who is in the struggle with paper management. She often traveled for work and when it was time to get the mail, she would simply lay it down somewhere and not address it (no pun intended). When it was time (usually months later) to deal with pockets and piles of unopened mail it was a huge daunting task and she’d get through a little and then quit.
I asked her, if she were to bring in the mail about how many pieces would she bring in? Of those pieces, how much would be junk mail? How much would be things she could act on immediately and then throw away? If we were to actually act on the mail each day, it would essentially be a 30-90 SECOND process. But we usually are worried it will take longer, have other pressing needs or wants to attend to (“I’m hungry”, “I’m tired”, “the dog needs to go be walked…”) that we place the mail down and not give attention to it until it becomes a “later-self” problem. Then your later-self has to deal with 2 hours of unopened mail, late payment fees, emailed rushed apologies for late RSVPs, and 45 minutes worth of shredding. ECK! Your later self is so mad, and she should be.
Being kind to your later self means, giving yourself the tools and time to take care of things that really don’t take long so that your later self won’t ever seek revenge by build a time-machine and coming back to give you a slap in the face!
Create a sorting station for mail right near where you get it. Your tools will be:
1. A small table with about 2 feet of space underneath
2. A shredder No room for a shredder? Here are a couple alternatives!
3. A trash bin
4. A place to file
Here are some suggestions for filing later items
Junk mail
Recycle of if you are concerned about identity theft, tear off the portion of worry like the address or the credit card application shred that and recycle the rest. Use a ID stamp on the address only.
Stop it from coming in by going to HERE (directmail.com)
Cards
Assign a place for cards to be displayed (fireplace mantel, refrigerator, magnet board, etc.) and display the card until another comes in. If the card doesn’t have a special message, it’s okay to throw it away. If it does have a special message or some extreme sentimental value, scan it/take a picture of it for a later keepsake book/scrapbook it.
Bills
Have a time to pay bills each week or month? Put the bills in a file in your mail center until then.
Correspondence, Reply Cards, RSVPs
RSVP – look at your calendar see if you are available whether you are or aren’t reply immediately, reserve the date on your calendar and either throw the invitation away or take a photo of it. Invitations now-a-days get really fancy, you can sometimes treat it like a card (see Cards above)
Correspondence & reply cards – put in your action file or post on the fridge or near where you need to take action on it.
Things to Read
Whether they are magazines, letters, informational sheets – have a time of day or routine to read all those things. Bathroom breaks, right before bed, on public transportation, while waiting at the Doctor’s office are great times to read. Whatever you decide make a spot or put the reading material near where you would be during those times.
After reading either scan to put in an archive (this is great for Evernote) or THROW IT AWAY! Information is available at our fingertips. Either what you read will soon be outdated or you can find the same thing again on the Internet. If you keep it it’s VERY unlikely you’ll look at it again.
So be kind to your later self. Set up a mail center; take care of the mail very soon after you get it, once a day for 30-90 seconds. Your later self will thank you.
If there are any mail items or paper that constantly floods your home that I didn’t address. Feel free to email me at mailto:andrea@dexterousorganizing.com or tweet me @b_dexterous !
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