6 Great Tips for Decluttering Paperwork

6 Great Tips for Decluttering Paperwork

Decluttering paperwork is a veritable pain for many of us and if left untackled it can quickly sprout into a meaningless and stress-inducing eye-sore. I once worked with a lady who bravely decluttered three big black bags’ worth of documents that she had been holding on to since the 1970’s – that’s a whopping 40 years of paperwork! It’s also great to hear reports of the discovery of lovely surprises like lost cheques, money and other sentimental information from those who have confronted the dreaded pile.

I’ve shared tips on sorting and organising paperwork over the years and, interestingly, I’ve had a lot of queries on the subject of late. Although I would never offer a one-size-fits-all approach, I’ve put together six tips for decluttering paperwork that you may find helpful:

1. Decide what’s important to you. Get clear on the difference between junk or unwanted paperwork (clutter) and paperwork that you need that’s just unsorted or disorganised. (The clutter needs to go.)
2. Embrace technology. The internet is going nowhere and online account facilities for banking and household services are becoming increasingly user-friendly. With paperless billing becoming the norm, the days where we need to keep a physical copy of every document are thankfully long gone. Scan precious documents so that you’ve a backup copy if required.
3. Get into the right headspace. I often recommend that clients first get a hold on any clutter in other parts of their homes so they can approach paperwork with maximum focus and clarity. Documentation is specific and detailed and progress can be frustratingly slow, so be strategic (and realistic) in what you think you’ll accomplish.
4. Choose a good home for your documents. Store all documentation in the same place (where possible) and be mindful of the home that you choose for your documents – you don’t want the energy of a pile of work-related documents taking from your experience of eating at the kitchen table or relaxing in front of the fire.
5. Create a simple system. Group paperwork of the same “subject” together. Some people like accordion folders and I use basic cardboard or plastic folders and write the name of the subject on the front cover in marker. “Car”, “Household Bills”, “Pets” and “Health” are some examples of groupings that might work for your lifestyle or way of thinking. Add incoming paperwork to a dedicated pile (or piles) and routinely sort through, incorporating only the important documents into your folder system.
6. Quickly discard your decluttered documents. Without the means to efficiently discard your “decluttered” documents they will likely remain clutter. A shredder is great for managing confidential paperwork and I personally love the noise of the blades and the sight of the paper spaghetti – very therapeutic! If you’ve a lot of private documents you might like to avail of professional document shredding services for fast action and peace of mind. Always aim to recycle your decluttered paper.

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