How to Organize Actionable Papers (Paper Organizing Tips Part 2 of 2)

[@DoItOnaDime]

Awesome tips, Alejandra! That organizer is so perfect for a visual person. Love your kitchen BTW! 💛💛

[@HomeOrganizing]

+DoItOnaDime Thanks Kathryn!! I hope you're doing well and are off to a great 2016!!

[@riniastuti1309]

My 2 favorite ladies, Alejandra and Katryn 😊👍

[@julietannOsfan1972]

2 of mine too:)

[@RaeJae3089]

Mine too!!! You guys have totally changed my life!!!! Thank you so much!!

[@jasonvillareal8759]

I agree

[@Kindercrafty]

So good to see you back! I've missed your videos. Love your channel ❤️

[@bexyrexy]

Batch processing- what a great way to maximize your time. I also like the follow-up summary on the sticky note. It seems like this will increase the probability that actions will actually be carried out. Thank you for sharing!

[@Clutterbug]

Love your organizing videos! You are such an inspiration to me and my channel!

[@Lisa_Uncensored]

Today is the Grand Opening of the container store here in Sacramento. I'm soooooooooo excited!!!!! I know you can appreciate my excitement.

[@HomeOrganizing]

+Lisa Hoffert Ah!!! Yes, I can!!! I hope you have so much fun!! All of the details of the party are just so fun and organized! :) I hope you have a BLAST!!

[@radsan3006]

OMG, I can't tell you how many years I've been trying to search for information on how to organize all my paperwork the way I need to according to the particular way I do everything! Thank you so much!

[@tomilyngarot2807]

Love it! Thank you! In the morning I usually watch one of your older videos just to keep motivated for the day😃👍🏻

[@marahball1087]

You're so inspiring, Alejandra, and you get me excited and motivated to organize. Could you maybe do a school desk organization video?

[@WhiteLotusTarot]

I am so happy I found your channel and this video in particular. Tomorrow I have set aside time in the afternoon to tackle the piles of paper in my office! The advice here is perfect and I have my checklist ready to go. Thank you ♥ Namaste

[@brittneyshw13]

I LOVE LOVE LOVE your channel!!!! Please upload again soon.. I rewatch old organizational videos because I love your videos so much. Keep up the good work. BEST ORGANIZER EVER!! You are my dream organization goals

[@redhedfredify]

Wonderful to see you back, Alejandra!! Thank you for your amazing videos!!

[@Anthony_in_Bloomington_Indiana]

In the last 2 months, I have * FILLED * and recycled 10 bags of old papers. Last night I filled a recycling bin at a college library with old papers, about half of that was obsolete textbooks, where I tore out the pages. I figure I have 3 to 4 more grocery bags of papers to sort and recycle, plus I will scan a few and types lots of notes. Alejandra, even your disorganized mess is more organized than my disorganized mess.

[@sufferright]

Good to have you back on youtube! I hope you'll show us how you set up your new spaces - i never found more helpful videos than yours! :)

[@Weesing]

Your kids will love Wee Sing! Great songs and entertaining videos all in one place!

[@jacobandellie]

Great video. I am very organized...5 very active kids, full time job, and husband that travels for work...we are busy!! and sometimes I have a hard time understanding why people don't just take action on the things that need action. Procrastination just make things so much more difficult!! Do auto pay so you don't have bills coming in that you will forget to pay.!! If you have to make a phone call, make it that day or next!!! I have limited paper in the house. If you need a manual for an appliance or something, it can be found online! The more paper, the more confused people get!!

[@HomeOrganizing]

+Melissa Geittmann Hi there Melissa! So glad you enjoyed the video. You are absolutely correct - procrastination makes things worse... a LOT worse! It sounds like you are running a very smooth household with 5 active kids, kudos to you! Thank you for watching and I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

[@jacobandellie]

+Home Organizing by Alejandra.tv yes I love your videos. I recently watched the car organization. That's where I struggle. I ordered a few products, and today it's supposed to be 65 and sunny do today I'm working on the car. I struggle with my fridge too! any videos on that?

