Paper Pile Sorted & Put Away

I got it in my mind this week that I could get that pile on our filing cabinet dealt with in 15 minutes. I probably could have, but my perfectionism reared its head. I also almost backed out my plan, as I started looking through the stack. It seemed like to much work to do in 15 minutes. Here's how I tackled and beat that pile to near nothing in MORE than 15 minutes.

Pesky pile of papers to be dealt with

 I started with only the first piece of paper. If I remember it was an order form for glasses purchased. I filed it in that very drawer in an established file titled EYE CARE. Gee. That sure wasn't hard. There were a few more easy papers in that pile that were treated similarly. I even found a few things that could go straight to the recycling bin! How those wound up all the way to the basement to be filed I will never know. :)

I got stuck when I reached a light green file folder filled with instruction booklets from various items. The things is we have various instruction files INSIDE that black file cabinet. This means I needed to sort the light green file to determine which instruction booklet went in which file. Overwhelming!

I had to stop. I ran an errand and returned determined to get all those instructions booklets in their correct file. Is it hard to believe that I found instructions for things we no longer own? Of course. Those I put in the paper recycling. :) I did get all those booklets into their correct files.

I also found three small envelopes with information on our bicycle purchases in 2009, 2010 and 2013. One of them had small tools in it! I had never officially filed those little packets the store gave us. Did we need an instruction manual for the bikes? No. Did we need the original carbon copy receipt in triplicate? No. In the end, I used that light green file folder that was empty of random instructions and titled it BIKES. I kept the receipts and one instruction manual. And who knows, I may not even need those! It just feels better to be rid of those three envelopes. Oh, and the tools are now in the garage tool box. :)

After 

So the file cabinet is much, much cleaner. I have already moved that first booklet there to the garage sale pile as I think I am selling that item! One little envelope of personal letters left. I think we will keep, but need to think about where is the right place for those.

You have no idea how long that pile has haunted me!! I feel so much better now that it is taken care of. One step closer to a more organized and less cluttered basement. And I will say it probably took me less than an hour, maybe just 45 minutes. 

Do you have a pile of papers that is taunting you? Do you think you could take some time and tackle it today? 

Remember...one piece of paper at a time. You can do it!!