Creating a Plan for Personal Papers

Tidied all papers. Tore up and ruthlessly destroyed much. This is always a great satisfaction.
-KATHERINE MANSFIELD

This morning let's mull over how much of our precious natural resources-our time, creative energy, and emotion-we squander looking for the orphans of disorder: the overdue bill, the misplaced party invitation (with directions), the registration form for the swimming lessons that begin this afternoon.

If you don't have a plan for keeping track of your personal papers, take two hours this week to establish one that will. Unless of course, you feel like Winnie the Pooh's creator, A. A. Milne, who believed that "One of the advantages of being disorderly is that one is constantly making exciting discoveries." But my life is exciting enough without tracking down recalcitrant receipts when I need to return something to the store. So is yours.

I've got a very simple version of paper order. In fact, it almost relieves me of the n_ to think, which can be very handy! Like children who like to store their toys in separate boxes, I store my papers in the same way: different fabric-covered boxes and square baskets sit on shelves above my desk. One box is for unpaid bills and financial records; as soon as they arrive in the mail they're deposited here; after they're paid, the receipts go into a file. Other boxes keep personal correspondence separate from business correspondence. Another box keeps my publishing papers separate from my workshop materials, and still another box is for my business receipts (as soon as I'm home from an errand or a trip, receipts are deposit¬ed here until tax time). There's a box for family papers we'll need in the near future: lesson forms, party invitations, directions for visits to my daughter's friends. I know approximately which box to look for something in. Believe me, this helps.

Once a month-usually the afternoon of the last Saturday-I follow Katherine Mansfield's advice and ruthlessly toss and re-file. When I get in there monthly, it only takes an hour, and the feeling of being in control of my personal papers is very reassuring. Today, start a paper chase around your home, searching for every stray piece of paper you can find. Gather them all into one large cardboard box. Pour yourself a refreshing drink. Put on some lively music. Go through each paper and separate them into categories. If you don't have boxes or baskets handy for stowing them, put them in large labeled manila envelopes until you do. Throwaway whatever you can.

Think of all the time you waste when you don't know where something is when you need it. Now reflect on all the time that you'll be able to ransom simply because you do.