[@greenwillow5404]

+Melissa Geittmann She did an excellent one called: Fridge Organization-How to Organize the Refrigerator on 2-20-12. It's really well done. (As is everything she does)!:)

[@hichamelmechchate5224]

Really, she is an organization expert. I admire your ideas. Keeeep onnnnn

[@mailonez1]

Great idea for coloring books! I never would have thought to use this for that. Love your videos.

[@EmilySinclair]

I'm only 11 but i have have a lot of things that need sorting, this helped ( part 1 and 2 of this)... A LOT! Thanks Alejandra! From Emily :)

[@nadinebelfrage5085]

im only 31 and i have a lot of papers that need to be organized too, lol thank you for your help:)

[@alyssarosengard6674]

Thanx for posting this. I am actually very organized myself but my good friend is disabled and has become a horder and has asked me to help her organize her papers. I have to tell you there r areas of the house u can't walk because of papers. This was a good beginning video for me to help her get organized. I already bought some folders and binders buti like the wall shelving that would help her stay organized. I want her to be able to entertain and not b ashamed.

[@nadinedardo4621]

Hi Alejandra. I cam across your you tube videos by accident. Being a small business owner and a mum of 3, I feel overwhelmed with loads of paperwork and not sure what to do with it. I classify myself as a people person, or creative person. But I am not a "systems/process" person. I found you videos so helpful. We will be moving house next year. I think your ideas will be really helpful to me. Thank you.

[@akilamel1415]

Brilliant tips Alejandra... Thank you so much. your efforts have really changed my life. All the best.

[@utopianjess]

Glad you are back Alejandra! Missed your videos.

[@alexandrap6618]

This is the answer to my problems with already "To do" pile. Thanks so much.

[@mikhail114]

It's great to see you back! Thanks for the video. Great tips.

[@Fitgirljourney-e2b]

I never know what to do with all my papers they're always scattered in several places in my home neatly however but no real system in place. ♡ this tip with the box, at the end of the month, then file, and the actionable papers where they can be seen and not missed. great! I love it alejandra!

[@minimisewithme613]

Great system Alejandra. I actually use a file folder in my kitchen and just add categories as I need them. If I don't have a place for something it might need a new category so I can add one. Love your idea of a scan and shred pile I think I'm going to add that to my office 😊

[@calliem3122]

Great job Alejandra❤️ Keep up the great Organization tips and tricks😀

[@HomeOrganizing]

+Callie VanDusen Thank you, Callie! I hope you enjoyed the video!

[@budgetnest963]

Those magazine racks are great! And you can always reuse them for magazines, or even kitchen items like cutting boards or lids. 👍

[@sl4983]

magazine rack and stickie notes! I like it

[@guiapsico]

Could you make a video about how to organize the files and folders that are in the computer?

[@ARohm-tf1fv]

I would love a video about organizing content of computers!

[@valn.3048]

I would love a video on organizing files on the computer too! Great suggestion ladies!

[@wahlesah]

Soooo glad you are uploading again! Thanks for sharing!

[@MichelleScarberry]

Paper is the hardest thing for me to organize. Thank you for this

[@joannbrubaker1886]

yassss

[@ShannonGlovenny]

Oh my goodness, glad to see you back, Alejandra! I am love ALL your vids. Your explanation is very helpful for me! Got a vid request, maybe you can explain how you manage your time management/or calendar. I think you have several different kind of schedule in one of your vid! So I think that's will be a helpful vid for your next vid! Thanks a lot! xo

[@djkg17]

I have never thought to use a vertical magazine holder for the actionable files. I like this idea a lot--and I happen to have one in storage. Right now I have a tray which holds everything from "needs to be filed" to "actionable". It works for dropping mail in but once I have a few papers in there I tend to forget what's at the bottom. Thanks for that tip!

[@HomeOrganizing]

+djkg17 So glad you enjoyed this video and liked the tip! I hope this helps you with your actionable papers! Glad to hear you have a magazine rack in storage. Since you already have the tools, it'll be a breeze to setup!! :)

[@KandyJohnson1]

The post it notes for actionable items is a great tip!

[@janellemederos7222]

We've missed u! I love your videos, they are detailed and have good organizational tips. Cant wait for the next video, I have so much to learn

[@HomeOrganizing]

+Janelle Mederos Thanks, Janelle!! Glad the details help you! What kind of organizing systems are you interested in learning more about? I hope you have a great weekend!

