Productivity & Planning

17 of the greatest tools to get your paper clutter under control

17 of the greatest tools to get your paper clutter under control

Are you desperate to get your paperwork organised and under control, but feel unsure about which products will actually be of any help?

Have you ever purchased products before, only to be disappointed that your paperwork still felt out of control?

While there are no 'miracle' products out there, there definitely are ones that will save you so much time, energy and effort when it comes to your paperwork organisation. It all comes down to how you actually use them and the types of paperwork systems you have in place.

So, with my big focus on this topic of late, in the lead up to the release of my new paperwork program, today I'm sharing a list of the 17 greatest tools for paperwork organisation, so you can feel in control when it comes to dealing with your paperwork, and reduce the stress, worry and frustration around this task. Let's dive in!

How to overcome your fear of throwing paperwork away {Q & A}

How to overcome your fear of throwing paperwork away {Q & A}

Do you have anxiety, worry or fear around which paperwork you should be holding onto, and which is safe to get rid of? 

Does it make you feel stressed to go through your archival papers, or paper backlog, because you're not sure where to start in terms of throwing things out? Or how long you should be keeping certain documents?

One of the main reasons a lot of people don’t have their files organised is because they actually don’t know which papers they should be keeping, and for how long. Therefore, they hold onto everything 'just in case' they need to refer back to it, resulting in stuffed-to-the-brim filing cabinets, or completely disorganised systems. 

What's your 'paper personality'?

What's your 'paper personality'?

If you've ever said to yourself...

"I know I'm not dealing with my household paperwork in the right way, and that I could do it better, but how do I go about making changes?"

Today's post is for you.

Even if you feel overwhelmed about taking those first steps, or keep saying to yourself 'I'll get around to organising it one day', please keep reading.

Because there’s little point trying to change your habits around dealing with paperwork without first identifying how you currently deal with it. You can then learn the right strategies to make shifts in the right direction, which will be the basis to your long-term success!

5 Simple steps to creating a school memory box

5 Simple steps to creating a school memory box

I imagine all the mamas of school-aged kids would be nodding their heads in agreement when I say the amount of work that comes home from your child's school-life can be a little overwhelming! But it's also difficult to actually decide what to keep, and what to get rid of, when it comes to your child's wonderful creations.

When my 6 year old son (who has just started school this year) comes home with a new certificate, piece of writing, drawing, or painting, I feel incredibly proud of him, and he is so proud of himself. And that is something to be celebrated in life, right?! Which is why we have an art display in both our kids' rooms, and a cork-board for their certificates and awards.

However, I also knew that with each new keepsake that entered our home, I really needed to create some sort of streamlined system for sorting and storing it all. Something that would keep the paper piles at bay, while preserving the special memories, report cards, work, and achievements collected throughout the school years.

And that is how I decided that a School Memory Box was a must in our home! It's a system that I am already loving - both for the ease of setting it up, and maintaining it...  as long as you keep the word 'streamlined' in mind!

The 7 most common paperwork mistakes... and how to solve them!

The 7 most common paperwork mistakes... and how to solve them!

Today I want you to take ACTION. Action = progress, and whether you realise you're making mistakes with your paperwork or not, taking action to fix them is going to make a huge difference to the way you run your household, and stay on top of your paperwork.

As you read through each of the 7 most common paperwork mistakes, I want you to really think about whether it's something you're currently doing, or that is currently happening, in your home. If you can relate to any of the scenarios, I want you to take action today to try and fix it - schedule it in your calendar, start researching, make an adjustment, start sorting, ask for help.

Whatever action you take is going to equal progress, and that is absolutely the aim here. You can also get your free checklist of what you should be keeping, and what you can safely get rid of. to help you with your paper purging journey. Are you ready, action-taker?!

3 guaranteed ways to stay on top of kids' papers {Q & A}

3 guaranteed ways to stay on top of kids' papers {Q & A}

Being a primary school teacher, I know that A LOT of paperwork goes home to the parents of our beautiful small people on a daily basis, particularly at the start and end of the year.

But it wasn't until this year, when my son started his first year of school, that I got a taste of just HOW MUCH paperwork that actually entailed!!

Those first few weeks of school (along with the orientation sessions leading up to it) felt like we were inundated with forms, important information (don't LOSE it!), invitations to upcoming events, letters, parent homework... you name it, we received it! And trying to stay on top of it all became a little overwhelming.

So of course I did what I always do when I begin to feel overwhelmed - I worked on improving my organising systems! In this case, that meant getting our command centre up and running (along with our daily paperwork system); refining the household binder; and getting the kids' artwork into a better system. 

Today's Q & A episode answers a question specifically about this topic, and I'm detailing 3 guaranteed ways to stay on top of the kids' papers and artwork, that are working particularly well in our little abode...