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Got piles of mail by the kitchen island? A closet full of tax documents, product manuals and old love letters? Not sure where your Social Security card is? It’s probably time to organize your paperwork and documents.
If that fills you with dread, don’t worry — Kacey Paide has advice. She’s been working as a professional organizer for over two decades, and specializes in helping clients deal with paper clutter.
The key to making the process less overwhelming? Don’t feel like you have to rush or organize in a certain way. “You’re in control of your paper, and it’s up to you how fast you want to get through it,” she says.
Start with the nearest pile of paperwork
When getting started on paper clutter, don’t worry just yet about what’s stashed away in the garage or your office closet. Focus on sorting what’s piled up around your desk or dining table. “The documents and action items that are on fire tend to be closest to us,” Paide says.
Separate all those documents into two piles: active and inactive. Active requires follow up, like making a call or paying a bill. Inactive does not. That includes receipts, birth certificates and sentimental stuff, like a Valentine’s Day card from your mom. Go ahead and file your inactive documents away or put them to the side for when you have a little more time to give them a deeper look.
Make the due date clear on your active paperwork. Paide likes to write it boldly with a permanent marker on a sticky note, then attach it to the document. This tactic can quickly help you identify what needs to be done and when. Be as specific with the deadline as possible — as in, “due by Nov. 15” or “start no later than 12/1” — otherwise “urgent” or “due now” will start to lose its meaning, Paide suggests.
Create a filing system that makes sense for you
There are many kinds of documents that require saving. Birth certificates and passports; product manuals for the oven and fridge; tax documents; medical records.
Storing these items away can be as simple or as complex as you want it to be. Alphabetize, color-code, label-make — or don’t. The best filing system is the one you’ll actually use. That said, Paide has some preferences.
Put your most important documents, like your passports and marriage certificate, in a brightly colored folder. That way they’re easy to spot. As for where to put it, Paide prefers them to be a “bookend to your filing system.” Put the folder at the front or the back of a file box, for instance, so you don’t have to rifle through piles of paper to get to it.
You don’t need fancy materials to get organized. Paide prefers to use simple file folders to organize her papers, and likes labeling those folders with sticky notes written with permanent markers. That way, she can reuse the file folders again in case she changes her mind about how she wants to sort things. She also likes buying cool file boxes for her paperwork and storing them in bookshelves. “Then you have this visual filing system that’s also beautiful and approachable,” Paide says.
Destroy or let go of what you don’t need
Not all paperwork needs space in your desk drawers. If you’re not sure whether or not to hold onto something, ask yourself: Under what circumstances would I need to produce this document? Paide shares more advice on how to let go.
You don’t need to shred everything. Some people feel “like they have to shred everything with their name and address on it in order to sleep well at night,” Paide says. But you really don’t have to. According to the Federal Trade Commission, destroy anything containing sensitive information to protect yourself from identity theft. That includes account numbers, birth dates, passwords and pins, signatures or Social Security numbers. But of course, shred to your comfort.
Have a family member or friend help you sort sentimental or tough paperwork. That includes old letters, divorce papers or greeting cards. As you go through those documents, “voice those thoughts” about them, Paide says. In her experience, people come to conclusions about whether to keep or toss that paper “shockingly fast.”
You don’t have to declutter or get rid of your paper all at once. Start small if you have to, dedicate 25 minutes at a time, Paide says. And remember, organizing is an ongoing process that will require maintenance and change.
More Life Kit on home organization
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6 design tricks to transform your home, according to a feng shui expert. Fall in love with your home again with these feng shui-inspired decorating tips from architect Cliff Tan. They focus on creating an environment that feels happy, harmonious and full of good energy.
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This story was edited by Clare Marie Schneider. The visual editor is Beck Harlan. We’d love to hear from you. Leave us a voicemail at 202-216-9823, or email us at [email protected].
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