[@janellemederos7222]

personal/time management, photo storage, hat and purse storage in the house, pots and pan in small apt, tupperware, printer accessories ie. paper, cords, camera charger, printer software, and other misc technology...those are some to name a few

[@msdh2000]

I cant wait until you post new videos on your new home. Congrats btw, and thank you so much for posting

[@ivonnekleyff8178]

The wall paper it's a game changer, awesome ! thank you ,thank you !

[@heidi3027]

Love you Alejandra! These tips are great as well as your videos! Very helpful!

[@HautePinkFluff]

I have the same magazine holder and this is such a good idea. I'm so glad you're back with new videos and I hope you do a new office tour. I've loved watching your office organization change through out the years :0

[@carmengmartinez]

Awesome idea! Thanks for sharing. It has been awhile since I saw one of your videos. You're videos got me hooked on watching KZbin videos 😃

[@angelicabaker7753]

Love this idea! Thanks again for sharing and keeping us motivated! Hugs from AZ!

[@TiffanyGrey]

oh love this idea, wish i could have a long wall mounted thing like this at work!

[@ash.has.ashy.elbows]

I love this! This video is perfect for both children (like me) and adults! Thank you!!!

[@thezaks4667]

Thanks for the tips! I love your videos 😉 they inspire me to keep my house clean and stay efficient! Keep up the great work!!

[@suredeydo]

This was freakishly helpful. I love it!

[@HomeOrganizing]

+joannajean Lol oh good!!! That makes me happy it was helpful to you!! :)

[@naomibarraclough]

Thank you!! This was very helpful. I love the magazine rack organizer!!!

[@anNaSoR911]

Life can get very overwhelming and stressful. And, I realized that it's important to stay organized, breakdown your tasks, and take one step at a time in order to alleviate that anxiety and, as Alejandra said, to avoid negative consequences. I really appreciate these videos because she shows you exactly how to do that so that life doesn't feel so overwhelming and stressful anymore. Thank you, Alejandra. :)

[@lb4lov]

Missed your videos. Hope there's more coming.

[@Scrappicat]

I actually said, "Yay!" out loud when I saw you had a new video up. Thank you for all your tips. I am behind on filing. I think I will work on that after lunch. Filing is not my favorite thing.

[@brooklynburton1337]

Im moving into my new house in a month and it will be so organized thanks to you.

[@Athenalovexoxo]

Awesome thank u for this video it's very helpful and I've missed ur videos so much :) I recently finished watching all of them :)

[@HomeOrganizing]

+Athenalovexoxo Hi Athena, I'm glad you found this video helpful! And I hope you enjoyed the others! :) Thank you for being a subscriber, more videos are to come! :)

[@Athenalovexoxo]

+Home Organizing by Alejandra.tv yes I enjoyed them all I will probably watch them again and again :) and I can't wait for ur new videos :)

[@DarkMoonDroid]

This. This is what I've never learned how to deal with. I think you should put this video in your "Home Office Organizing Tips" Playlist under Part 1 of 2. 👌

[@oliviabrown1799]

I Like your shows, you explain things very clearly. Thank you.

[@wayfarinstranger2444]

What a beautiful home!!!

[@MyCaseit]

We love this! I want to share this on our social media!

[@iremiguel8983]

Great video Alejandra! :) Could you do a video about how you organize your working out stuff? (clothes, material, etc)

[@Tybrady9]

Thank you for that idea!! I never thought about that. I will use that for my girls and boys room to organizate their school papers.

[@maxwellbernstein9235]

I love your videos! Thanks so much!

[@cassidys6970]

Hi Alejandra! Would you ever consider making an organizing series for college students? There's a ton of stuff that needs to fit into a super tiny dorm room; any tips and tricks would be greatly appreciated!

[@gerusheemax]

I need an organizer like that. where did you find yours? if I can't make one I might buy one. 😊 especially for kids school papers. 😰

[@tyneseegmiller2307]

Love this idea! Just what I needed!!

[@HomeOrganizing]

+Tyne Seegmiller Great! SO happy this helped you!

