Three Things To STOP Doing To Organize Paper

I’ve been on a quest to minimize and organize the paper in my life and in my clients’ lives.

I was tired of having little scraps of paper with notes I wanted to remember. Tired of having piles of papers to “do something” with. Tired of not having a clear desk where I could work on one thing without distractions.

So I stopped doing three things and would recommend you do the same if you want to organize the paper in your home and your office.

Click here to watch the video where I explain the 3 things to STOP.

First, STOP RIPPING.

Stop ripping things out of magazines, cookbooks, books, cute calendars, quotes you want to remember, etc.

Every time you rip something out you then need to organize it.

If you can’t resist leaving the information where it is, try taking a photo of what you want to remember.

But, don’t just take a photo and forget about it. Rename it immediately and slide it into a folder. You could have a folder for recipes, one for decor, etc. I have one for quotes I like and want to share with you all!

Second, STOP PRINTING.

Stop printing emails. Stop printing recipes. Do not print receipts. Stop printing cute stories. And stop printing whatever else you print.

What happens to them once you print them out? Are they in a pile?

Now you have stacks of papers to deal with.

Determine you will stop printing one thing today.

Before you hit print stop and ask, “Do I have a plan in place once I print this out?” If not, don’t print it.

Instead, you could copy the link of the article or recipe and add it to your online lists. Or, slide the email into a folder titled 2020 Receipts.

Finally, STOP WRITING.

Stop writing notes on whatever is in front of you. Post-its. New notebook after new notebook. The backs of envelopes.

If you take notes, look back over them immediately or schedule an appointment on your calendar to do so. Want to keep something? I suggest you immediately add it to your online list or a folder of notes or a google document. If it requires action be sure to assign it as a task in your calendar.

Categorize your lists and documents. I keep all of the things I want to remember in my Idea Tracker. I have tabs for Books, Shows, Quotes, Things To Do, Organizing, Projects in your home, Resources, Courses I want to take, Thoughts I Love, Thoughts I no longer believe, WINS, etc. You can purchase your own Idea Tracker here. I include instructional videos and a workshop replay where I walk through every detail and give examples.

The magic is that everything is now in ONE place…which leads to the bonus for today!

Bonus: THE POWER OF ONE

Remember the POWER OF ONE.

I first heard this concept from Joshua Becker.

Use this concept with any organizing system, something you own, what you use, etc…

One system.
One calendar.
One notes app on your phone.
One clipboard/notepad.
One planning sheet.
One style.

Go as extreme as you want.
One belt.
One jacket.
One makeup palette.
One television.

Are you ready to prioritize organization?

I can help if you are ready to prioritize organization, get out from the weight of clutter and follow a proven plan to transformation?

Are you ready to manage your home and office with confidence and get organized once and for all?

Click here to schedule a free call with me to figure out what obstacles are keeping you from managing your paper effectively. 

I’ll teach you how you can overcome those obstacles and take your home and/or office from chaos to order. Practical, simple things you can begin immediately.

Talk to you soon! Don’t forget to grab your Idea Tracker.

About Tracy

I'm so glad you're here! I specialize in helping women simplify and organize their lives. Combining all I know as a professional organizer and all my training as a certified life coach, I help you take it to the next level. Let's go!