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We
previously noted that papers must be sorted before they can be properly
filed. Continuing from our last article, your sort has left you with two
piles - ‘to file’ and ‘to throw away/recycle.’ You’ve tossed the
garbage/recycling, so now you have a stack of papers to file. Let’s finish
the sort, and create a basic filing system. Keep in mind three things:
A filing system has one main purpose: to allow you to find & retrieve your
information quickly and accurately. Your files are a lot like a library.
When you go into a library, you want to be able to go right to the shelf and
find the book you want. Imagine if the library had no filing system, and put
books on the shelves randomly. How long do you think it would take you to
get frustrated and give up the search? My guess is that you’d probably never
go back to the library.
Your files are the library of your life. You may not need your paperwork
often, but when you do need it, you want to be able to find it fast. It’s
about predictability. Surprises are great on birthdays. With paperwork, you
want predictability and speed. And finding papers fast means having them in
the right place.
To create your filing system, follow these steps:
1. Broad Sort - Sort your papers into
broad categories, such as ‘Insurance,’ ‘Utilities,’ ‘Investments,’ ‘Hobbies’
and ‘Travel’ (Your categories will depend on the type of papers you need to
file.) Get a bunch of supermarket bags, and label each using your
categories. Grab a handful of papers from the stack, and drop each paper in
the appropriate bag. Again, don’t look for dates, amounts or other details –
you’re separating things into big categories, such as credit cards, banking,
taxes, etc. As you go through the papers, remove any item that involves an
action, and set it aside, in a separate bag labeled ‘Action.’ Action papers
are easy to pick out. They require you to do something by a certain date,
and include bills, parking tickets, RSVPs, and forms, applications, etc.
that have a deadline. When you’re done sorting, you’ll have a bag of banking
stuff, a bag of auto stuff, a bag of credit card stuff, etc. Keep in mind
that categories will vary from person to person.
2. Specific Sort - Next, sort the
contents of each bag into more specific categories. For example, ‘Utilities’
might be sorted into ‘Water,’ ‘Gas,’ ‘Electric’ and ‘Cable. ‘Banking’ could
be separated by account #, or by ‘Savings,’ ‘Checking’ and ‘Car Loan.’
(Don’t bother with the ‘Acton’ pile. We’ll get to that soon.) Again, your
particular headings will depend on the types of papers that you have. But
the principal is the same. Each of these subdivided piles will eventually
get its own file folder.
3. File - Now that the sort is complete,
it’s time to set up a filing system. Let’s keep it simple. Bills,
statements, and similar records will be filed chronologically, with the most
recent bill in front. For example, take your Visa statements and arrange
them by statement date, from oldest to most current. Get an empty folder,
label it Visa, and put the statements inside. Do the same for each utility,
bank account, and other pile from step 2. Major purchases will each get a
separate file. So, if you buy a new washing machine, create a washing
machine file. Put your receipt, warranty, manual, and other info related to
that washing machine inside. If the appliance requires repairs, put those
receipts in the folder too. Non-dated items, such as instruction manuals and
articles will also go into appropriately labeled files.
4. Action Files - Remember the papers
from step 1, which require your action? Let’s sort them into two piles, and
assign each pile to its own file. The first group will include items, such
as bills that must be handled this week. Some people like to call this a
‘tickler file’. I suggest writing each task on a to-do list, as you put the
paperwork in the file. Put all items that must be handled within a month,
but not necessarily this week in the second pile. Put these items in a file
labeled ’30 Day Action’. The idea is to review your 30-Day file regularly,
and transfer items into the tickler file, as you reach the one-week deadline
date.
About the Author: Marc Rifkin is a
Professional Organizer, and owner of OASIS professional organizers, which
provides home and office organizing solutions to clients in Greater Seattle.
For more info please contact the author at
info@oasisorganizers.com, or
check his website,
http://www.oasisorganizers.com.
©2005 OASIS professional organizers |