Comments on: Paper Pile Makeover http://smallnotebook.org/2008/09/15/paper-pile-makeover/ Encouragement for a Simple Home Mon, 15 Mar 2010 23:36:47 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Santhi http://smallnotebook.org/2008/09/15/paper-pile-makeover/#comment-11545 Santhi Fri, 01 Jan 2010 17:15:28 +0000 http://smallnotebook.org/?p=605#comment-11545 I no longer buy magazines (that was my 2009 resolution ;)) Anyway who needs them when you have such great blogs like this! ;> I no longer buy magazines (that was my 2009 resolution ;) ) Anyway who needs them when you have such great blogs like this! ;>

]]> By: Florence http://smallnotebook.org/2008/09/15/paper-pile-makeover/#comment-9597 Florence Mon, 05 Oct 2009 05:43:03 +0000 http://smallnotebook.org/?p=605#comment-9597 My problem arose when my now deceased husband ailed for about 5 years and I spent every day with him. When I came home it was time to bring in the mail and eat a frozen dinner, do what I could just to read the mail, and go to bed. Most of the mail did not get read, just stacked, until there was no longer any place in the living room, the dining room, or the kitchen without piles of paper on top. This includes sofa, chairs, tables big and small, and 3 card tables side by side in the living room. My daughter helped me one day so that at least part of the dining room table can be seen. I do not have a Website. My problem arose when my now deceased husband ailed for about 5 years and I spent every day with him. When I came home it was time to bring in the mail and eat a frozen dinner, do what I could just to read the mail, and go to bed. Most of the mail did not get read, just stacked, until there was no longer any place in the living room, the dining room, or the kitchen without piles of paper on top. This includes sofa, chairs, tables big and small, and 3 card tables side by side in the living room. My daughter helped me one day so that at least part of the dining room table can be seen.
I do not have a Website.

]]> By: Midwest Mainer http://smallnotebook.org/2008/09/15/paper-pile-makeover/#comment-2258 Midwest Mainer Tue, 28 Oct 2008 08:16:23 +0000 http://smallnotebook.org/?p=605#comment-2258 I love the idea of scanning but it takes a village to get me all set up to do that. I have a hard enough time scanning photos. It works but a little something easier...taking a picture of the document. It doesn't work for every record or document...sometimes you need to see the details. Other times, a photo will catch what you need. I lay them all out on the floor on a sunny day and take pictures, download and file under 'inventory' or reciepts. Whatever works. That's how I handle kids' artwork, too. Love my camera. (I use it to take notes on vacation. I take pictures of stores, restaurants, and hotels I want to ask about, learn about, or visit next time. I also take pictures of maps so don't have to carry it with me! Subway maps, city maps..) I see a blog post here.... I love the idea of scanning but it takes a village to get me all set up to do that. I have a hard enough time scanning photos. It works but a little something easier…taking a picture of the document. It doesn’t work for every record or document…sometimes you need to see the details. Other times, a photo will catch what you need. I lay them all out on the floor on a sunny day and take pictures, download and file under ‘inventory’ or reciepts. Whatever works. That’s how I handle kids’ artwork, too.

Love my camera. (I use it to take notes on vacation. I take pictures of stores, restaurants, and hotels I want to ask about, learn about, or visit next time. I also take pictures of maps so don’t have to carry it with me! Subway maps, city maps..) I see a blog post here….

]]> By: Jaro http://smallnotebook.org/2008/09/15/paper-pile-makeover/#comment-2074 Jaro Sun, 19 Oct 2008 16:07:49 +0000 http://smallnotebook.org/?p=605#comment-2074 Hi everyone, new reader here, I am catching up with the reading and find great ideas here. Just a comment on the paper problem. I am in the 3rd year of a 2 week organizing challenge, I have discovered that while I love organizing the files, landing strip, folders etc. actually doing the filing and using the tools it's taken weeks to set up elude me. I intend to keep working on it and hope to find the answer someday. Love the site, keep up the good work. Hi everyone, new reader here, I am catching up with the reading and find great ideas here. Just a comment on the paper problem. I am in the 3rd year of a 2 week organizing challenge, I have discovered that while I love organizing the files, landing strip, folders etc. actually doing the filing and using the tools it’s taken weeks to set up elude me. I intend to keep working on it and hope to find the answer someday. Love the site, keep up the good work.

