How to Organize Paper Clutter & Documents

1. How to Organize Papers & Documents at Home
2. How to Organize Files
3. How to Organize Mail & Bills
4. Best Scanner to Go Paperless
5. How to Organize Project Papers
6. How to Organize Important Documents at Home
7. How to Organize Tax Documents, Paperwork, & Receipts
8. How to Organize Articles, Notes, & Literature to Read Later
9. How to Organize Sentimental Papers
10. How to Organize Your Computer Desktop, Files, & Folders
11. 5 Evernote Organization Tips to Get Started

• Step 1 – Check mail frequently.
• Step 2 – Sort mail A.S.A.P. or soon after bringing it in.
• Step 3 – Sort mail into mail center (timely action, action, processing).
• Step 4 – Process mail and take action.
• Mail Center Product Recommendations:  Mail center featured in this video was discontinued (Pottery Barn Bedford Hutch)
  • Stackable 3-shelf cube
  • Inclined mail sorter
  • Mesh wall-mounted mail organizer
  • Large mail cubbies
  • Poly-envelope for receipts

• Learn more about the Fujitsu ScanSnap ix1500 here
• This is the latest model of the same scanner I’ve been recommending for the past 6 years! The latest model has a touchscreen for easy scanning, can scan directly to the cloud (without a computer or device), and it now comes in black AND white!
• Scans documents, receipts, photos, business cards
• Scans documents and receipts to searchable .pdfs. Meaning – you can search for a word and it’ll find it instantly!
• Can convert documents, spreadsheets, and presentations into editable files (ideal for recovering documents!)
• Scans to desktops (PC & mac), devices (iOS & Android), and to the cloud wirelessly (Evernote, Google Drive, Google Photos, Dropbox, etc.)
• Scans up to 30 pages per minute
• Great for going paperless or scanning less frequently used documents to free up storage space!
• Be mindful of digital clutter! If you don’t need it, shred or recycle it (not scan!)

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• Keep project papers organized together in a desktop or wall-mounted organizer. This is the desktop organizer I use. This is the wall-mounted organizer I recommend (it’s made for organizing magazines, but it works equally as well for project papers!)
• Keep active project papers accessible within reach from desk and visible (if you’re a visual person)
• Keep inactive project papers filed away in a file cabinet, closet, or discard if no longer needed
• For projects with minimal paperwork, use a basic file folder. These are the black & white striped file folders shown in the video!
• You can also find file folders with built-in dividers like this one here!
• For projects with more paperwork, consider using an accordion organizer. This is the accordion organizer I showed in the video!
• For projects with paperwork on-the-go, consider using an accordion organizer that fully closes and has a handle.
• For projects with a LOT of paperwork, consider using a binder. These are my favorite binders!
• Here are the aqua mesh poly-envelope I showed in the video that is great for traveling!
• Label file folders with laminated labels so the labels can be easily removed when the file folder is reused. You can make your own by placing a piece of packing tape on the tab then adhering a label from your label maker on top! This is the label maker I use. Or, you can purchase pre-made erasable labels for your file folders!

• Keep your most important documents isolated and safeguarded from the rest of your documents so in case of an emergency you can quickly and easily grab your most vital paperwork without needing to make decisions (it’s difficult to think straight under stress!).
• Important paperwork includes any critical document that is difficult to replace or cannot be replaced at all!
• Sort and categorize vital records into high-level categories. The categories I use are:
  • Birth / Death – Birth certificates, death certificates, adoption paperwork (child / pet)
  • Social Security Cards
  • Passport / ID – Includes citizenship / immigration paperwork
  • Marriage – Includes divorce decrees, pre-nuptial agreements, custody agreements
  • Automobile Titles – Includes motorcycle, RV, boat, and any other automobile titles
  • House Deed – Includes title insurance
  • Trust
  • Will – Includes living will, estate planning, power of attorney
  • Financial – Includes loan paid-off statements, CDs, saving bonds, foreign currency, list of safety deposit box contents
  • Appraisals – Includes jewelry, artwork, antiques
  • Government – Includes security clearance, military, audits, police records
  • Business – Includes trademarks, patents, agreements
• One category I didn’t include was legal. You could include legal if you have a lot of legal paperwork outside the above categories (e.g., final settlement paperwork, etc.).
• Use an accordion organizer to sort & categorize your most important documents. This is the legal-sized accordion organizer I use. 
• If you prefer a letter-sized accordion organizer, this is my favorite letter-sized accordion organizer.
• Keep the accordion organizer in a fire-resistant / water-resistant bag and/or in a safe that is bolted to the ground or to a stud in the wall. This is the fire/water resistant bag I use.
• Be sure everyone in your home knows where to find important paperwork in case of an emergency.
• If you’re looking for a unique gift to give a family member or friend, consider making them an organizing system like this as every house NEEDS a system for their most vital records!
• Something else to consider storing inside the bag is a list  of small valuables to add to the bag in case of an emergency. Items include: jewelry, cash, keys, and family photos.

