Image courtesy of Sharon McCutcheon
Six days a week our friendly postman or woman dutifully delivers the mail to our mailbox. For some, this sparks joy in hopes that a special piece of mail has finally arrived. For others, it is the moment they remember the mail from yesterday still sits on the counter with the mail from two weeks ago. The stack of mail continues to grow!
Why do people avoid dealing with their mail? There are many reasons, but most likely because it’s a mundane task that is repeated six days a week and takes time away from the things we would rather being doing. But, the truth is, the taller that stack of mail gets, the less desirable it is to tackle; and eventually becomes too overwhelming to deal with.
If this sounds like you, try these 4 easy steps for a better relationship with your mail. This process should only take five minutes.
A quick video tutorial on how to sort the mail!
Once you get your mail from the mailbox DO NOT sit it down anywhere in your home or office. Find a flat surface, preferably near the recycle bin, and without opening any mail, sort your mail into three piles:
Keep Pile - Mail that requires action. Example: Bills, announcements & invitations from people you know, magazines you ordered and want to read, etc.
Shred Pile - Mail you don’t even need to open to know it’s junk. Example: Unsolicited mail requesting donations, pre-qualification mail from banks and credit cards, etc.
Recycle Pile - Junk Mail - It’s easy to identify so don’t ponder it to long - recycle it right away! Example: Flyers or mailers, catalogs and magazines you did not order, etc.
Next:
Open the envelopes from the “Keep” pile. Discard the outer envelope into the recycle bin. Usually you will find more mail from your keep pile that can be shredded or recycled once opened.
Photo courtesy of Sigmund
Shred what needs to be shredded or put it in the recycle bin. To shred or not too shred is up to you but if it has any personal information or account numbers on it, I highly recommend you shred those pieces of mail. If you don’t have a shredder, check out this shredder from Amazon. You won’t be disappointed!
Your recycle pile should already be in the recycle bin leaving you with just the “Keep” pile. This pile will require action. Put that action pile where you pay your bills so it won’t get out of control and take action on it as soon as possible!
Make these 4 steps a daily habit when you retrieve your mail and never face that daunting stack of mail again.
If you want to reduce the amount of junk mail you receive, check out these websites to learn more: