Paper Organizing Products
My motto is: every item has a family and every family has a house! This means that everything you own or that goes through your home has a way of being sorted in categories and each category has a place to be stored – permanently or not. The same goes for your papers. So let’s take a look of some paper organizing products you can use.
Tools of the Trade:
Tray to collect mail A good sorting station: When your mail comes into your home where do you process it? Or do you simply put it down until you get to it? No matter what system you have in place, having a tray or container to house everything will make it simpler when you finally get to it. Define a time to go through your mail, better if weekly, and empty the container completely. Remember, it’s a collection spot, not a filing center!
Tickler File – JOYS – A great way to have everything that will happen in the near future handy and organized! I love mine, it saves me a ton of time and everything that will require any type of action on my part goes in there: payments, phone calls, scheduling, coupons. I use the Tickler File from JOYS super easy to set up and to keep, all by Cathy Anderson. There’s a plus: everything from Cathy not only works smoothly, it’s also gorgeous! And that’s a plus you can’t pass when it comes to something you’ll see everyday. 😉
File Cabinet, or in my case, Mesh File Cart! Yes, for my household and daily activities on household management I use the Elfa mesh filing cart. It’s super easy to keep, I see everything, I can easily slide it in and out and when I’m done with work, all I need to do is roll under my desk and it’s out of sight. It also has a nice attachment that goes on the side, where I can keep my notebooks.
Now if you need a more traditional there are several options on the market and I have used -with clients- from Ikea to Ballard Design and they all work well, depending on your space, needs and budget.
Make sure you keep notepads, sticky notes, pens, pencils, paper clips and tape close to your Paper and Mail Collection Center and you are ready to go!
I use a ceramic jar I made when living in Japan, in one of our trips to pottery making centers with friends. It’s a great way of keeping the memories of good times close by!
I hope these organizing products help you get your papers a home!
Hi Helena –
Thanks for the tickler file info. Very useful. A timely post for me as I'm just tackling the mess that is my mail sorting area today!
Was raised in a disorganized household, and thought I really detest clutter it seems to follow me around by habit. I am constantly looking for the best way to organize things so they are easily usable. Thanks for the advice.
Hi and thank you so much for your comment! It makes me very happy you can find useful information here. Please, let me know how your organizing day went and if you have any questions I'm here to answer them!
Have a great day.
Helena
I can see how it can be an extra challenge to learn to be organized later in life, but am very pleased to know that you actually are working on it and that you found useful information here. What are your biggest challenges?
If yo have any questions, please, feel free to send them my way.
Have a good day!
Helena
Thanks for this, Helena! I'm in the middle of reading David Allen's "Getting Things Done" right now, and your post is reinforcing it at just the right time, including the tickler file suggestion. I've been a little resistant to that one – like, "Why do I need THAT?" – but I'll try to be more open to it. 🙂
Hi Allen! Thank you so much for coming by and it makes me so happy you feel motivated to give the "tickler" a try. It's such a simple idea, but it brings such an improvement in our life. (That's why they say, the simpler the better!) Even more if you are a visual person, that needs to "see" it to get it done, this will help you a lot. Please, let me know how your organizing is going and I'll be happy to help!
Have a good evening,
Helena.
Helena,
Thanks for the mention re: Homestead Revival and my post on the JOYS system. I do love it and find it has kept me much more organized than before. I still have to file papers, etc., but I find they don't get so out of hand anymore.
Useful ideas Helena! I like the concept of the Tickler File — I like the idea of one system instead of tracking all separately — thank you!
Hello Amy! Thank you so much and I truly enjoyed your blog. I have also implemented JOYS and it made all the difference on my daily life, plus as you say, all from Cathy is just gorgeous!
Have a Happy Valentine's Day!
Helena
http://www.homesteadrevival.blogspot.com/2011/03/give-away-joys-filing-system.html
Hi Stephanie and thank you for coming by! It's a really simple but powerful tool as it keeps everything right there, at easy reach and no more multiple piles on your desk etc.
Give it a try and let me know how it's going at [email protected]
Have a Happy Valentine's Day!
Helena
Hi Helena,
I have used a tickler file for several years and I love it! Thanks for posting
Thanks Helena, I could definitely use your services. I did get a mail organizer but it became exactly what you said it shouldn't be – a filler, not a collection spot! I'll schedule in some weekly time to empty it, that's great advice.
Hi Jennifer. It makes me very happy that you could identify what your next step will be to correct your mail stream! It's so easy to just make piles, so go ahead and keep a schedule to get all your mail sorted and act on it. I actually prefer to deal with it as soon as it arrives and I toss what's junk right away, in the recycle bin. I bring inside what needs to be taken care or shredded. Find what works best for you and your schedule, and of course, feel free to ask questions! I'll be happy to help!
Helena