[@nieceypiecey100]

I love these tips!

[@arinah41]

Me too...even I'm a student I can share this video to my parents and tell them to be organized!! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS VIDEO!!! IT IS SOOOO HELPFUL!! :-):-):-)

[@tphili555]

Thanks for that!!!! Keep yup with providing these videos.

[@skyllo]

thanks for the tips, alejandra!!

[@HomeOrganizing]

+skyllo You're welcome! Thank you for leaving me another comment, I recognized the cute squirrel!! :)

[@skyllo]

+Home Organizing by Alejandra.tv love your channel. i am moving to a new but smaller place so i need all the help i can get!

[@NoufHO]

I can't wait to see your new house

[@LifeGoesNorth]

Great tips, thanks!

[@AccurateLedgers]

This video is far better than your paper sorter video. You should re-do the paper sorting and talk through it saying what the categories are!!!

[@MsMelissaP607]

I know you ha ed organized everything under the sun by now. Can we get more videos please ????🙏

[@nayelimontoya4842]

Thanks for post more video. Love it

[@Ally-dz9us]

Love your videos it's so helpful😃😃😃 maybe for your next video you could do pantry organization!!!!!!

[@lidiagreblips7198]

Hi I love how she explain how to get organised

[@novelacollection]

Alejandra how would you organize a deep dresser drawer the size is just as wide and deep as the kitchen drawer you're standing in front of in this video. I have clothes folded and they're just layers of clothes so I can't see what's underneath the top layer and forget what's in them. When I'm looking for certain items I have to dig through the whole drawer. Any tips to fix this, I'm lost. Thanks.

[@Ilaydalove-i3h]

Hi Alejandra, when are u doing more videos of organising youre new house? Like clothes and paintry and more..

[@ryanbartelt7279]

I love your videos!

[@rianjaynee5020]

Yay! This was so helpful!

[@LaurensDesigns]

AWESOME! Part 3 please ;)

[@hannahsfield]

Thanks for the tips!

[@ShaunazTweet]

Wouldn't it be more efficient to keep all of the follow-ups in a calendar? For instance, if you need to follow-up with the cost adjustment for a cable bill, if you mark it on your calendar on the due date "check for correct billing" you wouldn't need to keep the old bill for an extra month? Just a suggestion. I fight paper clutter all of the time and holding on for even a week gets hairy. You do have wonderful tips and organization ideas!

[@VintageLydia]

+ShaunazTweet Different things work for different people. I have several calendars and day planners and they get used for a few weeks and then I forget about them, despite being literally front and center where I am most days. For people who are visual like me, the vertical filing like this is really ideal.

[@ShaunazTweet]

+Lydia O'Sullivan Good luck with everything

[@VintageLydia]

+ShaunazTweet perhaps for you but that doesn't work for me :/ I cut down on paper clutter by going paperless wherever I can. Bills and budgeting are 100% digital so the things I get in the mail, I really do need the paper as it has info I need. the good thing, I guess, is once something is dealt with it's rarely something I need to actually keep so my vertical file and my file drawer are both fairly sparse.

[@CornflowerBlueEyes]

I like many of Alejandra's suggestions and I'm sure this system she developed would work for some people, but this is too time-consuming and paper-heavy for me. If I know I'll need a reminder on something down the road, I immediately put the info into my Google Calendar and use their email notification system to remind me on the correct date of the info. That system works great because you can choose when to be reminded, and you can color-code the reminders within the calendar itself. If there's a paper I must keep related to the reminder, I simply file it in my small desktop file box, then toss the paper when it's no longer needed. The desktop file box works better for me at home than a file cabinet because it's easy to access, move and see into. Since my company uses MS Outlook, I just use that software's parallel system to Google Calendar for the same type of reminders. The only difference at work regarding papers is that any file folders must go into a locked file cabinet. I declutter my paper files at work and at home once a month for maintenance.

[@ARohm-tf1fv]

Good for you!

[@lapagemakeup]

Love this concept!

[@HomeOrganizing]

+LaurNmakeup Thank you!

