Is your mailbox overflowing with unwelcome credit card offers, solicitations and catalogs?  Do you have a procedure for handling incoming mail? How many different phone books were delivered on your doorstep this year?

Get control of your paper clutter by managing your incoming mail using the following steps:

• Take control of your mailbox. The first step to getting control of your paper clutter is to stop what you can from ever arriving at your home or business.   One click of your mouse can take you to a one-stop source for stopping credit card offers, catalogs, direct mail and magazines. If you are also receiving several varieties of phone books, you can sign up to stop receiving them as well. How many phone books do you really need anyway?
• Sort your mail.  When you pick up your mail, start by sorting out all the junk mail and put into the trash, shredder or a recycling bin. Next, take all magazines and catalogs that you want to review and place in a basket which is designated for reading material. What you are left with is the mail which requires action – bills, correspondence, invitations, statements, and the like.
• File into action filing system.  Finally, open all the mail and begin sorting into a simple “action” filing system.  If you only have a few pieces of mail requiring follow-up, one file labeled ”to do” might be sufficient.  If you need to categorize further, suggestions for file names might be: bills to pay, calls to make, to read, and to file.  And of course, while going through the remaining mail, you will end up with more going into the trash.

Tip:  Have a shredder and recycle bin in your garage so you can sort through your mail before it ever comes into the house.   You can overcome your paper clutter – just take one step at a time.