Last summer, not long before we started working on buying our home, I decided it was time to get organized. I wrote about making a household notebook. That was the beginning of an ongoing (and surprisingly pleasant) process. I have decided to turn my attention to the paper that comes into the home. There is a constant flow of paper and mail in every household, to one extent or another. Maintaining control of this flow is imperative if the goal is to get organized and stay organized.

I have set up a filing system in our home to manage the bills, household records and other documentation that needs to be retained. The bills go into a cubby on my desk as they arrive, and the receipts for them are filed in a folder as they are paid. Any correspondence that needs immediate attention is dealt with promptly, and all of the documents related to the home itself are in an (ever) expanding file of their own. I do not let mail just sit on my desk or the nearest flat surface for days on end. It is much easier to just "do it" and get it done. All paper that does not need to be kept is recycled. Yes, it demands discipline, but I find a few minutes per day is really not too difficult. Besides, this system eliminates the "now, what did I DO with that piece of paper I had last week?" syndrome. When I cleaned out and organized my desk yesterday, I made sure my husband knows where to put the bills and other mail needing attention. He has been responding very well to my efforts to stay on top of things, which makes our home much less stressful.

I handle my e mail in a similar manner. I read it as soon as possible, and delete the messages I don't need. I file the others, and go through the folders and delete the older filed ones. If I don't use them, out they go.