[@mimmil4273]

Great tips, thanks! I've been binge watching your organizing videos, and abaolutely love them :) One question though: is there a seller in amazon or ebay who sells the staples colourful binders you use? I have them for being sotf in the corners (not boring rectangular), bright and a bit different from the usual office supplies. I live in Finland so we don't have Staples here. Thanks!

[@emberstone1991]

The only problem I had with having with this system (I actually did this before the video came out. Because you inspired me so much! ) was that I couldn't see when each item needed to be done by. So yeah I know that this stuff needs to be done but can I do something else first? or it needs to be before I go do my returns? (lets say) So what I actually started doing was, aside from the sticky notes, I started adding tabs with dates on the tops of the papers, so that I could see when it needed to be done/responded to/processed by etc. AND I keep the earlier "due dates" on the top so that I could see them easier. If something doesn't have a due date, I give myself a deadline that I want it done by. And it actually saves time, I don't have to pull out EVERY piece of paper on the rack and look constantly to make sure I'm keeping up with all the due dates. I can just at the top rack to see the next upcoming due date. I also rotate. So when I get rid of the documents on the first tier, all the other papers move up a tier so I only have to look at the top and probably the second one, just to see what the next task will be.

[@adriannasigurani7569]

Thanks you helped me SOOO much😊

[@HomeOrganizing]

+Adrianna Sigurani YAY! So glad to hear that! I hope your organizational systems are thriving!! :)

[@jasonvillareal8759]

Do you use a planner to stay organized?

[@JennyMaine]

Alejandra, this is a neat idea for a "tickler" system. How do you handle it when you have more than 12 items to track or items that are immediate action needed versus next week, next month, six months down the road, etc.?

[@HomeOrganizing]

+JennyMaine Hi Jenny! Good question. I can't think of a time I have had more than 12 paper actionable items at once (some of the papers from the video were just for examples; my current action pile is maybe 7 things right now). For most of my bills, I pay online via e-statements (no paper). For other actionable items, I stay on top of the pile consistently which is why it never gets unmanageable. If you have more than 12 items to tackle, you could easily add two documents per slot - one pushed to the left and another pushed to the right. A bright colored sticky note of each document would highlight the fact that there are two documents to tackle in that particular slot. The system I showed in this video I've been using for about a month while all of our stuff has been storage (fully moving in next week) and I needed some kind of organizer that was visual to keep my head clear with all the papers and projects going on in my life right now. This system has been a lifesaver during our transition! Plus, it was incredibly simple to setup. Regarding papers to tackle in 6 months... it depends. It'll either sit in my actionable system for 6 months until it's ready to be tackled or if I don't need the paper for whatever reason, I'll get rid of it (shred or recycle) and then add a calendar reminder for myself to tackle "ABC" in 6 months or whenever it's time to take action. Long answer but I hope this helps you!! :)

[@reedernina]

@@HomeOrganizing This is my concern too. I have a similar system, but I forget to go back and check it. Maybe calendar reminders?

[@bebe4235]

THANK YOU for emphasizing that recycling is an option. tooooo many people say "throw away" and it is just sad that they don't recycle.

[@TheHelpfulSchizophrenic]

Love this video! What a great idea. Right now I keep them all in an action folder but it's not visual like this. If I don't open the file, I don't realize how much I have to do and nothing gets done. Thank you so much for all your videos. Just an FYI... Part one is not linked below.

[@HomeOrganizing]

+Lourdes Malone Hi Lourdes, I'm glad you enjoyed the video! Ah, yes, remembering to open the drawer can be a bottleneck to remembering to get things done. I hope this video helps you or gives you another idea :) Thank you for letting me know about the missing link, I just fixed it! I hope you have a great weekend!

[@Eyes2C.]

Where are you??? We need you!!! Please come back! 🙏🏻❤️😘

[@shepburn4755]

What about bill paying...I use an accordion file 0-31 and out the bills in there the date they are due and also write it on my calendar.misnthere a better watch to do it?

