My Run-in with the Mercy Miller Method
Alright, so I decided to finally tackle that pile of paperwork that’s been breeding on my desk. Heard about something called the “Mercy Miller” method, sounded kinda straightforward, so I thought, why not? Gotta do something.
First thing, I gathered up everything. And I mean everything. Old bills, random notes scribbled on napkins, expired coupons, letters I never answered… the whole messy lot. Piled it all onto the floor. Looked like a paper mountain, honestly.
The core idea I picked up about this Mercy Miller thing was simple: handle each piece of paper just once. No putting it aside for later. You pick it up, you decide right then and there.
- Toss it: Straight into the recycling bin or shredder. No second thoughts.
- File it: If it’s important, put it where it belongs immediately. No “to file” pile allowed.
- Act on it: If it needs a call, an email, paying a bill – do it right then.
So I started. Picked up the first piece. Junk mail. Easy, tossed it. Next, an old bank statement. Shredder. Felt good, felt productive. Then I hit a patch of old letters, photos tucked inside some… and that’s where it got tricky. The “handle once” rule felt harsh. You wanna reminisce, right? But nope, forced myself. Decide. Keep or toss. If keep, put it in the memory box immediately.
The “act on it” part was another beast. Found a bill I’d forgotten. Had to stop, go online, pay it right there. Found a note to call someone back. Had to make the call. This really slowed things down. It wasn’t just sorting; it was doing all those little tasks you put off.
What Happened Next
Took me pretty much the whole afternoon. Way longer than I expected. My back hurt a bit from sitting on the floor, too. But, gotta say, the result was… clean. Like, really clean.
The mountain disappeared. I had a small stack to file properly (which I did right after), a big bag for recycling, and zero “I’ll deal with this later” items hanging over me. It forced me to confront all that paper clutter I’d been ignoring.
My takeaway? The Mercy Miller approach, or at least my version of it, is pretty effective if you actually stick to the rules. It’s kinda brutal, that “handle once” thing, especially with sentimental stuff or tasks you don’t wanna do. But it definitely cuts down on procrastination and makes you deal with things head-on. Not sure I’d do it every week, but for a major clear-out? Yeah, it got the job done.
