Tip of the Day 4/21/11

The next in our Thursday Spring Cleaning Tips. Hopefully you have accomplished the previous ones since you had a couple of extra weeks without new tips. In keeping with our theme of paper clutter this week, today we will start the process to conquer the desktop, dining room table, counter top, or other flat surfaces in your home that have been overtaken by incoming paperwork.

The starting point is throwing away, shredding, and recycling everything you possible can. At the end of this session all that should be left and placed on your desk or area for bill paying is a stack of papers the REQUIRE attention, bills,non-expired invitations, tax-related filing, correspondence in need of a reply. Do not attempt to do any of those things today unless the electric bill is due tomorrow or a child needs a permission slip returned by tomorrow. Today's goal is simply to get rid of all the unneeded paperwork that is clouding your vision. Your next goal is to commit to paperwork not touching the flat surfaces in your home until you have stood over the recycle bin, trash can, and paper shredder. The only things left in your hands should be items that REQUIRE action. Catalogs and store fliers are not required reading unless you have been waiting for that particular one in order to purchase a pre-planned/needed item. Be firm in your resolve and reclaim the space you can't see for it's original intended purpose, like dinner together as a family at the table instead of in front of the TV. :)