[@kuljinderatwal527]

hi...I really love all your video's, applied many of your ideas in my home too...I was wondering if you could help me with one thing I'm really struggling with...excess coat hangers...I have so many that I didn't know what to do...so I grouped the ones I use the most...used rubber bands to hold them together but now o don't know where to store them...off you could come up with an easy way of accessing them without them getting in the way then that would be great. ..😊

[@HomeOrganizing]

+Kuljinder Atwal Hi! Do you need all of your excess coat hangers? Let me ask you this: when all of your excess coat hangers are used, is it tough to retrieve a coat? If so, I would plan to not use them all (keep your coat closet nice and light with less stuff) and give the hangers to someone who needs hangers. An overstuffed coat closet isn't fun to use... :) If you do need the excess hangers for a specific reason (guest hangers), they do make a hanger organizer, it's a triangle storage bin where hangers fit perfectly inside: www.containerstore.com/s/closet/hangers/hanger-accessories/hanger-hamper/123d?productId=10031927 I hope this helps you!

[@kuljinderatwal527]

+Home Organizing by Alejandra.tv omg! thank you so much for replying back...I really appreciate the fact that you took time out of your busy schedule to get back to me 😆 yeah anyway thanks for the link but we don't have a 'container store' here in the UK...if we did I'd be in there every day! just to clarify, I meant the regular hangers that you hang your clothes on. ...I have kids and a husband who have a tendency to break them so I always need spare ones...hence the reason why I have so many...😐

[@TonyHickschick]

I have a lot of my paper work digitally done on the computer but I still have a bunch of physical papers in files. I pretty much already have a place for most of my papers but I don't know what to do with ones that don't seem to fit in a specific category,. I heard that people should not have a miscellaneous file. If so, any suggestions on how to file extra papers you want to keep?

[@organizedyoutuberconstella7740]

super awesome!

[@mcdschef]

hi. Thank you so much for the tip. Now I'm motivated to go and buy one of those vertical organizers! Where can I find it? Bedbathbeyond? Thank you. Keep up the great videos.

[@HomeOrganizing]

+McDs Chef Oh great to hear! I'm glad you enjoyed the video! This is the organizer I showed: www.alejandra.tv/recommends/wall-mounted-magazine-rack/

[@alexandreg8767]

Hello I am a teacher and I am looking for a solution to store the sheets of my class. I have several subjects. I hesitate between a binder with plastic sheet and interleaves or cardboard folders with flap. What do you recommend ?

[@Myeverydaywifelife]

I am in the middle of sorting my papers, this is an on going saga for me. Seems like whatever system I use, and I have tried many nothing works for me.

[@Myeverydaywifelife]

+Andrea Anonymous Thanks but I bought the book and her methods don't work for me, although I never got to the paper work section. I gave the book away. I think paper work is just going to be a challenge for me.

[@KraftyScorpio]

+Myeverydaywifelife I'm right there with you. I have a bulky file system of different plastic file containers for each person. I waste so much time pondering on what I should throw away because you never know what might end up being important in the future.

[@heartlandranchtv4943]

+KraftyScorpio I had the same problem for years, until I started scanning everything. That way you'll always have the file to go back to, even many years later, and you can eliminate 90-95% of your physical paperwork storage by shredding everything.

[@KraftyScorpio]

+Raegan Camp Not at all...do you have a special scanner..or will you just use one of those scanner-copier-printer trios?

[@heartlandranchtv4943]

***** Just make sure that you have a good backup system in place. Once you go digital your files become more vulnerable.

[@kathryndee9148]

Can you do a video on how to organize your college dorm?

[@ahaph123]

Where did you get this magazine holder from? I can't find one with 10 pockets.

[@mamacita41969]

nice ideas. quick question I have 3 special childrens. and paper work is every day. honestly. any ideas and what and how. I do get overwhelming. constanly papers and what to keep . thanks

[@krystalrowe96]

I would recommend using a binder for each child. I have a special needs son and get a lot of paperwork, too. Maybe you could use a 3 hole punch and file the paperwork in binders. every 3 months take a look and purge what you no longer need.

[@helenmatthews501]

+krystalrowe96 great tip, I have a son with special needs too and your right, I have a folder for all his reports etc, comes in very handy. X

[@mamacita41969]

krystalrowe96@thank you, i never think about it, honestly,is constanly paper and papers, and differents therapies and on and on. thanks

[@sbrennan0813]

I have have several totes and boxes with years of paper and so overwhelmed. How do I even start?