There’s almost nothing we can do in our lives that does not involve a piece of paper. It collects and flows out of the seams of our days. There are the newspapers and magazines we save for the item we long forgot about, notebooks, message pad carbons, tax records, grocery lists, restaurant receipts, marketing material, tiny ATM statements, medical records, notes to self and the Great Novel-sized volume of mortgage and insurance docs.
One of the most time-consuming tasks is sorting through this paper collection. So typically, we don’t. It’s easier when they are in an out-of-sight-out-of-mind spot collecting under our vague adherence to a “10-year rule.” Despite our inability to let go, the fact is not everything needs to be held for 10 years. Suggestions for what to hold and what to toss — and when — follows. But first, here are some things to think about as you prepare to divorce yourself from the paper.
