Jaxtastic Life Spring Cleaning 30-Day Challenge - April 10 & 11, 2015 – Paper Stack Handling

CORRECTION: Originally posted as "April 9 & 10"


We continue to be in action when approaching our paper. We will now approach stacks of paper in your home. We will also continue the daily mail routine. We will work 15-30 minutes max today.

Step 1 – Review your Goal

What goal did you set on Wednesday? Read it, feel it, own it.

Step 2 – Set your timer for 15 - 30 minutes (and stick to it)

Stick to it.

Step 3 – Do Your Daily Standing Mail Routine (posted below for your reference)

This should only take about 5 minutes.

Step 4 – Grab a Stack of  “Old” Paper That You Can Hold In Your Two Hands & Go to Your Work Area

Don’t grab multiple stacks of paper. ONLY grab one stack of paper you can grab with ONLY your two hands.

Use bins or just pieces of paper to mark the spaces.

Step 5 – Start Sorting Through the Old Papers

See General Guidelines below for more information about the spaces.

Step 6 - STOP – When the Timer Goes Off OR When You Run Out of Paper

REALLY!!!! STOP!!!! I don’t care if you are in a groove. I don’t care if you are having fun. STOP!!!!

Step 7 – Trash/Recycle Items

Re-review the trash/recycle items to ensure they can be recycled/trashed.

Then place the items in the trash/recycle bin.

Step 8 – Shred Items

Re-review items to shred to ensure they can be shredded.

Turn the shredder on, if you have one, and shred away.

Step 9 – “Keep” Items

Create a Keep folder.

We will look at what to do with a Keep folder on a future day.

Step 10 – “Action” Items

Create an Action folder.

If the item has a deadline, put it at the top of the items in the folder.

We will look at this Action folder.

Step 11 - Reflect & Congratulate

Give yourself a pat on the back. You did it!!! Was this hard? Was this easy? Just reflect on how it all went.  Don’t make any of it good or bad. Just observe.

Tomorrow – More Action & Motivation Sunday!

Share!!!!

Use the comments area to share your progress, thoughts, hopes, fears, etc. You never know what impact your words will have on someone else.

Standing Daily Mail Routine

Step 1 - Grab Mail & Go to 4 Paper Spaces – Remain Standing

Use bins or just pieces of paper to mark the spaces.

General guidelines for spaces.

Always check with your tax, accounting, legal professional if you are unsure about whether or not to keep, or shred something.

·       Action – invitations, bills, permission slips, etc

·       Keep – legal documents, pictures, etc

·       Shred – anything with your personal information

·       Trash/recycle – anything without your personal information (i.e. store ads)

Here are 2 great resources with additional guideline information:

·       Managing Household Records from USA.gov

·       Conquering Paper Files from Consumer Reports

Step 2 – Stand Up and Sort Through Your Mail

Yes, you are going to stand through the sorting process.

Place items in their respective spaces.

Don’t do anything else, just sort.

Step 3 - STOP – When the Timer Goes Off OR When You Run Out of Mail

REALLY!!!! STOP!!!! I don’t care if you are in a groove. I don’t care if you are having fun. STOP!!!!

Step 4 – Trash/Recycle Items

Re-review the trash/recycle items to ensure they can be recycled/trashed.

Then place the items in the trash/recycle bin.

Step 5 – Shred Items

Re-review items to shred to ensure they can be shredded.

Turn the shredder on, if you have one, and shred away.

Step 6 – “Keep” Items

Place items in the Keep folder.

We will look at what to do with a Keep folder on a future day.

Step 7 – “Action” Items

Place items in the Action folder.

If the item has a deadline, put it at the top of the items in the folder.