Here is the basic process we will follow every day of the challenge.

There will be some tweaks based on the declutter task of the day, which I will provide in detail to make it easier.

Today's Challenge - Mail

Location:  Entryway or wherever you process mail

Focus:  Mail

The majority of the homes I go into have piles of mail to work through.  If you have mail to catch up on, today is for you :)

NOTE: If you have backlog of mail to process, start with the most recent. 

First, do a quick sort to get any easily identifiable junk mail out of the way.  Put it to the side, or in a container for recycling.

Next, open every piece of mail that is left.  Do another quick sort to get rid of the junk mail that you found this time around, such as:

• return envelopes you won't use
• credit card offers
• other mail that is unnecessary to keep

 Add it to your recycle pile.

Now that you have the junk mail taken care of, it's time to dig in to what's left.  You might find Post-It Notes handy for this step.  

Separate the remaining mail into categories based on what, if any, action is required.  

Are there things with important dates you need to remember?  Add them to your calendar now, or put the dates on a Post-It Note to add to your calendar after you finish going through the rest of the mail.  

Got bills to pay?  Keep them together in another pile.

Correspondence that you need to respond to?  Put those in a separate pile. 

Make the piles with a sticky note, if it would help.

The categories of action items may vary from person to person and household to household, but they will probably include:

• to pay
• to follow-up or respond 
• to keep short term for information/details
• to file 

Once you have worked through your current mail, make the process part of your daily routine, and if needed, set up a system for getting it done quickly. 

Remember, the more you do it, the easier it will become. 

Be mindful of the amount of papers you are putting in a 'file' category. We tend to hold onto many more papers than necessary.  I'm guilty of it for sure.

--- Setting up an effective mail system ---

Before you set up a new system to deal with mail, evaluate your current process and identify what is working and what isn't.

Ask yourself:

• Is it effective?
• Is it chaotic?
• Does the set-up work?
• How do others in the household know what mail they received and where to find it?

Also consider:

• Is it easy to recycle junk mail (do you have a bin nearby)?
• Do you have an easy process for shredding papers with personal information?
• Is there a dedicated place for mail that requires some sort of action?

As you set up your new (or improved) mail space, think about supplying it with:

• letter opener, envelopes, stamps, pen
• sticky notes
• calendar
• recycle bin
• paper shredder (or container to house papers to be shred until you can do it)
• mail 'inboxes' for each member of your household

or anything else that will make dealing with the mail easier and more efficient.  

After all, mail is a constant.  Might as well get a handle on it, right?

---Helpful Information---

Want to cut down on the amount of junk mail you receive?  Check out the resources below: 

Want to see the process in action?  I've included a video from a previous challenge when I decluttered mail.  You can find it under the section below: "From Jeni".

After you complete today's challenge, head over to the private Facebook group and share how you did 🙂. 

Not on Facebook?  Send me an email, I'd love to hear from you!

Thank you for participating in the 5-Day Reset Declutter Challenge!