Even though in this digital age postal mail seems to be lessening it still manages to clutter up our homes and offices. How often do you find important mail items lost underneath a stack of unimportant ones?
Here are 3 simple ways to get your mail under control:
Stop mail entering the home
One of the biggest mail clutter culprits is junk mail. The simplest and cheapest way to solve this problem is to place a "no junk mail" sign on your mailbox. Even if you love flicking through the specials it is worthwhile considering it temporarily until the clutter is under control otherwise it’s like shoveling snow while it’s still falling. When you are on top of the piles you can always remove the sign.
Consider what paper items can be received electronically. For example bank statements or if you have regular bills that are deducted automatically and you only need them for tax purposes or future reference see if they can be emailed or accessed online instead. Remember to cancel the paper version.
Unsubscribe from direct mailings that you no longer use, like that discount clothing catalogue you thought would be useful but you never purchased from.
Form new habits
Retrain yourself and create a new habit of walking to your recycling bin after picking up the mail and throwing out anything you won’t look at – this will make a real difference. Remember to tear up anything with your personal details on it.
Organise
Where is your mail ending up? Think about creating a catchment zone, it could be a bowl or an in-tray - somewhere to temporarily put your mail when you first come in.
Create a ‘mail opening station’ –This area would house everything you need to action your mail. Preferably close to your filing system.
Decide when you are going to open your mail, allocate 15 minutes to this task and put it in your calendar or diary until it becomes a habit. It is worthwhile setting a reminder in the early days.
In those 15 minutes open the mail, quickly sort, staple and add important dates to your diary. Take one small action for each letter, file whatever needs filing immediately.
Get in the habit of doing these steps and your mail will be under control.
Don’t delay start today
Sara