In this section of the paper organizing series I’ll give you the 3 easy ways to organize your mail so it’s not left piling up on your desk or kitchen table.
Mail comes every day and if not managed it will build up quite a clutter conundrum as little as a week. So here one principal that any efficiently expert will tell you: Sort Mail Immediately, while in hand.
Mail is sorted according to the FAST (File, Act, Shred, Toss) method, on the spot and it will take you less then 5min. Lets Implement
You pick up the mail from the box or from the slot in the door. Resist the temptation to place the mail on the kitchen table, counter, coffee table.
Toss all useless junk mail into the waste paper bin;
Everything that does not have a value such as junk mail, toss it. Make it convenient with a little waste paper basket by the door; see the basket toss the junk paper, done!
Later when the basket is full duped the paper into recycling; clean and green.
Put bills into a visible “bill box” or basket located in a place where you do your bills.
Yes, bills are a necessary evil, and it a great feeling when you’re on-top of your payments. By putting your bills in a bill box or basket near a place where you manage your finance you’ll be reminded that there are bills waiting to be paid at the end of the month.
Otherwise you may be reminded by the rep in account receivables or worse a collection agency (like telemarketers with a bad attitude). That just leads to bad credit, and I’m sure we’re both going for a clean credit report.
Other important pieces of mail into a general inbox and/or distributed
Have a general inbox in your office, den or living room where your or other family members can find the remaining mail. Otherwise distribute the mail to your family member’s bedrooms each having an inbox of their own on a desk or hung up on a wall and let them manage their own papers.
Now in the discretionary time you can go over to the inbox and checkout your saved best-buy flyer or your new edition of people magazine.
It’s really just a slight habitual and attitude adjustment. If you think about it, the attitude of “I have no time right now, I’ll do it later” is an evil paradox. because you toss your mail on a table and forget about it for a week(s) then the time you spend on it later will result in more time wasted.
So invest 5mins or less now and save yourself hours later. You’ll have your bills paid, a clean house, and a smooth way of finding things.
In the next installment I’ll go deeper into the paper organizing and how you can get properly organize that massive pile you have sitting on your table right now. Stay up to date by subscribing to this blog on RSS or through email notifications here.
