Out of Chaos an organizing newsletter
What to Keep
People often ask me how to know what to keep, especially when it comes to paper. Of course, it’s a very individual matter—some of us are more sentimental, some of us are more anxious about audits or litigation. Here are some rules of thumb, just in time for you to tackle that big-pile over the summer:
| Toss: | Possibly Keep: | Keep: |
| Store bought cards | Store bought cards with
long thoughtful messages |
Handmade cards with long
thoughtful messages |
| Catalogs | Alumnae Magazines (only if you read them, and pitch after reading!) | |
| Mutual Fund reports | Annual reports of stocks you actually follow (again, only if you read, and pitch after reading) | Quarterly investment statements (but see if you can get it online) |
| Solicitations of any kind: credit cards, charities, etc. | Renewal for museums you actually belong | Bank statements (but see if you can go digital) |
| Yesterday’s newspaper | This week’s New Yorker | A book you haven’t read (but plan to) |
| Your child’s math test | Your child’s book report | The really funny story your child wrote |
Make your own rules, if you prefer. The point is that once you have guidelines in place, you can go faster: The decisions have already been made. Write down your rules and tape them up on the wall over your desk. It doesn’t have to be pretty—in fact it shouldn’t be. It won’t stay there long. Once you’ve looked at it 15 times while you are pushing through that pile of paper, you’ll have memorized it—and then you can throw that out too. And don’t stop at your desk. Now that you have a structure, go grab those “sticky” piles from the kitchen counter and the coffee table.
Summer is here, time to un-burrow and let some air in, and that means getting rid of stagnancy. Trust me—after one pile you’ll feel good, after two you’ll feel great and by the third you’ll be wondering what took you so long!