How to Get Buried in Paper
- Always be in a hurry.
- Open all your mail in a different place every day.
- Look through all your papers very quickly (just to see what’s there).
- Keep everything “for now.”
- Separate mail into categories, then put it all back together and place it on a flat surface (until you can get around to it again).
- Do not put papers away — you may forget what you have.
- Do not set any time aside to do paperwork.
- Have a tiny trash container that you can’t reach.
- Keep any files you might have in overstuffed drawers and inconvenient places.
- Have file cabinets that tip over easily and file drawers that only open partially.
- Make sure anything you do label is hard to read, or don’t label at all.
- When guests are coming to visit, quickly toss all papers into a bag or box and hide it.
- Enjoy the lack of paper clutter for a moment.
- Try to forget about the “hidden paper.” Ignore twinges of discomfort.
- Accept clutter as a permanent part of your environment.
The practice of the above behavior is guaranteed to:
- Promote chaos
- Annoy and frustrate others
- Maintain your feelings of helplessness
- Help you deny you are feeling out-of-control
- Cause you to collect signs and sayings that defend messiness
Ready to dig out? Let’s take a look at How to Get Your Paper Under Control.