Y’all have caught me at a bad time—I’m really feeling the need to do some spring cleaning (it’s very springy here now in North Carolina), but I’m smack dab up against a huge deadline. Actually, make that 2 deadlines.
So I have cleaning on the brain. :)
There are certain kinds of messes that drive me crazy. If the laundry or the dishes aren’t done, I’m not going to be able to focus on anything until I’ve started a load.
Paper? It can wait a little while. But when it becomes a smallish stack, it starts bothering me, too. Plus I won’t remember to take action on whatever is on the paper if I’ve got it covered up with something else.
The writers that I know all seem to have a paper entourage. Maybe paper realizes it has a safer haven with us.
So this, for what it’s worth, is my method for dealing with paper (and remembering the importance of whatever was on the slip to begin with):
Act on paper as soon as it comes into the house: RSVP, write the date on the calendar, pay the bill, write the check for the school yearbook, etc.
Write down all the information off the paper onto the calendar or another central location and then throw the piece of paper away.
Open the mail over the recycling bin.
My reminders go in at least one place—sometimes two. I’ve been known to lose my day planner. :)
My writing papers are gathered up at the end of each day and transcribed onto the computer.
I go as paper-free as possible. I unsubscribed myself from the junk mail people, I’ve opted for electronic bills and statements when possible, etc.
I keep only a few back issues of magazines. I can usually find the articles that interest me out of the magazines online when I need them.
Do you have a good clutter-management solution? Please share them with me! :)
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While I have housekeeping on the brain, here’s some quick blog housekeeping. I’m trying to keep updated—if you’re a Mystery Writing is Murder reader, your blog should be in my sidebar–are you there? Also, I’m open on Fridays for guest posts on the ‘writing process.’ I’m currently booking for April 30, May, and June. For more information, please check the post: http://tinyurl.com/ybm3s58
Elizabeth – I know exactly what you mean about keeping paper clutter to a minimum, and I like your tips! For what it’s worth, what I do is keep as many electronic records as I can on my hard drive and thumb drives. That way, they are automatically filed alphabettically and kept in folders where I can find them. When I get a paper letter that I must keep (like a contract), I scan and store it. I bank and pay bills online, too. Not that it’s a perfect solution (computers do crash), but it does save me lots of time and clutter.
Great advice. I don’t function when I have too much clutter on my desk. Another thing that helps me, for the things that can’t be turned into electronic records or reminders, is file folders. I have a rack on my desk for folders that I need to access frequently. It’s much less overwhelming than having to dig through piles of paper.
You make me want to crawl under a large rock! I’m the most unorganized person. My purse is spewing with sticky notes. Ha!
I blame it on the writer in me. Lol.
Paper can be my nemesis. It multiplies on its own I’m sure. I have a bowl for the bills I don’t get online, but there are always bits and pieces of paper everywhere. Once a week I try to attack :)
Oh my, Elizabeth, this post is for me. I am clean freak and yet paper is my problem. I try to touch it only once- making the decision, and yet I still get my piles.
We were talking about this at work, how computers were suppose to make us a paperless society- and yet we are not. I think it’s because it’s so easy to print multiple copies of everything.
I love love love spring cleaning, summer cleaning, fall cleaning…. Ok I will stop.
If only I could be half as organized with paper as you that would be a huge bonus. One of my biggest problems is collecting magazines. There are about 3 or 4 magazines that I have collected for years.
Open the mail over the recycling bin.”
This too is my clutter remedy. Otherwise, it gets added to the general paper clutter; and it is a mortal sin to throw away a piece of paper in my house without my specific approval.
You never know what I wrote something profound on. I blame the kids for every missed publishing opportunity – you know, cause they are sooo good at helping out around the house. (LOL)
No, actually ROLF. At the thought my boys do anything besides eating around the house.
Nevermind. Very cool post.
………dhole
My biggest thing is dealing with it as it comes. If I don’t, it’ll be a gigantic stack. Then months from now, I throw it all away without glancing at it.