]]> By: jodi @ bpr http://smallnotebook.org/2008/09/15/paper-pile-makeover/#comment-2035 jodi @ bpr Fri, 17 Oct 2008 19:23:39 +0000 http://smallnotebook.org/?p=605#comment-2035 really really think about it before keeping any piece of paper - throw away lots more (I'm guilty of being a packrat), scan & save digital copies of the "essentials" and only keep paper copies of the "absolute essentials" - I scan and keep things as pdfs, and I've yet to be sorry that I threw away a piece of paper, and a digital filing system is much easier to manage! Now it's much easier for me to keep up with info I need. I also try not to keep magazines...I used to have years of Southern Living & others...now I only keep the 2 most current issues. If an article is super important, I scan and then throw it away. So far I haven't missed a single old issue - and most of that info could be found online if I did suddenly realize I "needed" something again! <abbr><em>jodi @ bpr's last blog post..<a href="http://backporchreflections.blogspot.com/2008/10/what-makes-exercise-work-for-you.html" rel="nofollow">What makes exercise work for you?</a></em></abbr> really really think about it before keeping any piece of paper – throw away lots more (I’m guilty of being a packrat), scan & save digital copies of the “essentials” and only keep paper copies of the “absolute essentials” – I scan and keep things as pdfs, and I’ve yet to be sorry that I threw away a piece of paper, and a digital filing system is much easier to manage! Now it’s much easier for me to keep up with info I need.

I also try not to keep magazines…I used to have years of Southern Living & others…now I only keep the 2 most current issues. If an article is super important, I scan and then throw it away. So far I haven’t missed a single old issue – and most of that info could be found online if I did suddenly realize I “needed” something again!

jodi @ bpr’s last blog post..What makes exercise work for you?

]]> By: KHoll http://smallnotebook.org/2008/09/15/paper-pile-makeover/#comment-1375 KHoll Mon, 29 Sep 2008 14:35:56 +0000 http://smallnotebook.org/?p=605#comment-1375 Some great advice I've heard is to only touch a piece of paper once - that means directly into the trash, the filing cabinet, the to-do list... Taking action not only helps you make a decision (no waffling later on), but prevents the paper pile from increasing! To avoid letting old magazines pile up, I've started annotating articles as I'm reading, then I tear out the ones I want and throw away the magazine. When do you ever read back through an entire magazine? Just hold on to the information that has value to you! The annotating helps not only to remind me why I liked the article, but also holds the key to the train of thought I had, since it may change the next time I read it. The key now will be to deal with the folder full of articles - but it's better than a stack of magazines! Some great advice I’ve heard is to only touch a piece of paper once – that means directly into the trash, the filing cabinet, the to-do list… Taking action not only helps you make a decision (no waffling later on), but prevents the paper pile from increasing!

To avoid letting old magazines pile up, I’ve started annotating articles as I’m reading, then I tear out the ones I want and throw away the magazine. When do you ever read back through an entire magazine? Just hold on to the information that has value to you! The annotating helps not only to remind me why I liked the article, but also holds the key to the train of thought I had, since it may change the next time I read it. The key now will be to deal with the folder full of articles – but it’s better than a stack of magazines!

]]> By: Eve http://smallnotebook.org/2008/09/15/paper-pile-makeover/#comment-1316 Eve Fri, 26 Sep 2008 14:33:56 +0000 http://smallnotebook.org/?p=605#comment-1316 One thing I should add...There are 5 in our family and EVERYONE knows that ANY AND EVERY piece of paper goes on my desk. I go through that pile daily and sort into my letter trays. <abbr><em>Eve's last blog post..<a href="http://eve1.wordpress.com/2008/09/15/off-to-a-great-start/" rel="nofollow">Off to a great start</a></em></abbr> One thing I should add…There are 5 in our family and EVERYONE knows that ANY AND EVERY piece of paper goes on my desk. I go through that pile daily and sort into my letter trays.

