Magazines Contribute To Clutter
Do you have magazine clutter? Are partially read or unread magazines scattered around your home or mixed in with that looming paper pile on your counter top? If so, read on.
While many people these days are reading online, there are still those who love getting magazines and catalogs in the mail. If you are one of those people, it is important that you designate a bin or basket to hold them. Having stacks of unread magazines and catalogs on the coffee table, kitchen countertops, your desk, or beside your bed is unsightly and becomes clutter if not processed in a timely manner.
“…there are still those who love getting magazines and catalogs in the mail”
3-Tips for Managing Printed Materials
1. Allocate a decorative basket or medium-sized bin for printed materials. This is the only place that magazines should be stored for future reading.
2. When a catalog or magazine comes in, grab a sticky note and write a “Read By” date on it Place that note on the front cover. This date should be no more than three months out. Place magazine or catalog in the basket or bin.
3. At least one time per month, go through the bin and purge out those that you have not read and never intend to read. If there are some materials that you still want to read, cross through the “Read By” date (see #2), write the new “Read By” date, which can be no more than three months out. If six months passes and you still have not read the article, either stop what you are doing and read it. Be realistic, if you are not willing to read it immediately after holding on to it for six months, it is unlikely that you will ever get around to it. Donate, recycle, or toss. You may also consider tearing out the pages of the articles that you intend to read and then transfer the dated sticky note to that 1st page of that article.
If you need help setting up organizational systems that support you, your family, or your business, contact Andrea Brundage, Professional Organizer & Bringer of Calm. Visit www.ProfessionalOrganizerAZ.com for a free gift. Simple Organized Solutions offers virtual and group coaching as well as in-person hands-on organizing. For more information, call (480) 382-1085