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Post by Louie on Dec 17, 2013 23:19:39 GMT -5
Welcome! This is an accountability thread for anyone dealing with paper clutter, please feel free join in, to set your own goals or make up your own methods or lists - whatever is helpful to you in getting rid of the paper clutter. -------------------------------------------- (original post) Today I have had to face up to the fact that I still have a huge problem dealing with Paper... and it's having a negative impact on our family. In the last few weeks, my procrastination with paper has led to: * missing a strata payment due 7 weeks ago - extra interest charged * missing a meeting I was supposed to attend * lost car registration papers - so couldn't drive car for a few days till we found them * not notifying my tenant that a termite inspection was due ( can't find letter) so he was not home - extra charge to get them back * the last rates payment being missed ( 8 weeks ago) now charged at 10% interest * phone call yesterday from debt collector about unpaid bill - have the money, can't find the bill * having my phone and internet cut off this morning for an unpaid bill that I can't find Unfortunately this is not an unusual occurrence, most weeks there is some problem as a result of my paper procrastination. Getting the phone and internet cut off today was the wake up call. I have a problem with paper clutter. I procrastinate in dealing with it due to anxiety ( totally irrational anxiety). I have piles and piles of it in my office - it covers the whole desk, two shelves and one chair. When I first started here a few years ago dealing with the paper clutter was a big part of my difficulty. With support of this forum, particularly chat I was able to get caught up and cleaned up. I need to be accountable again and have decided to start this thread with a goal of fully dealing with at least one piece of paper a day. That might mean finding it, paying a bill or filing it or shredding it, or whatever I need to do to completely deal with it, despite any anxieties I might have. please feel free to join in if you are struggling with paper clutter, I would love to hear from anyone with a similar issue and I feel quite embarrassed that this is such a difficulty.
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Post by JoyInAction on Dec 18, 2013 0:36:04 GMT -5
Ah, Louie, it's nice to see you back. I'm not happy to know you're still struggling with paper; but, alas, so am I. And I face the fear of discovering unknown horrors also, though in the logic areas of my brain, I know it isn't that bad.
A couple of years ago, one very hazardous spot in my home was the location of a paper mountain - probably eight feet across and two to three feet high at the peak just waiting to be the perfect kindling to burn the house down to the foundation. I successfully spent many weeks to clear that spot, but that wasn't the only paper needing to be dealt with. Much more paper is still in boxes and stacked in a bathroom - not as hazardous as the previous mountain, but more of it. And then there's the doom room - floor covered with paper.
So I accept your welcoming invitation to join this challenge. I know I will struggle to keep up with you and to maintain daily continuity in this. Also, I bring more than one piece of paper into the house each day via the mailbox. So I'll need to increase the output in order to make any progress.
At the start I will commit to five minutes a day of paper purging.
Thanks for starting the thread. I hope we can each respond enthusiastically to encouragement from the other.
hugs, joy
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Post by Louie on Dec 18, 2013 1:29:38 GMT -5
hi joy so nice to hear I am not the only one and yes I can relate to the doom room :happy-hug:: I think five minutes a day sounds like a great goal, we'll get there! I have just found a clipboard to use for bills that need to be paid. I paid the credit card bill, filed it and threw out the envelope.
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Post by JoyInAction on Dec 18, 2013 9:31:57 GMT -5
Progress ReportTime spent: | 30 minutes
| Completed: | Based on number of weekly advertising clusters, approximately 3 weeks worth of mail, mostly junk, separated from personal information that was then shredded, the rest is in the trash bin.
| To be completed: | Follow up on Adobe's alert to security breach Several important papers to file Update address list Pay utilities online Decisions to make about year-end philanthropy and retirement plan One catalog to peruse before disposal
| Emotional experience: | Disappointed in myself that, yet again, nobody received a Christmas card from me. Feel violated because of that security breach at Adobe. See this is why I hate going through the papers. |
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Post by cando on Dec 18, 2013 16:00:39 GMT -5
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Post by cando on Dec 18, 2013 17:42:51 GMT -5
Wow! How timely is this thread?! I was just looking to see what bills that I need to pay, and looked into one of the papers that I had been holding on "to do later". Well, I thought it didn't have to be handled until Dec. 31st... guess what? December 13th!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yikes. A financial thing of my DD's who is a college student and doesn't know anything about this... She is her last Final as I am writing this. It has very important tax implications. Anyway, I made the call freaking out and panicky about it. I was a nervous wreck. It turns out that everything is okay and will be NO tax liability after all. I caught my mistake in time and they don't know why they send the letter out worded that way. It does scare a lot of people. Anyway... all is definitely okay. Whew! Just had to tell you about this. CD Whew! That's me exhaling, now...
