Guest post from Lisa of Warrior Mama and Organize 365:
I have always been an organized person. In college I typed and color-coded my notes for school. My 20’s were very organized and went just according to plan…
1994 – I graduated and started teaching
1995 – I got married
1996 – We purchased our first home
1997 – I started a home-based business on top of my full-time teaching career
1999 – I quit teaching and worked full-time from home
2000 – We had our first baby
2001 – We had another baby!
But by 2002, I was overwhelmed with babies, their medical needs, my booming home business, and LIFE!
Fast forward a decade.
Just as I find in many of the homes I organize, my paper was out of control even though there were good organizational systems underneath.
I would have never believed that one day I too would need organizational help. However, a decade of “pile it and file it” led to mini paper mountains everywhere.
Something had to change…
I started with old tax files and slowly purged through each paper area of my life: taxes, manuals, important documents, etc.
I made quick and steady progress until I hit the daily paper clutter — the coupons, bills and school notes on the kitchen counter, directories that seem to multiply overnight, school calendars, items you are saving to scrapbook someday, etc.
That daily paper is NOT clutter, but if you file it, you’ll forget it.
So what can you do?
It took me 6 months of refining my systems to come up with a solution that has worked for me and my clients.
My active papers are now divided in 3 places: a weekly basket, a counter top filing system, and a drawer filing system.
My new e-book, 10 Steps to Organized Paper, walks you step-by-step through tackling your past piles of archived paper, and guides you through a tailored active-paper organization sequence that will have your daily papers organized and OFF your kitchen counters… for good!
If you struggle with paper clutter and are dreading the end of the school year when ALL that additional paper clutter enters your home, don’t wait…
…download your copy today for only $5!
Lisa is a Cincinnati mom who blogs at Warrior Mama “Helping busy moms…Manage All Mama’s Assets”. Lisa also shares her organizational tips on her blog Organize365: Helping Busy Mama’s organize their busy lives.
24-HOUR GIVEAWAY!
This giveaway is now closed… the 5 winners will receive an email from me.
Today, FIVE lucky Simple Organized Living readers will win a copy of 10 Steps to Organized Paper.
How to Enter:
1. Leave a comment on this post. Where is your biggest pile of paper clutter?
If you are reading this in your email or feed reader, please visit the actual blog post to enter. Email entries, Facebook comments, and Twitter messages will NOT be counted.
Prizes:
(5) 10 Steps to Organized Paper eBook as described above
This giveaway ends at 9:00 am on Wednesday, 5/23/2012 and is open to US residents, 18 years or older. I will use And the Winner Is to select the winning comments at random. Winners will be notified by email and noted at the top of this post. Winners must respond within 48 hours of notification to claim their prize or I will choose a new winner. Please see my full disclosure policy and contact me with any questions you have. Good luck!
Jennifer Madigan says
I am pretty good at sorting the mail and everything else that comes into the house. Unfortunately it all gets sorted into a foot tall inbox on my desk.
Deni says
My biggest pile of paper clutter is old bill statements that need to be shredded. Where do I begin?
Laura S. says
Most of my papers end up on the kitchen counter or table for some reason and then when I clean the kitchen I throw them into a “papers” box/bag/or whatever I can find to stuff them into. It’s really sad!!
Cassie b says
My desk is regularly covered with multiple stacks of paper. I’m really interested in what this book has to say!
Diane R. says
I have paper clutter on kitchen counter, then on top of my desk…if I put it away, I totally forget about it. This would be a big help.
Lisa says
I pile paper everywhere. And it drives my husband crazy. On top of the desk, the printer, the secretary that is supposed to help me organize the mail…you name it I have a pile there. I really need some help streamlining it all.
Jennifer says
My paper clutter is literally everywhere
Becky says
Wow!!! This is an awesome deal!!! I could soo use this. We have prett much NO system in place for paper. It just piles up and goes ink piles to spread or keep and then in folders where i can never find anything ever again!!!
Julie says
I have about 4 stacks of paperwork in my spare room that I’m afraid of just trashing. Although… It’s been there nearly a year and I rarely have to look for anything in there. Hmmmm.
Vanessa says
One of my biggest piles is at my desk upstairs and beside my bed (I know this is a really bad thing to do). I try every month to control the clutter and to centralize it to my desk. It will work for a couple of days, but then it gets out of control again.
Audra says
My biggest pile is on the counter by the door….overflowing with whatever we bring home. I have another unsightly pile in my office just off the kitchen. So annoying! I break it down and a week later it is back.
Danita says
This would be soooo helpful! The biggest piles are usually at the desk……
and then they migrate to the kitchen counter.
darla heeter says
My biggest pile of paper is next to my desk. I teach full time and we own a business and have four kids. School ended Friday, today is the day I have to spread put the two piles and sort.
Donna LaDuke says
This would be a godsend. I do lots of volunteer work and would love this help.
Jamie says
The bed in my spare bedroom/office. I work from home, and the flat surface of the full size bed in the room I use as my work space has become a large platform for me to pile up papers, etc.
Dana M says
I have several bad areas…the kitchen counter, the bar in the kitchen and the desk. Even when I sort through it, I never seem to finish the job of actually filing it all away.
Dusti says
Sadly, my biggest pile of paper clutter is in my bedroom. The only place where I would have a chance of feeling relaxed in the evening and rejuvenated in the morning, is instead a constant nagging eyesore and anxiety attack.
I cannot explain how much I would love to read this book. I sure hope I win!
Melissa Campbell says
On my kitchen counter
Vicki says
I need help with my paper pile in my sunroom! It multiplies!
Alison says
My biggest clutter is the pile on my craft desk (somehow it has turned into a, let’s throw it here desk), and there’s a pile of important papers and whatnot on our kitchen counter. Another one of those, “let’s throw it here” things.
Donna E says
My biggest pile is in and on my desk. My file drawers are full of out dated files that I never find time to clean out and I feel burdened with too much paper! I also have stacks of recipes I’ve printed and can’t find the one I need so I print it again. I would love to win one of these e-books! Thanks, Donna
Jodene says
My worst paper piles are in boxes my husband fills and I never see again.
barb pope says
the shelf under my coffee table (its shameful)!
Debi says
On my desk, in my bedroom….not conducive to good sleep!
Lori says
On my husband’s desk and piled on the floor on his side of the bed. Drives me craz
y!
Olympia says
I have piles, bags and boxes of papers EVERYWHERE. Our ktichen counter is always full of mail, magazines, phamplets, bills, recipes, post-its, etc. Then when we are getting company all of that gets put in a bag or box to get off the counter and that goes either in the garage, a closet or the bedrooms, it might be months before I ever look at it again. By that time we have accumulated MORE! We also have 5 big file cabinets, and drawers all over the house FILLED with papers, books, statements, invoices, old and new insurance papers, utility bills, articles cut out of magazines, newspapers, pictures, slips with names and addresses, you name it … it is there. We get sooo many magazines and newspapers that pile up on chairs, tables and in the bathrooms.
I just don’t know what to do with all of it. I would need months, help and an industrial shredder to go through it all.
No one would believe it if they saw it!
PLEASE HELP!!
Overwhelmed in paper.
Thank you!
Tami says
My desk where I pay bills and have my laptop.