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An office or home filing system isn't really about
storing your pieces of paper. Getting that paper clutter off of your floor or
off of your desktop is just a "neat" bonus. An office or home filing system is
about being able to retrieve those pieces of paper at a moments notice. It's
easy to move or store items. The tricky part is moving those items into a
storage space using a sensible method. And sensible means avoiding these nine
missteps when creating your home filing system:
MISSTEP #1: Not planning your home file
system before you start filing.
SOLUTION: Sort the papers on your desktop
and elsewhere into categories (e.g. home improvements, rebates, invoices, etc.).
You can't decide what filing categories you need, what type of file furniture
you need or how much space you need for that file furniture until you know what
papers you need to file. And you also may need to sort by active, semi-active
and inactive files if you have a lot of paper because the inactive files can be
kept separate from the active and semi-active files.
MISSTEP #2: Copying someone else's file
system exactly.
SOLUTION: Use someone else's file
system---but personalize it. Two people won't necessarily have the same type or
categories of files, the same amount of space for file storage, etc. Use the
general guidelines of a filing system but finetune the elements of it so that it
suits your needs.
MISSTEP #3: Using labels on your file
folders with titles that mean nothing to you.
SOLUTION: Instead of writing "brand x, model
y, serial number z appliance manual", just write
"appliances-kitchen-dishwasher", "appliances-kitchen-stove", etc. Got several
autos in your family? How about writing "auto-insurance-Jane's",
"auto-insurance-Bob's" or "auto-insurance-Camry" and "auto-insurance-Explorer".
You have to be able to easily retrieve your file folders. So don't label them
with official sounding names but rather with titles that mean something to
"you".
MISSTEP #4: Filing papers you don't need to
file.
SOLUTION: Ask "do I need to keep this". For
instance, if it's a bank statement, some organizational experts suggest one
year as the keep limit and others suggest longer. Check with your own CPA or advisor about which
financial papers you must keep for how long. Also, ask yourself "can I find the
same information again elsewhere at anytime". With the onset of the Web the
answer to that question is quickly becoming yes time and again. Ask "will it be
outdated when I need it". If it's research on the latest technological gadget,
yes, it will be outdated in six months from now. Oh...and the best place to file
papers that contain personal information and that you don't need to keep is in
your trash by way of your cross-cut shredder.
MISSTEP #5: Using file furniture that isn't
functional.
SOLUTION: Trying to stuff more file folders
into an already overstuffed file cabinet doesn't work. In fact, you'll probably
get a paper cut while doing so! And stuffed file drawers certainly don't make
for easy file retrieval. Perhaps it's time to spring for two four-drawer
vertical file cabinets to replace those two two-drawer vertical file cabinets
that you currently own. You'll use the same horizontal space.
MISSTEP #6: Putting files in inconvenient
places.
SOLUTION: Active files needs to be
forefront. Semi-active files need to be secondary and nearby. Inactive files
need to be archived. File furniture for active files and semi-active files needs
to be close and in reach literally. You're not going to walk into another room
every time you need to file a piece of paper. You're going to pile it. But you
won't pile it if your file furniture is conveniently accessible. If you can
swerve around in your chair to reach your file cabinet, all the better. But
walking a few steps across the same room is okay too.
MISSTEP #7: Procrastinating on your filing
chores.
SOLUTION: Paper piles never get smaller by
themselves. They just don't! Piles of files only grow. You must make time to
file or follow a system for when to file. For example, have a shallow file to-do
box. When it reaches the top, you file. Or perhaps you want to start making it a
habit to file (or discard) paper as soon as you touch it once (or twice even).
Or maybe you want to file for 30 minutes every Saturday morning. Pick a filing
routine and stick to it.
MISSTEP #8: Not purging files annually.
SOLUTION: A file that you need to keep now
may grow outdated in a few years for any number of reasons (e.g. the law no
longer requires you to keep it past X years; you're no longer interested in that
type of information; you can now find the same information, or better
information, elsewhere; or the information itself is out-of-date and therefore
useless)
MISSTEP #9: Making your file system too
complicated.
SOLUTION: Convenience is the name of the
filing game. Make your home filing system easy to maintain and you will do so.
Don't read about some convoluted file system and then try to implement it. If
the directions are too hard to follow for creating your filing system, imagine
trying to utilize this home filing system year-round. Keep your home filing
system simple to use and simple to remember how to use.
About the Author:
Karen Fritscher-Porter
publishes both this website How-To-File.com and
EasyHomeOrganizing.com, which
contains more articles about organizing paper at home and ideas for your
home filing system.
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