Eve’s last blog post..Off to a great start

]]> By: Eve http://smallnotebook.org/2008/09/15/paper-pile-makeover/#comment-1315 Eve Fri, 26 Sep 2008 14:24:02 +0000 http://smallnotebook.org/?p=605#comment-1315 Old habits are hard to break and sometimes (for whatever reason) we feel we need to change them. Piles aren't always so bad. It's the cluttered, messy, "I-can't-find-anything-in-this-mess" look that's the problem, isn't it? These days, we have paper coming in from 100 different directions so it's natural we'll have something that looks like this (your pic)! So, instead of trying to completely transform what we're used to - we can gradually become better organizers (...baby steps!) - and going at it cold turkey, which means we're less likely to stick to it long-term - try changing the "system" to fit your habits. I'll try to be brief... I'm a natural piler. That's just my "system" of staying organized. My desk often looked like the pic and it drove me crazy. How can we be productive that way? Well, I purchased some inexpensive letter trays that stack. I labeled them: TO DO, TO CALL, TO CLICK, TO READ, TO PAY, TO FILE. The most pressing items go in the TO DO (always on top). When I'm feeling chatty, I grab the TO CALL pile and spend time on the phone. When I'm at the computer, I work on the TO CLICK stack. TO READ, TO PAY, TO FILE...you get the idea. It works for me. I still have my piles. Just not all over the place. Plus, I'm using vertical space, which just looks much neater! Hope this idea helps you or some of your readers!!! Be blessed! <abbr><em>Eve's last blog post..<a href="http://eve1.wordpress.com/2008/09/15/off-to-a-great-start/" rel="nofollow">Off to a great start</a></em></abbr> Old habits are hard to break and sometimes (for whatever reason) we feel we need to change them. Piles aren’t always so bad. It’s the cluttered, messy, “I-can’t-find-anything-in-this-mess” look that’s the problem, isn’t it? These days, we have paper coming in from 100 different directions so it’s natural we’ll have something that looks like this (your pic)!

So, instead of trying to completely transform what we’re used to – we can gradually become better organizers (…baby steps!) – and going at it cold turkey, which means we’re less likely to stick to it long-term – try changing the “system” to fit your habits.

I’ll try to be brief…

I’m a natural piler. That’s just my “system” of staying organized. My desk often looked like the pic and it drove me crazy. How can we be productive that way? Well, I purchased some inexpensive letter trays that stack. I labeled them: TO DO, TO CALL, TO CLICK, TO READ, TO PAY, TO FILE. The most pressing items go in the TO DO (always on top). When I’m feeling chatty, I grab the TO CALL pile and spend time on the phone. When I’m at the computer, I work on the TO CLICK stack. TO READ, TO PAY, TO FILE…you get the idea.

It works for me. I still have my piles. Just not all over the place. Plus, I’m using vertical space, which just looks much neater!

Hope this idea helps you or some of your readers!!! Be blessed!

Eve’s last blog post..Off to a great start

]]> By: Marcia, Organising Queen http://smallnotebook.org/2008/09/15/paper-pile-makeover/#comment-1179 Marcia, Organising Queen Thu, 18 Sep 2008 10:26:32 +0000 http://smallnotebook.org/?p=605#comment-1179 Hi there Nice to meet you :) I just posted on paper yesterday - so I'll redirect you to that post http://organisingtips.blogspot.com/2008/09/paper-paper-and-still-more-paper.html I love the look of your blog and can't wait to read all these comments too - you see, I'm a weird sort of person who loves to organise anything officey :) Hi there

Nice to meet you :)

I just posted on paper yesterday – so I’ll redirect you to that post
http://organisingtips.blogspot.com/2008/09/paper-paper-and-still-more-paper.html

I love the look of your blog and can’t wait to read all these comments too – you see, I’m a weird sort of person who loves to organise anything officey :)

]]> By: Vintage Mommy http://smallnotebook.org/2008/09/15/paper-pile-makeover/#comment-1173 Vintage Mommy Thu, 18 Sep 2008 04:33:13 +0000 http://smallnotebook.org/?p=605#comment-1173 I always have a pile of stuff to deal with, but I keep it in a nice-looking basket. I have finally learned to recycle/toss right away, but it's the things I need to process in some way that pile up. Sometimes it's procrastination, sometimes I'm just tired - like tonight! <abbr><em>Vintage Mommy's last blog post..<a href="http://www.vintagemommy.com/?p=79" rel="nofollow">Vel-a-cro, Spungie Cords and the Mirr-o</a></em></abbr> I always have a pile of stuff to deal with, but I keep it in a nice-looking basket. I have finally learned to recycle/toss right away, but it’s the things I need to process in some way that pile up. Sometimes it’s procrastination, sometimes I’m just tired – like tonight!

Vintage Mommy’s last blog post..Vel-a-cro, Spungie Cords and the Mirr-o

]]>