Make Room Challenge 3: Tackling the Paper Tiger.

In Week Three of the Make Room Challenge, Melissa Micheal's of the Inspired Room, challenged us to deal with our paper in the way she does in her latest book, Make Room . (affiliate link.)

I am late with this challenge because paper.

I hate paper. There is so much of it--and so very little we actually need--but my my husband will ask me for that one piece at any random moment and you'd think it's grounds for divorce if I can't produce it in three seconds or less.

So. No pressure.

Let's see what Melissa says we should do:

Make Room Challenge – Week 3 – Clutter and Entry. Make Room for Arrivals and Departures.

The arrival and departure areas of our home tend to collect quite a bit of clutter and often end up in disarray. We bring in a lot of papers, coats, schoolbags, purses, briefcases, sports equipment, homework, party invitations, and bills, and we track in mud and grime from outside. How do those clutter spots make you feel when they are out of control? This week, we’ll be setting up a sorting station so we can avoid paper pileups near the front door.

 This is my front door.

yep. That's my gorgeous dark blue painted ceiling. I need to give you a better look at that!

I cannot stand it when it is out of control. I cringe when people come up the sidewalk. If my husband is home, I sneak off to the back of the house and let him answer the door. Paper only piles up if someone else empties the mailbox. They put it on the blue shelf instead of sorting it...but that's all right. Me, I do not grab the mail when I come in the door. I leave it where it is until I am ready to deal with it. Then, I take it immediately into the dining room and open it.

3 Steps to Setting Up a Paper-Sorting Station

1. Find a spot near your entry or office area where you’ll take all incoming mail. Put a shredder and recycling bin near this station so you’ll be able to immediately deal with papers you don’t want. 

So, no shredder: but I reserve this garbage can strictly for paper. If I have food garbage or any other kind, I take it to the kitchen.

also known as the circular file.

After I've tossed the junk, the mail goes here:

If I got a bigger box, there'd just be that much more to sort.

as does every single other piece of paper in the house. It is my collection station and it is overflowing. But I know where everything is!

2. Plan to sort, shred, or recycle all the envelopes, newspapers, and junk mail, and put your bills in your previously designated spot every time you bring the mail in the house. Everything that is not a bill but has a due date or an upcoming deadline can go on a bulletin board with a clip or pin.

So, there are two kinds of paper--well, four, but first two. The first two broad categories of paper are 1) Action and 2) Reference.

Action breaks down into two more: a) those with a deadline and 2) those without. That's what Melissa is referencing above. Bills are just action papers with deadlines. So are dental hygiene appointments and a notice to order my son's graduation photos.

Reference is divided by time, too: a) near and b) far. In fact, according to Simplify 101 (not an affiliate link though it totally should be, I love them so much) reference (far) is actually called archival paper. And that needs to be waded through periodically and dealt with, too.


Here's the paper from that box divided like so:

Examples of a few things in the piles:

Action, deadline: auto club membership renewal, census notice, House lottery tickets. (I want to go see the houses, not buy a ticket.)

Action, no deadline: credit card agreement changes (I need to read it), a receipt for physiotherapy (needs to be submitted to insurance for reembursement.)

Reference, "near": recipes, (need to be put away), husband's vacation schedule, new prescription reembursement program. Most of my reference papers go into these binders on the expedit.

Reference, "far": bills paid, investment statement, photos. (Most of these are filed away in the basement. Not the most convenient place, but it is where there is space.)

Most of our reference paper goes into one of these binders. I'll explain how I handle all our paper in a future post.

3. If a paper is important and you’ll need to access it later, file it in a designated file box or drawer. Give each housemate an inbox if they will receive mail or have papers that enter the house.

Each of us has a personal inbox, right here. See those file folders. Yep. There. That.

It's been helpful for my husband to have a designated spot for all his paperwork while he's been sick. But honestly? The kids never check theirs. But I keep it so I have a place to put their stuff.

