Bills. Receipts. Bank account statements. School permission slips. Medical reports. Insurance policies. Name cards. Flyers. Magazines. The list could go on…

Let’s face it – we’re inundated with paper. Even if you have a pretty extensive wardrobe, I bet that the number of pieces of paper you have in your home is at least 50 times greater than the number of pieces of clothes you own. Right?

No wonder people are intimidated and paralyzed at the idea of getting their paper undercontrol. In fact, in some cases, the fear is so strong that it prevents some people from opening their mail, which can lead to costly consequences.

Having helped many clients organise their paper, I’ve observed that it’s not uncommon for many people to have their papers under control in the office but out of control at home. I attribute this to the following reasons:

1. Inability To Make Timely Decisions

Many people are unable to make decisions on the spot when a paper enters their home because they are not clear about what to keep and how long to keep it. They fear they might need it in the future. They worry that if they file it, they might not be able to find it when they need it.

So they leave it unattended on a flat surface on their desk, in the living room or the kitchen, in the hope that an answer will eventually come to them. But soon enough this piece of paper is covered by another piece of paper, and another one, until it becomes a huge pile from which it’s very difficult to find anything.

2. Lack Of Systems And Procedures

Most people do have a filing system in place, but quite often it’s not up to date. They got married, had children, bought a house, signed up for new insurance policies etc. but they didn’t revisit their filing system or they maintained multiple systems in parallel. Or they never purged their files and they are no longer able to fit another piece of paper in it. Like everything else, a paper that doesn’t have a dedicated “home” will end up in a pile or will be randomly filed.

But paper clutter is not only a case of a poor filing system but also of a lack of proper procedures to deal with incoming paper or active project files, for example. Many people also have the habit of writing contact details or to-do lists on scraps of paper or on post-its, which are not the easiest formats to file.

Another element I often find missing in the way people manage their paper is a proper time allocated into their schedule to deal with the paperwork. Ok, like you, I can find more exciting things to do than dealing with paper, but it doesn’t have to take you a huge amount of time if, again, you have proper systems in place.

3. Being Unrealistic About Their Reading Capacity

Many people tend to subscribe to more newspapers and magazines that they can possibly read. Their schedule doesn’t allow them to find the time to read all of them, yet they struggle to let go of them because they’ve paid for them and feel it’d be a waste of money.

So what’s the cause of your paper clutter at home? Some of the above? All of the above? More than the above? You know, having clarity on the cause of the problem can help you get into motion.

Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you need help; I can tell you, it’s very liberating to let go of paper!