Taming the Paper Tiger

I feel like I am drowning in paper! At home it's junk mail, bills, unread magazines, photos clipped from magazines for collages, and newspaper clippings lovingly provided by my mother. At work it's files, forms, messages, notes, training materials, journal articles saved to read later, and conference notes that I might look at again...maybe?

In an effort to clear my work space, last year I started bringing home papers from work to sort through and organize. My intention was to tackle this project when I was off work during the summer. Summer came and went. I have now accumulated FOUR full boxes of files, a half dozen binders, misc folders from conferences, and a 12 inch stack of unfiled papers. One of those boxes contains grad school notes from 9 years ago! In addition I have purchased many professional books that I have yet to read. All of this "paper" is weighing heavy on my psyche and cluttering up my space.

I know I am not alone in my struggle to "Tame the Paper Tiger", a phrase that came to me as I was thinking about writing this blog post. I soon found out that I did not originate the phrase. Did you know there actually is software called Taming the Paper Tiger for just this purpose? I didn't until I searched for a photo for my blog post. It looks like great software, but maybe a bit too complex for my needs. The data entry alone would take months.

The question is "Do I really need to keep all of this paper?" Very seldom do I actually go back and read the things I save. Even if I wanted to, I probably couldn't find it when I needed it. It has all just turned into a really big "should pile".

So I am sending my dilemma out for your consideration. Do I just toss all of this paper out, knowing I could probably find it online IF if I really needed to? Or do I sort and save? If so, how best to organize it? And what about the continuous flow that comes my way. Any strategies for managing the daily flow? Please offer your suggestions!