I put up this magnetic dry erase board last fall. I hope it is as close to a bulletin board as we ever get. I hate how messy they get--and things get lost on them, too.

Get Organized Tip: If your child comes home with special papers you want to keep, get a clear box with a lid or a personal file box with folders to store the current year report cards, favorite assignments, art, and other significant papers.

It is a good idea.

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40 Bags in 40 Days: Days 7 to 18: So Good.

I want more things to get rid of.

You heard me. More to get rid of.

The feeling I get when I create a clear wide open space is addictive, intoxicating! It makes me feel calm. It makes me feel free.

But a bit anxious too. What if my husband asks me for something I've let go of? What if after five years of forgetting--he suddenly remembers?


Day 7: The Laundry Room

I meant to do more, but the day got away from me, somehow.

Day 8: The Paint Spot

An hour and a half later...

The opposite happened. I hadn't meant to do so much! I cleaned out and reorganized the top two yellow drawers.


Day 9:  Donations Run I

release the kraken, indeed!

It took me more time to pack these up and load the car than it did to drive to two different locations to drop it all off!

I found more bags in the garage...so I loaded those up, too.

Day 10: Clean the kitchen Day!


I spent the day and cleaned the kitchen.

Day 11: Nada

I didn't do anything today.

Day 12: You Can Do Anything for 15 Minutes!

I decided to do just 15 minutes. I wandered down to the basement--and the first thing that caught my eye was these shelves. (Not surprising, they're just to the right at the foot of the stairs!)

And just like that, I had a bag for the animal shelter.

Day 13: Nada II.

A long, tiring day. I didn't try to declutter at all.

Day 14: A Pile and Some Files

This was actually a surprise. I was tidying the bedroom and decided to go through my closet and my drawers just quickly to see if there was anything I could let go. And there was!

In the evening, I went through the top drawer of a filing cabinet we have in the basement. It holds just our taxes and supporting documents.

Everything dated 2008 and before--except the returns themselves--was purged.

Day 15. The Past and Donation Run II.

I went back to the filing cabinet. My goal is to get these three totes into the cabinet.

I also bit the bullet on a few things that have survived past purges--but still, have never been used. Now they are gone.

This donation run saw me go to H&M for their cloth recycling program, Value Village, the animal shelter, and Habitat for Humanity's  Re-store (the old light fixture from the dining room). It probably took over an hour (well, there was a train, a slooooooooooow mooooooooooooving train, so definitely, it took well over an hour, lol!) to drive to all four places. Decluttering this way is not for amateurs!

Then, I went to Mom's and several hours later, left with a garbage bag I could barely lift and a liquor box full of movies on VHS. I dropped them at Value Village on the way home.

Yay.

Day 16: The Files, Continued.

More files.

Over half this drawer went to recycling. I had six inches of poli sci papers. I did keep a copy of Rawls' paper, "Justice as Fairness," however. It's a reminder of what I missed not finishing my Ph.D. Given the way things have turned out at Universities--especially in the Humanities, I am very happy I did not continue down that path to the ivory tower. I also kept a copy of The Constitution Act of 1867 to 1982 as a nod to my interest in constitutional law and a copy of the Indian Act because, well, because, every Canadian should have one.

The files in the totes are on hanging files. I prefer that system even though it takes up more room. Ever notice, sometimes, that "organizing" something isn't as space efficient as not organizing it?

Day 17: The End (of the) Files and Donation Run III

I finished up the files. I bought one more hanging file rail kit and a box of hanging files. (I didn't bother putting the tax drawer on rails.)

Just look at that!

The file drawers are labelled taxes, household, Memories general (and hobbies and Interests) Memories--Kids' school years).

That pink bucket up top? That's the burn pile.

We don't have a shredder--and there's no point getting one when we have a back yard fire pit. It'll just be a month or two before we can use it.

As for the donation run, I grabbed three boxes from the garage and went to my Mom's where she had a bag ready for me to take away. We filled another bag while I was there and I dropped everything off at Value Village on the way home. Unfortunately, I didn't have my camera with me,

Day 18: Terrible Tuesday

I made the menu for the week and went grocery shopping. I decided that March will be "eat from the freezer" month.

