I once read that file cabinets are just well-organized trash cans. With everything going electronic and paperless, you’d think we’d have less of a problem with “paper.” But, it’s still a very real problem for many.
If you struggle with incoming paper, you’re not alone. When I’ve asked the question, “Why do you struggle with organizing paper?” I’ve received many reasons. Thought you might like to read them. (Which ones do YOU relate to?)
- It’s one tiny thing that turns into a mountain.
- Fear that everything is important.
- No time to set aside and shred.
- It never ends! Once I finally take the items to their perfect spots, there’s another pile in just a month.
- There’s always stacks of papers everywhere: mail, schoolwork, kids’ art, etc. For some reason it is a stressful task that I avoid.
- I don’t like to open mail in the same way I don’t like checking voice mail. Anxiety is so weird.
- I keep and reuse newspaper for art projects and table cover, and it accumulates.
- The paper cuts.
- Scanning feels exhausting to me. Plus, if I don’t back up, it’s lost for good if there’s a lightning strike.
- I hate adulting.
- It’s boring, a reminder of negative things like bills and it might require some action that requires being on hold for half the day with an insurance or bank question.
- I’m afraid of throwing out something important, such as bills. I also hate filling out forms. And shredding.
- Too much paper. I need to get it on my computer and then download.
- Each sheet can represent anything from recycling to some odious task I’ve been putting off. And literally thousands of them accumulate before I can no longer ignore them.
- Because two pieces of paper fall in love and multiply like rabbits so you end up with paper everywhere and it just keeps multiplying.
- I want to make sure it’s not important, and I have to shred everything that has our names on it.
- I am terrible about letting medical documents and expenses pile up unopened until tax time. Plus, my system is cumbersome, and I procrastinate.
- Paper is evil.
- I don’t know where to put it.
- Burning it in a stove or fireplace is a lot of work! Old AT&T bills 20 pages long sitting for 15 years in a box and moving two times with me. Embarrassing.
- Paperwork is my downfall due to my ADHD.
- I do everything on line but still cling to having a paper copy of everything, just in case.
- I am always collecting information. Seriously, I am a paper hoarder. I forget things and I am afraid I can’t find the info again if I don’t have a printout. Maybe it’s because I am old-school; paper is safe. I don’t know but it stresses the hell out of me either way.
- I’m good with 90% of it. It’s the odds and ends that always seem to be an issue for me: a pass to the zoo, jury duty notice, notes from phone calls, info I requested about solar energy.
- Receipts are my issue. I might need to return something or need it for taxes.
- Having to take the time to read each piece and think about what to do with each piece.
- I’m afraid I will lose them on the computer, so I have to keep everything in a file.
- Finding time to read it, shred it, toss it, or file it.
- Being the only one to take care of it for over 20 years.
- You never know if that’s the paper that you really needed to save.
- I have about 20 boxes of miscellaneous papers, mail, important papers, etc. The dining table is stacked high.
- Fear of losing some data that may be required at a later date: bills, closed credit cards, documents for a car sold, etc.
- Unsure how to organize it so I leave it to do another day.
Paper is another person’s laundry, or dusting. We just don’t want to deal. There are tools, hacks, tips, systems and books, but that’s just more notes, more paper!
When we work together on your Paper Reboot, we simplify, eliminating steps, myths and decision-making. Sounds counterintuitive? Yup, it is. The result is freedom from an issue that has plagued you for, like, forever. Give me a call and let’s get started!
You might also like: How Mail is Like Groceries
Copyright © 2022 by Cynthia Gentry Black, Home Staging by Cynthia, LLC in Kansas City.
All rights reserved. No portion may be shared, reused or republished in any format without express written consent of the author.