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Post by Louie on Dec 18, 2013 18:04:38 GMT -5
Joy, - 30 minutes! wow! thats a wonderful effort! Three weeks worth of mail is a lot to get through. I like the way you've posted your progress notes/ cando - welcome! the more the merrier and I will check out that link - so glad that there are no repercussions for missing that bill - gosh it's stressful isn't it! well I decided to do ten minutes work on my paper clutter and I have just starting putting 'like things together' so I cleared a space on the floor and I am just sorting each piece of paper into a pile, some I could throw out and I also tossed out 7 envelopes and two catalogs. It didn't feel good, and was glad when my time was up so I could get out of the office, but I stuck at it and I've made a start! It certainly helps being able to post about it I've edited my original post and changed the original title.
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Post by def6 on Dec 18, 2013 19:46:57 GMT -5
Hello Louie, There's a big pile of paperwork in my bedroom. A piece of mail falls from it from time to time. When that happens..my heart just sinks! I'll spend about 15 minutes on it tonight.
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Post by JoyInAction on Dec 18, 2013 23:12:00 GMT -5
Nice to see cando and def6 joined in today. def6, I second what someone else said about posting everyday - most of us aren't able to. But since you were so uncharacteristically absent, we worried about you when we didn't see you for so long. Thanks for checking in today to let us know you're okay.
For a while now, I've frequently been stubbing my toe on a box in the hallway. Lots of paper in that box, but probably half of it is other detritus - yarn, recipe magazines, just all kinds of stuff. I don't really consider myself to be a hoarder, but there are a few things I hoard. Recipes, for one. And I don't cook much. In fact, when I clean the stove, really all I have to do is dust it. So I wonder why I hoard recipes.
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Post by JoyInAction on Dec 18, 2013 23:24:39 GMT -5
Progress ReportTime spent: | 60 minutes
| Completed: | Went through that box in the hallway that was more than full. Filled a large Archiver's bag with paper and other junkie stuff that went to the bin outside. Shredded the paper containing personal information. Everything else went back into the box as deferred decisions.
| To be completed: | Scan the good things that should be kept Put the yarn and craft stuff in their homes Send one of the little books to a friend's new baby Deal with all those recipe magazines, for crying out loud Make decisions on homes for everything else in there
| Emotional experience: | It wasn't horrible. Just wish I could have emptied the box. |
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Post by cando on Dec 19, 2013 2:19:47 GMT -5
Today's progress: Looked over bills. Relieved that I am not late on anything. Will pay a few tomorrow. Made 4 stressful phone calls regarding important paper that I found... (already posted about it earlier). Completed form regarding that piece of paper. Tossed 3 papers. CD
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Post by Louie on Dec 19, 2013 3:47:20 GMT -5
welcome def6 good to have you here! joy you are doing great! I started a shredding pile after I read your post, it's about 5" high now. cando, good work on doing the phone calls! I decided I could do another 10 minutes tonight so I have been sorting papers that need shredding into a pile and continuing with sorting the papers I need to keep into categories. When DH bought the mail in earlier I opened every envelope (4) tossed the envelops in the bin and put the papers in the right place straight away - bills went on the clipboard, trash went in the bin. I'm going to really try and process the mail every day from now on.
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Post by Louie on Dec 20, 2013 2:07:39 GMT -5
Today I did two 10 minute sessions on sorting my papers. some were filed, a lot went in the shred pile and others in the trash. I also went looking for my shredder and cleaned it out - a shred session will be on the agenda soon.
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Post by cando on Dec 20, 2013 11:04:41 GMT -5
Great job, Louie ! I put 1 paper into the recycle bag & made another phone call, again, regarding that paper. Looks like taxes were taken out after all, but hopefully I can get it back at tax time. Will have to do -- get this! -- MORE PAPERWORK on it, though. Another tax form to fill out. I hope to do some filing, pay more bills & get some cards in the mail, today. CD
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Post by Louie on Dec 21, 2013 1:20:53 GMT -5
you're doing great cando, I did two 10 minute sessions today again and I actually have cleared a small spot on desk now where I got to the end of a whole pile of papers I'm still just working on sorting through each piece of paper in all these piles on my desk. I also got an email today about some documents I need to send in about my retirement funds - they need a copy of a bank statement ... it's somewhere in there.... also I processed my mail again today which I'm very proud of - one bill on the clipboard, one packet of charm squares sorted into colours and put into labelled ziplock bags, envelopes and a catalogue in the bin.
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