I've decided I'm going to continue--though the pickin's are getting slim. I hope I can spend some time at my Mom's helping her declutter before my hours at work pick back up later this month.

If you'd like to catch up, here are the previous posts:

Introduction:  The 40 Bag Basement.
Day 1: Clearing the Decks
Day 2: I Can See the Table!
Days 3-6: The Bunny, the Comic Books and Other Difficult Decluttering Decisions

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Day 20: Unpacking the Paper Pile.

Read the previous entry in this series:  Day 19: Declutter the Desk Drawers or Surface or start at the beginning with the Introduction: 5 Ways Clutter Costs.

This has been building for a long while.
Too long.

I collect my paper. First, it was here.

And then, sadly, also here:

It's a good system. I know where any given piece of paper is at any time.

(It works best, though, if there's only one collection spot. Case in point: my husband is taking the dog for grooming tomorrow and needs a record of his most recent vaccinations. Because I have two spots--I wasn't immediately sure where to look. Because he was vaccinated in April--he was near the bottom of the pile, too, so it took a while to find.)

I started with the older paper first. I tossed probably 70%. The rest I sorted on the desk.

Then, I dealt with it.

Some, I put away. Receipts. Tax info. Warranties and manuals. Paint schemes for the Exterior. Schedules, Insurance documents. Recipes--including one we had thought lost forever (Chocolate Oat Chippers). Etc.

I copied random notes I had made on scraps and bits of paper into my bullet journal. I recorded all my passwords and user ids for various sites so I could toss an agenda from 2013.

I took action on one piece immediately (a donation I've been wanting to make for ages).

This decluttering for 31 days has been good for me. I've had days where I really, really did not want to do it. I've had days where it was really hard to do it. Dealing with my paper is never, ever fun. It's tedious and boring--but it requires me to think, so it's not like I can watch TV or listen to a podcast. (I don't multitask well mentally.) So, I'm grateful for this series tonight--otherwise I would have always wondered if the Chocolate Oat Chipper recipe we'd found on-line was exactly like the one we had had.

Important stuff.

Here's what was at the bottom of the box.

How are things going for you? Are you happy with the progress you're making?
Remember, it all counts.


Read the next entry in this series Day 21: Collect All the Digital Pictures. 

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Weekly Declutter: Books and Papers. Minimalist March Day 13 - 19

My goodness. Minimalist March is making me actively look for things I can live without--and I'm finding them! I turned a corner this week. I surprised myself with how much I can get rid of--and how willing I am to do it.

Last year, I purged my bookshelves. I eventually made over $250 just from the sale of my homeschooling books alone. I really had not thought there was much to still let go of.

I was wrong.

My daughter asked me to clear some shelf space on the library landing for my collection of Nancy Drew's. They had been in her room for a few years, waiting patiently for her to read them. I doubt she will.

I had to clear 46" of space (yes, I measured) from here:

I was having a really difficult time until I shifted my thinking from "What do I want to let go of?" to "What must I keep?" (Note, I didn't ask myself what do I want to keep?)

Here is another really good reason to let go of books you have no intention of reading ever again:

That cannot be healthy!

And so, here we are.

and after, after, with the Nancy Drew books (and Harry Potter, too).

I decluttered about 70 books. It took me about an hour.

Getting rid of those books energized me to work on my paper clutter. I gathered them from various spots:

While I went through them and transferred my files from the old cardboard box, I weeded them out. Seventeen were thinned or eliminated entirely.

Hence, Day 17.

Days 18 and 19 belong to my daughter. She followed trough on a promise to go through her bookshelves.

She put aside this:

and this:

As for Days 20 thru 31? I don't know, but the linen closet and the shelves in the basement are getting the evil eye.

I am in the decluttering groove.