Four words: industrial strength paper shredder.
Oh, who am I kidding? I am the worst when it comes to clutter: paper, plastic, metal, uranium. I don’t throw anything away!
I am not sure I am very efficient when it comes to paper management (just take a peep in our kitchen and you´ll know I am not exactly exaggerating). I am much better at handling any information I get via my computer.
I tried the paperless billing, but found I was printing out the bills because there’s always the chance that you won’t be able to get onto the Internet or the right site when you need to find the bill. Since we’ve just moved out of one house, we had WAY too much paper to get rid of before we left, though, and I will definitely be cutting back on what I save, and for how long.
I agree, the recycling bins belong next to the mailbox so you can get rid of stuff before it gets in the house.
I’m uber-organized, so no papers accumulate in a stack – I file or toss immediately!
I use the exact same system you use for paper management, Elizabeth. I act on it immediately or I make notations in calendar/day planner and get rid of the original paper. My hubby, on the other hand, piles up his dresser over a period of months, then needs to spend days going thru it all. He’s only allowed the one spot to gather papers. If it were scattered around the house, it would make me nuts and I’d never be able to write.
Karen
I don’t really have a paper solution except that I shred everything…then wonder what I did with it. My husband’s stack of paper is crazy though and some days I want to just trash it all.
ann
‘Tis the season for spring cleaning! As for those blasted pieces of paper, I’m convinced they breed. I try to keep it to a minimum by having a central location and go through it at least once a week. I’m also a fanatic about recycling – it’s amazing how little actual garbage this house generates between recycling and composting.
But oh, the paper!!!
I must confess: I am a major hoarder of pretty magazines!
Organization is not my forte, however I am a viscous clean freak. I clean all the toilets at least daily. I vacuum daily.
My desk is a nightmare to look at, but I know (basically) where everything is. At least in which general pile it lives.
So, I am of no help to you. I am clutter challenged.
I bank online. That is so easy and fast! There’s more I could do. I just have to allot the time to do it. One thing I do that helps considerably is I pick up the mail and immediately sort it: husband, me, son, trash and shred. That saves a lot of time.
Helen
Straight From Hel
Margot–Scanning…that would help. That’s a really good idea, Margot…and I have a good scanner. Didn’t occur to me!
Donna–Ha! My kids are the same way! But their rooms are just as neat as anything…it’s just the REST of the house that they leave their things around in!
Ingrid–I DO have a file system…do I get around to filing? Well… :)
Diane–You are too good!
Tamika–Sticky notes! Yes, I have a ton of those, too.
Jemi–I may have to up the frequency of my searching and destroying!
Teresa–Interesting idea! Do you think there’s a part of us that still NEEDS paper? Even if we get the same info on the computer?
Mason–I’m thinking about giving my back issues to the library now. Seems like they’re hurting over there.
Ann–My husband doesn’t even realize he has a paper stack because I get rid of HIS stack right away!
Lola–Ha! I know what you mean. My solution to magazines is to put any copy but the current month into the guest room. Then they get weeded out after a couple of months.
Kristen–Dealing with it right away is key, isn’t it?
Alan–I have to pretend I’m someone else when I go on big cleaning sessions. Otherwise, I’ll convince myself I really WILL need that dress from ten years ago…
I think I need a bigger shredder. Mine is kind of pitiful.
Helen–I’m an online banking fan, too! Now if more of my billers would go with online billing, that would really help out. Then I wouldn’t need the bill, either!
Dorte–I know what you mean. If it comes in on my computer, I can find it and file it. It’s those darned bits of paper that get me…
We spring cleaned this weekend and it feels sooo good to come home to a sparkly house. As far as the paper thing. I am so unorganized, I have no suggestions for ya. sorry. good luck!
No. I don’t have a good system for paper management. Your advice to take care of it right away is good. When I do that, I’m more successful and less stressed. Paying bills online has improved me life as well.
I also open my mail over the recycling bin! Most of my work is done on the computer and I’ve even opted for electronic bills, so paper is something I can keep at bay for the time being. I love my filing cabinet because it keeps everything so well organized.
