Disclosure: I participated in an Influencer Activation on behalf of Influence Central for Fellowes Brands. I received a product sample to facilitate my review as well as a promotional item to thank me for my participation.
I’m going to be honest here and I’m going to ask you not to judge me. My house is cluttered, I’m no hoarder (despite what B says) but I get a sentimental attachment to certain items (my old kids clothes) and a weird fear that something I throw away or giveaway will be needed almost immediately after. Truthfully that’s only happened once. B donated my hole puncher and believe it or not I’ve needed it on various occasions since then, so much so that I went and purchased another. Poor guy will never live it down.
Speaking of hole punchers. Paper tends to be something I have a hard time getting rid of. This one isn’t because of a sentimental attachment but because sometimes I just don’t know what to do with it or if I will need it at a later time. Ever since I got my Fellowes M-12C Shredder I’ve been doing some serious work on my paper clutter and let me tell you, it feels SO good!
This thing can do some work! Having a Fellowes M-12C Shredder makes de-cluttering your paper and protecting your identity such a an easy task. It honestly makes it fun to de-clutter! And de-cluttering your paper is SO important when it comes to productivity. A clear desk is a clear mind that makes it easier to work! So how can you de-clutter your desk? Here are Six Simple Steps for how to get rid of paper clutter AND how to stay on top of it!
1. Go through all your paper clutter. Separate it into three piles.
- Shred: This pile is everything you don’t need. If you don’t need it, shred it!
- Keep: This is for everything that you know you have to keep. Important receipts, documents etc.
- Unsure: This is for items you’re unsure of.
2. After you separate your paper clutter into three piles get working on shredding all the paper you don’t need. Why shred first? Shredding feels good. You’ll want to shred ALL THE THINGS which will come in handy once you get to pile three.
3. Separate your keep pile into two different piles.
- Hard copy
- Scan
File away everything you need a hard copy on. Everything else scan so that you have a digital copy available. Many printers are 3 in 1s, I have a HP. There are also desktop scanners like NeatDesk.
4. Go through the unsure pile a second time. Shred anything you don’t need. File/Scan anything you do. If you still have papers you’re unsure of file that in an “unsure” folder.
5. Go through your mail on a daily basis and follow the three pile rule.
6. Go through all your papers every 3 months in case you missed anything. These after sessions will make you more aware the of things you don’t actually need in the “unsure” folder!
Once you do the initial purge everything will come so easy! Get rid of that paper!
Keeping the paper clutter down is especially important for newlyweds and new homeowners. Which makes the Fellowes M-12C Shredder a great wedding shower or housewarming gift. As they travel on this new journey there is so much paperwork that needs to be properly filed and in many cases properly shredded in order to protect their identity which is where the Fellowes M-12C comes into play. It has so many great features that make it a great gift to any newlywed or new home owner.
- Cross-Cut blades that destroy 12 sheets of paper into approximately 302 particles per sheet for greater security
- SafeSense® Technology which automatically disables the shredder when hands touch the paper opening
- The ability to shred credit cards, paper clips, staples and junk mail for added convenience
- A 5 minute run time before automatic cool down
If you have kids like me the SafeSense Technology is especially important. You can check it out here. I also love how big the storage compartment is for the shredded paper. It allows you to shred for longer periods of time which is perfect for paper clutter purges and keep everything contained.
Not to mention with a shredder on hand it makes it so much easier to stay on top of the clutter. As soon you have something you don’t need you shred it and you’re done with it.
The Fellowes M-12C Shredder is available at Target and Target.com with a suggested retail of $99.00
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nicole dz says
Awesome post for spring cleaning, my desk is heaping with papers, really need to go through all of it and get the ball rolling. Great tips here. Love the one about going through it every 3 months to stay up on it.
Joey Walden says
The thing is, it is a lot harder then you think to just throw away the documents you might not need. You never know when you might need it in a meeting or research. It is the one thing the is a struggle at my job.
Veronika Dalton says
You know you're an adult when you look forward to shredding your documents! Shredding day is my favorite. My boss got a new shredder last year and it was like Christmas all over again.
Lauren Woodley says
Wow, this is a really organize and helpful guide on how to declutter your paperwork. I really appreciated the first insight about how you should separate your paperwork into three piles: shred, keep, and unsure. I always forget that I should be going through my important documents and shredding them. Thus, thanks for the reminder; I will definitely start doing this. http://www.elharvey.com/paper-shredding-and-secure-destruction/secure-document-shredding/
Westly Smith says
I have a problem with having a lot of paper clutter as well! Thanks for your tip to get a paper shredder. I’ve never own one before, and it would be good for me. I love watched the paper getting shredded! It also saves a lot of space.