Is paper weighing you down? Over the past two years, we have seen a huge shift in where people work. Due to COVID, many employees have shifted to working permanently from home and now “personal” paperwork is mingling with job related paperwork. Streamlining the amount of personal paperwork you have in your office & file cabinets can offer room to take on that additional job related paperwork that is now needing a home. I wanted to share 4 easy steps to declutter paperwork in your office:

Paper Decluttering Tips

Decluttering paper can be a very overwhelming task- it is hard to know what to keep and for how long. On the other hand it can be frustrating to spend a lot of time locating that one document you need in a pile of paper.

When decluttering paper, you can follow the same organizing process I recommend in other areas of your house: Sort, Edit, Contain, and then Maintain.

Sort- If your papers are not in a filing system, you’ll want to go through your papers and group into categories. Designate a spot on your floor or table for each paper category and “mark” it with a post it note. Categories can include things like Car, important documents, Medical bills, and Taxes.

Edit- After you have organized your papers into categories, it is time to determine what papers actually need to be kept. In the image below I have outlined some general rules for what to keep and what can be discarded, however please check with your accountant/financial adviser/lawyer etc. first if in doubt.

Contain- Once you are left with the papers you have decided to keep, determine where the papers will live & in what type of system. If you reference certain paper frequently then that might warrant a letter tray or filing system that could sit on your desk. If tight on desk space, this file crate on wheels is a great solution for under a desk. Paper that isn’t accessed frequently could be put in a filing cabinet farther away or organized in document boxes on a nearby shelf.

Maintain- Once a year, go back through your papers and repeat the editing process. Try to get in the habit of tossing/shredding papers that don’t need to be kept before you file them. Sign up for electronic statements when possible to reduce incoming paper. You got this!!

Do you have any paper decluttering tips to share? Let me know in the comments below!