As a writer, I meet a lot of interesting people with interesting careers. As soon as I started talking to Jaclyn Gross with Tip Top Organizing for an article I was working on, I couldn’t contain my excitement. I love cleanliness and organization. Here’s the proof.
When Jaclyn recently posted about paper being a big problem for a lot of people, I knew I had to share it here. If you look around your house or office (or in my current situation, an “office” in a corner of the family room) there are probably bags, piles, and boxes of so much random paper mixed together and it may feel too time consuming to sort it all out. Then before you know it, it’s growing out of control – medical papers, late bills, birth certificates, financial statements, to-do lists, and so on.
Thank goodness for Jaclyn who is spilling the beans on how to handle this. Here are her five tips on organizing papers:
1. Dedicate the time to do it. Set aside at least 90-minutes during an evening or weekend and turn on some relaxing music, make some of your favorite soothing tea, and limit distractions like phones. Set a kitchen timer and stay focused.
2. Purge. Designate one area for shredding and one for recycling.
3. Once you know what you’re keeping, set up a system. I recommend using a label maker so everything is clear and easy to read.
4. Use resources like www.catalogchoice.org and the app PaperKarma to remove yourself from junkmail lists.
5. Get in the habit of walking right from your mailbox to your recycling, standing over the bin, and deciding what is junk and what isn’t. Get rid of it right there and only bring in the home what is true mail. (I already do this one Jaclyn!)
“My goal for you is to be able to find any paper that you own in under 60 seconds,” Jaclyn said. “Imagine all the time and energy you’ll save. Instead of exerting energy looking for the information, you’ll save it all and use it for the task at hand. Life is easier when you’re organized. As a Professional Organizer, I see the difference in the quality of life!”
Click here to watch a video of Jaclyn at CNN in New York City giving a messy desk a makeover!
Fun Fact: Did you know about 90% of the files you keep you never look at again? Let’s free up some space, get rid of the clutter, and get you organized!
If you would like Jaclyn and Tip Top Organizing to help you get organized, email tiptoporganizingnyc@gmail.com and mention this blog post!
