Miles of Piles

Are you the type that reviews the mail every day? Do you take the time every day to look at each envelope, flyer, postcard, catalog and whatever else you find in the mailbox? Do you make a decision about every piece of mail as soon as you touch it? Do you have piles of mail on your kitchen counter, on your desk, on the dining table and everywhere in between? It may be time to form a new habit.

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Habit Forming

The popular myth that says it takes 21 days to form a habit, may be just that. In fact, research shows that on average it takes 66 days to create a new habit. It could take as much as 254 days or as little as 18 days. The point here is that creating a habit-much like organizing-is a process. This may sound like a familiar refrain coming from everyday ORGANiZiNG, and processing your mail is another example of that. It really doesn't seem to matter whether you are putting your keys in the same spot every day, doing the dishes daily, or maintaining your freshly organized closet. It is a process and takes practice to create the behavior that will keep your organized systems humming along.

You've Got Mail

So just how do you go about creating a habit of processing mail?

The first thing that is necessary is to commit to doing it - every day. Reviewing the mail in the same place every day will certainly re-inforce the habit you're trying to create. Does it make sense to sort the mail at the kitchen counter, in the home office, or at the family command center? The location is entirely up to you.
Have the proper tools available to support your efforts.A recycle and/or trash bin will certainly be put to good use to immediately rid your pile of junk mail, unwanted catalogs and solicitations for so many things that you probably don't need. A calendar, whether paper or digital, is a handy tool to reference and note when events are taking place and when things are due. Labeled folders to store bills to pay, documents to be filed and other action to be taken will help keep the piles from accumulating in the first place.
Be intentional. Treat every piece of mail as an action item. Something's got to be done with it, even if that something is putting it in the recycle bin.

For many people, sorting through the mail on a daily basis is a desired but seemingly unmanageable task. Piles of mail are unsightly and can be overwhelming, so don't let it get to that point. Create a system that works for you. It just may be habit forming.

Happy ORGANiZiNG,

Nancy Patsios

everyday ORGANiZiNG