• Keep tax documents in your mail center until you take action (e.g., pay bill, etc). Once action is taken, store tax document in a tax document organizer for the year.
• Keep all tax documents you receive for the year in an isolated folder that’s easy to find! If you have tax documents for personal AND business, you can collect them in separate folders or all together in one folder if you don’t have many documents. This is the red “tax document organizer” folder I use for both personal and work tax documents. This folder gets reused year after year.
• If you have a LOT of tax documentation each year, instead of using one folder to organize all the documentation, consider storing everything in an accordion organizer so you can sort by category and make it easy to find documents. This is the accordion organizer I showed in the video!
• Make a detailed checklist of personal and business tax documentation you need to save throughout the year including what documents you expect to receive in the mail and any important due dates to eliminate confusion during tax time!
• This is the mini poly envelope I use for collecting business receipts!
• When filing taxes, highlight important information on each tax document (title, date, amount) to make it easier to plug in the appropriate numbers and/or double check your work!
• If using an accountant, label each tax document with a number that is cross referenced in your tax organizer provided by your accountant!
• Store tax returns + tax documentation together in one folder for each taxable year. Label folders accordingly. These are the tax return folders I use.
• If you have both personal and business tax returns, consider storing them separately to avoid confusion.
• For a complete list of how long to keep documents, check out my “Paper Clutter Kickstart” which includes a detailed list of 132 paper categories and suggested times to retain paperwork.

• Gather articles you’ve been saving and sort by high-level category. For example, if you have travel articles on New Mexico, Colorado, and California, instead of categorizing by each location, consider using the category “Travel.” Keeping categories high-level can help prevent overwhelm from LOTS of micro-categorized piles!
• Only keep the best of the best articles, clippings, notes, & literature. Let go of the rest! If you’re reading this post, find comfort in knowing you have access to the internet which has a wealth of free information should you need the information again 🙂
• If you can’t let go of magazines or articles because you don’t want to miss out on any important information, see my recent class on “How to Let of Clutter When You Can’t Let Go” in which I reveal a simple 5-step process for mentally and emotionally detaching from possessions.
• Keep articles to read in ONE binder (not 5!). If you need to more space to expand on a certain article / topic, create a second binder if absolutely needed.
• This is the binder featured in this video. The size is 1.5″. I recommend using binders that are 1-2″ in size. Anything above 2″ feels too heavy and the pages can be hard to turn due to the large ring-size 🙂
• These are the dividers I used (set of 24 tabs).
• The gussetted binder pocket I showed in the video is from Staples (no link available but if you look in store you’ll see they’re available in clear, teal, and purple. The brand is the Staples Brand). These are similar.
• If you don’t want to create a binder, you can setup the same system digitally on your computer by scanning the articles. This is my favorite scanner which has OCR technology meaning it’ll recognize each character and word scanned making everything searchable.
• Going forward, limit magazine subscriptions to 2-3 per month while being mindful of the papers you chose to bring home!