Day 17: Habits

When something isn't working; stuff's piling up, dinner's not being cooked, bills aren't being unpaid, something, obviously, is broken--and it may not be you!

There are two parts to our household systems, as I discussed in this post.

1. everything in the system has a home, there is a storage solution in place, and
2. there is a procedure, or method of dealing with the items

I used two examples to talks about the first part, the way we have something set up, (or, in organization-speak, our "storage system") 1) changing out my budgeting papers from a file folder to binder, and 2) changing the form on which I record my meal plan.

Now, we'll talk about the second part: the way we deal with the stuff, our routines or habits.

If something is out of order and it isn't how you have it stored, then you need to ask yourself: am I in the habit of using this system? Have I given myself time to create the habit of using the system consistently?

Do you know what actions you need to take to maintain this system?

Here's an example:

I want to make this paper system work for me. It has actions associated with it which I need to do in order for it to work:

1. The top tier holds actionable items with a deadline. I also holds the days mail until I deal with it. (Comingling these two categories does not work. Perhaps I ought to find another home for today's mail). I need to check this daily.
2. The second tier holds actionable items which do not have a deadline. I should check this every few days.
3. The third tier holds reference items which need to be put away in their various reference spots (unless they are items pending.) These need to be checked once a week.
4. All of these are items which need to be filed and this pile is already higher than I would like. I need to handle this weekly, as well.

If the area you are dealing with (like a linen closet or a cupboard where things are generally stored) the steps are essentially the same:

• identify how the space becomes disorganized
• then identify what you need to do in order to either prevent it from happening (i.e., have fewer bed sheets so the stack doesn't topple when I remove a set) or identify what you can do to address the situation before it gets out of hand.

Now the next thing you need to do is set a time to do those actions. Setting a time, or deciding when you will take action gives you a greater chance of actually doing those things than not setting a time. So, in my example above, every few days is vague. Thursdays and Tuesdays ought to be enough. Desk day is Thursday, so that takes care of once a week.

Scheduling when I will deal with the paper in the trays is one of the first steps to making it a habit. But a schedule is not enough. How will I remember to check the papers every day, let alone on Tuesdays and Thursdays?

A habit needs a cue (or a reminder, or a trigger), the routine, and a reward.

We'll talk more about that tomorrow.

ETA: You can catch all the posts in the series here.

Day 5: The Magic of 15 Minutes.

This is my best friend.

In fact, for years, it was the only way I could tackle any of my housework. I'd set my timer for 15 minutes and focus on one thing. Then, I'd set it again and do another thing. I'd go through whole days like that.

Remember we talked about what "being organized" meant to you? If it's finding something--anything--in less than two minutes as Nicole wrote, then I imagine that picking things up and putting them away would be a pretty high priority.

But what if the last few days have been an absolute whirlwind and you haven't had time to blink, let alone put things away?

So you have a disaster on your hands--and you have five minutes, ten, fifteen to pick up before you have to do something else.

Do you say to yourself, "I can't possibly get it all done. I'll wait until I can."

I used to say that, a lot. It was part of my perfectionism. If I couldn't sweep AND mop the kitchen floor, there wasn't any point in sweeping, was there?

If I couldn't wash ALL the dishes in one go, (and it is sometimes impossible to do that without a volunteer dish dryer) then why wash any?

If I can't sort and put away all these papers in 15 minutes, why bother?

So, I decided, just for the sake of this blog post, that I'd see how far through this stack of papers 15 minutes would take me. (Believe me, I am never motivated to tackle paper. Never. We'll talk about not having any motivation soon, too.)

Ta Da!

I swear it only took 15 minutes--and not all day as the lighting here would suggest. It just took me that long to get a decent picture.

I sorted out the coupons to clip--and put them in my coupon binder.
I filed some papers right away and put away page protectors.
Anything requiring scheduling, I tucked into my planner.

What's left just needs filing--except that I haven't got files for most of it.

Remember: progress, not perfection.

I see another 15 minutes in my future.

ETA: You can catch all the posts in the series here.