The First Tenet of Organization ... as I see it ... is 'Everything has its place'.
The basis of organization is making sure there is a place for everything, even if that place is the trash can or recycle bin. Clutter is the ultimate organizational foe and must be fought relentlessly to conquer.
Here are a couple ways to deal with Physical Clutter ...
Mail ... specify a place for 1) Outgoing mail; 2) bills to be paid; 3) mail that has a task associated with it, such as a dental reminder to make an appointment or coupons to cut; 4) items to shred & Most importantly, have a recycle bin close by for all of the junk mail & envelopes
School Items ... for those of us with school aged children ... schools tend to send home immense amounts of paperwork in the form of notices, awards and completed work. I have found having a small folder usually suffices to keep all the notices/student handbooks, etc. for the year. Also, having a special place (such as the refridgerator) to post the childs most current or favorite paper/award, etc. makes for happy kids (& proud teenagers, too ... even though they may not show it). Just remember, after a set amount of time - week or month or until the next item is brought home, take down the paper and either store it right away in a specific place (not in a stack).
Other Organizations ... most hobbies (sports teams, clubs of any sort, memberships, etc.) have paperwork associated with them. If you don't have to access this routinely, this would fit nicely in with other files. However, if you will utilize the information regularly, best to keep it in a folder or binder (depending on quantity of items) and neatly stacked with other like folders.
Other People's Items ... if your house is like my house, the other occupants often get items out, forget to put them back and leave. Having a bin for each person in the family works well. Items go in the bin until the end of the day/night when the owner of the basket is required to return the items to their place.
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