Filing with Ease
(myorganizedbiz.com) - Jennifer is on her honeymoon and thrilled to be featuring guest bloggers in her absence. They’re answering a single question: What’s your most important organizing “rule” that helps you enjoy your work more? You’re encouraged to respond as they’ll be awaiting your comments.
Post written by Maggie McCauley, ACC, LICSW
Ah, the dreaded filing task! UGH! We tend to make this the very last item on our “to do” list, don’t we? That’s mainly because we haven’t created proper homes for it. Our battle with paper can end with the creation of a good system. It doesn’t matter which paper system we put in place as long as it takes under a minute to find it or put it away and it makes sense to us. Here are three things you can do to right now to eliminate the dread of filing.
Make room. You’ll need twice the space you think you’ll need in your filing cabinet. Keep files for current documents, archives (year+), and resources.
Follow the two step rule. When paper comes in it gets sorted or acted on. Sort– keep or toss. Act– file, pay, fax, mail, recycle, or review. Set up a mail sorting system to accommodate this rule with coordinating file folders.
Develop categories. Track all the important paper coming into your home or office for one month. As it comes in assign it a category. Create larger categories using colored hanging file folders (clients, marketing, receipts, banking, etc). Then use manila folders for sub-categories. Label clearly, alphabetize, and stagger tabs. At the end of a month you should have clear idea of the kind of paper categories you’re generating.
We live in the information age. There is power in knowledge and having information at our fingertips. Keep only the most valuable and usable information from the most highly regarded sources. Remember, 80% of what we file away we never look at again. The choice is ours—we can be in charge of our paper or let our paper be in charge of us. Take charge!
Maggie McCauley, ACC, LICSW is an Organizer Coach—Certified Life Coach & Professional Organizer. She has a background in clinical social work and has been working with adults promoting balanced, vibrant and healthy lives for over 16 years. She is a member of the International Coach Federation, the National Association of Professional Organizers, and Toastmasters’ International. You can reach her for comment at www.anewviewforyou.com.
How does your filing system work? What tweaks have you made that make it more intuitive and easier to use?
Tags: business, coach, filing, home office, Jennifer Hofmann, maggie mccauley, office, Organize, systemRelated Stories
POSTED IN: Finances organized, Series, Storage, Systems and structure
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