I use systems from two sources – Organizing from the Inside Out by Julia Morgenstein and David Allen’s Getting Things Done. That is when I do it! I am a systems junkie which is weird because I’m so intuitive and compulsive really BUT both these systems address the psychology of clutter and both deal with computer technology with some wisdom too.
I would love to do one of your Friday’s if you’d have me. As you know, my claims to fame are not in published books – yet! But I have had several plays hit the boards at professional theatres. I am working with two writing groups this week on the topic of “Going to the places that scare you” so that might be a good idea for a blog post or something developed further from my Friday Challenges on how to keep creativity cooking.
“My reminders go in at least one place—sometimes two. I’ve been known to lose my day planner. :)”
It does my heart good to know I’m not the only one to keep two reminder lists.
I’m doing some spring cleaning too this week! It’s very springy in South Carolina as well. Kudos to you for getting out the old and bringing in the new!
This would be the most frequent fight at our house. I work full time and CAN’T face the paper every day… the stacks make my husband NUTS. Plus there is a writing stack in the bathroom, a typing stack in the basement, I am QUEEN stacker. and if my husband tries to go through things it makes me NUTS because he doesn’t care about anything: I ALL goes in recycling (even if an action is needed… so I will need to alter your list, but it is good advice to work out SOME sort of plan!
Why am I not surprised you’d have this wired and organized? I, too, like to get to chores as soon as I can. They gotta be done eventually, why let ’em hang around? When I get back from the mail box with junk mail, I don’t put it down without picking up the phone to get off the mailing list. Most companies are very nice about it.
Best, Galen.
I need to employ some of those techniques!
LOL, can’t help ya much with this one – I’m a “big pile in the corner of the desk” kind of paper manager. Well, three piles. One for checks and IRS notices and letters from peeps I care about – anything super important, another for bills (I already have a spreadsheet that remeinds me what gets paid when so just need them for the statements) and another that just takes up space and gets sifted through monthly on “clean off the desk” organize my office day.
Works for me.
The Old Silly
Sugar–I’m jealous! I might be able to get to it, but not until the second week in April. I can’t wait to do my cleaning!
Mary–Clutter stresses me out, too. Or, at least, it stresses me out when I can’t find things.
Terry–Well, that’s true. I’ve eliminated some of that problem with automatic draft for some regular bills. But I hate to draft for things like utilities…the water company here has messed-up meters right now and is overbilling like crazy.
Karen–Limiting him to ONE spot is a good idea! Otherwise you’d be sifting through his stuff to find yours all the time!
Jan–That sounds like a wonderful post! If you could write it up to me and send it anytime…then I can let you know when it’s scheduled to run?
I’ll check those books out…they sound really helpful.
Becky–Isn’t the weather GREAT? Except the weekend is looking like it might be messy.
Elspeth–I think they breed, too. Sometimes I wonder where they COME from. I think the kids come home with wads from the school. If the school needs to economize and cut back on paper, it would be fine. Emailing the info would be SOOOO much better for me.
Hart–Oh, everyone knows not to mess with Mama’s stacks of paper! If they do, they will suffer–all their activities will be forgotten because I won’t know where the paper is! This is why my transferring the info to calendars is important.
Julie–I think I need to sit down and do some filing!
Alex–I use the techniques and I’ve *still* got a bunch of paper!
Marvin–Well, with 3 piles, you’ve at least got it prioritized! And you still know where everything is.
Carol–I’m glad *I’m* not the only one! :)
Galen–Now THAT is organized! Calling them immediately to get off their particular list….brilliant!
I’ve been doing all those things and it’s helped alot. I’m now 95% paper free (At home that is. You’ll shudder to see my desk at work).
I can’t bring myself to transcribe writing notes everyday, though. There’s too much! So I keep a few spiral bound notebooks and troll through them as needed. When a manuscript is finished, I transcribe anything that I want to keep (ideas for other books etc) and recycle the notebooks.