A good day’s work done. Check. Desk clear, clean and tidy.  Check. Handbag has got as few things in it as possible.  Check. Collected the dry cleaning.  Check. Cooked a healthy meal. Check. Returned to a clean and tidy home.  Check. All paperwork done and sorted and everything in its place. I said all paperwork done and sorted and everything in its place? Music on and ready to relax for the evening.  Check. I’ll repeat, all paperwork done and sorted and everything in its place? It’s gone really quiet.  May be I need to say it louder, ALL PAPERWORK DONE AND SORTED AND EVERYTHING IN ITS PLACE? Are you clearing your throat?  I’m clearing my throat too. I’m working on it.  Working on what? Sorting all the paperwork.  It is one of the main tasks I need to ‘check’ – sorry to say that cliché but it is a work in progress.  I am the queen when it comes to organising a house, clearing rubbish out, giving clothes to charity or to friends or throwing out altogether;  A clear out is so liberating isn’t it? Out with the old, in with the new.  Every room, shelf, cupboard and drawer can be as organized as can be, but what is it about the paper trail that has us chasing it like we’re living in a maze.  My trail leads to this:

This is one pile that was higher but has slowly been reduced!  When l get that ‘I’m going to get that pile out of my hair’ head on and really have a go at it, it’s amazing how long the sorting can take.  Then I will put the rest all in a neat pile and vow that by the end of the week I would have sorted through everything.  Then one day, two days, three days pass and what do you know a week has gone.  Then I will put it all in a neat pile, only for it to be disturbed when I need something.  Now the items in this pile tend to be the ‘non-essentials’.  On a tired day I will leave the pile to sit and stare at me waiting patiently for attention.  I’ve even moved the pile to the sofa, thinking I will tackle it, but then the thought of it makes me feel tired and I put the pile back neatly in its original position!

I was at a friend’s house and was totally blown away by the amount of paper in the house.  My pile in comparison was absolutely nothing. Of course I could not take pictures for fear of this being my last post! No seriously, she is such a lovely person, would do anything for anyone, but she says paper is her number one enemy and she just doesn’t have the time to sort through it. She said she knows where everything is and can put her hands on it in an instant.  We both knew that it was not the ideal scenario to be in and it had me looking at this common ‘dis-ease’ with paper that has us all frozen like statues.  It’s almost as if we think the paper is a live entity that will somehow eat us alive!

We all know what to do – it’s simple right?  Just spend some time going through the paperwork and get rid of it.  Save soft copies if needed, find a permanent home for the item, pass it onto someone or discard it.  There are so many ‘organizers’ be it books, people and stationery designed to help us keep everything orderly and up-to-date. Yet everyone has something which just grows like weeds in their paper trail.  I will do by Thursday.  I must do it by Thursday.  No more piles for me.  I will save that tree! Yes, no more piles for me.  I will save that tree! One more time, No more piles for me.  I will save that tree!  If you came to my house you would not even see or notice this pile, but to me it is the size of Mount Everest.  One person’s mini pile is another person’s Mount Everest.  One person’s Mount Everest is another person’s Burj Khalifa – I think you can see where this is going.

Then I have another friend has a very large storage cupboard which has the most beautiful door. You rush to open it to admire the inside and everything and anything falls out and it’s all paper!   Again to take a picture of this cupboard would have been my dream so that you could all have seen why I was rolling on the floor laughing so much.  A beautifully gold painted door with lovely shelves housing what only can be described as paper! Paper everywhere. “We need a plan to make it disappear!”  Yes, those are the words I actually used when I had regained my composure.

So do you have a drawer, a cupboard or something that needs your attention?  You know we will all feel good once we each get rid of that sticking point – the paper trail.  We all know the pros and cons of keeping this type of ‘project’ on the go, the only thing that goes is us …… out the door trying to forget it!  Let’s face our paper projects head on and chase out all that it represents mentally and physically. Let what ever space that paperwork is taking up remain clear or convert it to an oasis, puts things there that you enjoy and which calm you there instead.  No more wasting time and energy looking for the art exhibition or live music show flyer you want to attend but missed because you couldn’t find the flyer! I want to spend more time away from the paper trail and more on the journey of life. What about you?

I hope you enjoy the link below: (I thought we should get straight to it!) 🙂

http://www.cozi.com/live-simply/10-best-tips-organizing-paper-clutter

http://www.cozi.com/live-simply