• Limit yourself to ONE reasonably-sized sentimental box (per person) in which you can store all of your sentimental papers. If you can use/display the items, use them (instead of storing closed away in a box!).
• The pink sentimental box I found is from HomeGoods. I keep the box in my home office.
• Only keep the best of the best greeting cards, photos, letters, reports cards, artwork, recipes, and any other sentimental papers/items. Accept that it will take time to make decisions on what to keep versus what to let go of.
• If you’re having a hard time letting go of sentimental items, you can enroll in my class on “How to Let of Clutter When You Can’t Let Go” in which I reveal a simple 5-step process for mentally and emotionally detaching from sentimental / emotional possessions. I also share the process on how I organized this box in some of the videos.
• This is the yellow artwork organizer I showed.
• You can also take photos of artwork and make a digital photo book if you want to reduce the volume of artwork. I always use Shutterfly to make digital photo books since it’s easy and affordable!
• You can also scan photos or other sentimental papers. This is my favorite scanner which I talked about recently.
• This is the 8×10 portfolio organizer I showed for storing greeting cards, letters, report cards, newspaper clippings, etc. The black pages are coated to preserve toner and minimize papers from getting stuck to the pages.
• This is the file tote I used to organize all of the 8×10 portfolios (the size is small)!
• This is the 4×6 portfolio organizer I showed for organizing old photos. It comes in 5×7 as well.
• These are the greeting card sheet protectors I also showed. NOTE: there are two sizes – medium and large. The ones I featured were the medium size. They fit perfectly inside the mini Better Binders.
• Greeting cards can also be organized with a hole puncher & basic key ring that corrals them together.
• For greeting cards, I recommend only saving the back/inside where the message is. The fronts of greeting cards can be recycled to St. Jude’s Ranch where they are given to children for learning life skills.
• The black poly-envelope I showed was from the auto section at Dollar Tree!
• Once your sentimental box is full, remove one thing to add another! 🙂

• Use a computer desktop background that has sections to keep folders and files sorted and organized. Using a solid color wallpaper can help minimize visual chaos and confusion! You can download the wallpaper I showed in the video here (it’s free!)
• Organize and setup your computer desktop just like you would organize an office. Keep frequently-used things visual. Organize like-with-like. Keep less frequently-used things less visual, etc.
• Organize your computer desktop into sections. The sections I use are:
  • Desk
  • Active Projects
  • Filing Cabinet

Desk:

• Contains frequently-used programs, frequently-used one-off files to reference, or open one-off tasks NOT related to a specific project.
• Think of this section like a physical desk in an office. What would you keep on the desk?

Active Projects:

• Contains active project folders and active project files.
• Think of the “active projects” section like a desktop sorter on a desk (or wall-mounted sorter in an office!) that has various project folders with papers inside are frequently used!
• The naming convention I use for active project folders and files is whatever makes sense to me at the time while keeping in mind my future self. A good question to ask yourself when labeling folders or files is: “what folder/file name will be OBVIOUS to my future self tomorrow / next week / next month / next year?” Use that!
• If you want to follow a structured naming convention for folders/files, you could try using the creation date, type of project, and specific project name. For example, a work project that you start today would look like this: “20200320 – ATV – Project 123”
• Once an active project file has been completed or it’s no longer needed, it gets moved to the associated active project folder.
• Once an active project is complete, it gets moved to the appropriate folder in the filing cabinet since it’s completed and no longer needs to be in prime real estate on the desktop.
• The goal for the active projects section is to ONLY have the open projects VISIBLE. Once something is completed, file it away out-of-sight, out-of-mind!

Filing Cabinet:

• Contains documents not frequently-used but need to save for future reference (i.e., tax document, car document, etc).
• Think of your desktop file cabinet as the file cabinet inside an office (except digital). What kind of documents do you store inside your office file cabinet? Whatever your answer is (and assuming it works for you!), I’d follow the same system here.
• Nothing in the filing cabinet requires action!
• You can have multiple filing cabinets – one for personal, one for business.
• Some folders in the desktop file cabinet ONLY have files inside while other folders have sub-folders inside and THEN files inside the sub-folders.
• The naming convention I use for the filing cabinet folders are “–ATV– (Design)” with the text in the parenthesis changing folder by folder. The “–ATV–” remains the same for all work folders so the folders automatically group together in windows explorer. If you’re on a PC, the text in the parenthesis (e.g. (Design)) wraps to the second line (because of the number of characters on the first line) making each folder label look consistent & organized. Each folder only has two lines of text (once you get to the third line, it starts looking crowded and the text gets hidden!). I use abbreviations if needed to keep the folder labels to exactly two lines. For example, “–ATV– (Graphic Design)” is shortened to “–ATV– (Design)”.
• Keep folder names broad not specific to reduce the number of folders! More specific = more folders!