Many of my coaching clients struggle to eliminate paper clutter in their homes. Often, kitchen counter tops become drop zones for mail, receipts, coupons, brochures, meeting notes, political ads, school forms and real estate fliers. As a professional home organizer, I recommend implementing a simple paper management system to organize incoming paper and help keep the flat surfaces in your home tidy.
When I set up my system to organize my paperwork, I tried several organizational methods over the years and found many complicated to set up and cumbersome to implement. Remember, the “best” method will fail if it is not easy for you to use.
Many of us (women with ADHD) need a simple approach and keep in mind that everyone has your own style and you may need to adjust my method to meet your unique needs. This week I am going to provide you with my own personal strategies on creating a drop zone for all incoming mail and paper and establishing a dedicated workstation to manage your household paper.
How To Create A Drop Zone for All Incoming Mail and Paper
Recommended supplies I use : A basket, magazine file, tray or another container.
Suggested use:I suggest teaching household members to place mail and other incoming paper into a storage container such as a basket, magazine file or attractive tray. Place your container on a counter top, entry table or another easily accessible surface. I personally do not attempt to organize my drop zone container in any way. Once a week, I take my basket to my workstation for processing.
Establishing A Dedicated Workstation to Manage Household Paper
If you are responsible for managing bills, finances and other household business, I recommend creating a dedicated office zone not shared with other household members. Having your own workstation will help you stay organized.
If you do not have the luxury of a home office, place a small desk or table in an unused corner of the living room, dining room or kitchen. You might also repurposed an unused closet or nook in your home.
Consider reminding family members not to use your desk or supplies. Even if you don’t work outside the home, it is important to have some space that is your own personal domain.
Recommended supplies:
– A desk or work table with drawers for supplies
– One file drawer or a stand alone file cabinet
– Office supplies, such as a stapler, label-maker, pens, scissors, paper clips, envelopes, stamps and notepaper.
I recommend using drawer organizers to separate supplies into categories. Perhaps you can repurposed small boxes you already own. If you are purchasing new drawer organizers, I suggest measuring drawers before purchasing for the right fit.
Suggested use: Every week, I spend an hour or two reviewing the papers in my drop-zone basket and attend to them as needed. For example, I pay bills not already set up for automatic bill pay, file necessary receipts and tax records and respond to invitations. I scan any documents I want to store on my computer or in the cloud. I take action on all items in my basket and start the following week fresh.
I am mindful not to save unnecessary paper and refrain from having paper piles cluttering my house. I recycle any unneeded documents. I keep a small decorative box under my desk where I stash papers for shredding.