I see it over and over again with my organizing clients -- they’ve
tried to set up a filing system at home or work. And for a few days,
weeks, or maybe even months, it works okay. But then something happens,
and they stop filing. It’s too hard to remember where things go. Or
they can’t find their files again once they’ve stashed them away.
They may end up with three or four files that contain the same information
but are labeled differently – because they couldn’t remember if it
was called “auto” or “car” or Honda,” so they just made a new file
each time!
Eventually, they end up abandoning the filing system altogether, and
just stack their paper around the room – “At least that way I can
see it all!” If I had a nickel for every time I have witnessed this
scenario, I’d be sitting on a beach in the South Pacific right now.
So what causes the downfall of a filing system? Chances are, it wasn’t
much of a “system” to begin with. More likely, it was just a RANDOM
ASSORTMENT of individual files that really had no connection to each
other -- aside from the fact that they lived in the same drawer.
KNOWING WHERE TO START
To create a truly effective filing system, you need to start with
a PLAN -- simply slapping a label on a file isn’t going to get you
the results you want. So roll up your sleeves as I take you through
a systematic and proven method for setting up a fool-proof filing
system. You will need to make sure that you have a few supplies on
hand before we begin. Pick up some:
- hanging file folders (your choice of letter or legal sized),
- some interior manila file folders (get the ones that sit flush with
the top of the hanging file),
- some clear plastic hanging file tabs (1/5 cut), and
- at least 4 different colors of colored plastic hanging file tabs
(1/5 cut -- get several packages of each).
Okay, let’s get started:
THE INVERTED PYRAMID
Organizing paper is like an inverted pyramid -- you want to start
with the general and work your way toward the more specific. So let’s
begin this grand adventure by “broadening” your filing horizons. Look
at your current filing system (or that pile of paper that you’ve been
meaning to file for months) and start sorting your documents into
BROAD CATEGORIES. “Financial paperwork” might be one. “House stuff”
could be another.
At this point, we’re not focusing on detail -- quite frankly, I don’t
care if it’s a credit card bill or a bank statement right now. We’ll
worry about those distinctions in our next step. Have you got all
of your paper sorted? And make sure to LABEL each pile with a sticky
note or a piece of colored paper -- so you don’t forget your categories.
Now, for each category, create a clear hanging file tab (you know,
you write on the paper label and stick it inside the plastic tab).
Get your hanging file folders out -- you will need to put your hanging
file tab on the front of the folder in the FAR LEFT position (just
slip the wings of the tab into the slots on the file.
Why the front of the folder, you ask? When your folders are in the
drawer and you need to open a file, you can grab the tab and use it
as a handle for opening the file. It’s easier and quicker (13%, according
to the Pendaflex people) and you won’t accidentally pull the tab off.
Okay, are all your tabs in place? Put your folders in the file drawer
in alphabetical order, and let’s move on.
SUBCATEGORIZING IS KEY
Pick one of your piles -- any pile -- and let’s sort through it again.
This time, I want you to think about breaking your large category
up into SUBCATEGORIES. For example, your “Finances” pile could be
divided into “savings account,” “checking account,” “student loan,”
“Visa,” etc. This is similar to the last sorting exercise, but I would
like for you to be very specific about your subcategories.
Don’t tell me that they are “bank statements” -– tell me which account
they belong to. Don’t just call your file “credit cards” -- create
a separate folder for each card. We don’t want any files “bunking”
with other files -- everyone gets his or her own separate folder.
Go ahead and label your piles -- but we’re going to talk a little
bit more about labeling before you create tabs for these.
LABEL, LABEL, WHO’S GOT THE LABEL?
Labeling is both a skill and an art. So you want your file labels
to uniquely express how you view your files -- but you also want to
follow some very basic labeling RULES. That probably sounds like a
contradiction to you, but I assure you it’s not. I believe in using
the whole brain -- we’re going to be both logical and creative at
the same time. The creative part is where you choose the phrasing
for your labels that intuitively makes the most sense to you – like
the fact that you prefer to call a file “job qualifications” rather
than “resume.”
The logical part involves the idea that you want your filing system
to be simple enough that a three-year old can use it. We’re not trying
to create a complex warren of folder that only you understand how
to maneuver. Okay, enough waxing philosophic on the topic of labels
-- let’s get down to it!
When creating your labels, start with a noun rather than an adjective.
Don’t tell me you are filing paperwork for “past clients” -- call
them “clients: past”. In this way, you are moving from general (“clients”)
to specific (“past”). And when you arrange your folders alphabetically,
all of the “client” files -- “clients: past” / “clients: current”
/ “clients: prospective” -- will be together in the drawer, rather
than scattered hither and yon.
Our goal is to keep related files in close proximity to each other.
And the same applies to any descriptor -- “test scores: Megan)” /
“test scores: Nancy” / “test scores: Shawn” -- or “maintenance records:
Honda” / “maintenance records: Volvo” -- it doesn’t have to be an
adjective.
Also, try to avoid vague and nebulous categories like “miscellaneous”
or “other.” It may take a little effort, but 99% of the time, you
can think of a specific category that encompasses that document. If
you end up with a bunch of files that only have one or two pieces
of paper in them, you are being too specific -- go with a broader
category. But if your piles are 100 pages thick, you need to break
those stacks up into smaller categories. We want to strike a nice
balance -- not so many folders that you can’t remember where you put
something, but not so many papers in a folder that you can’t find
the specific document you need.
COLOR ME ORGANIZED!
Now, we want to incorporate all of those subcategories into your system
of alphabetized major categories. And, we’re going to create a COLOR-CODED
filing system, with each major category assigned its own color. Find
the first folder in your file drawer -- let’s pretend that your major
category is “automobile” -- and gather up all of the subcategory piles
that go with that header.
What color do you associate with your automobile? If you don’t associate
it with any color, just arbitrarily pick one -- how about red? You
are going to label a red plastic hanging file tab for each subcategory
that relates to your automobile.
How many subcategories do you have for “automobile” -- three? Then
get two hanging file folders with no label on them and put them in
the drawer DIRECTLY BEHIND the one labeled “automobile.” Pick up your
first red tab -- perhaps this one is labeled “car payment”. This tab
goes on the front of the first folder in the MIDDLE of the folder
-- a few slots over from the white “automobile” label. Now get your
second tab -- it might be labeled “maintenance.” This tab will go
on the front of the second folder three slots to the right of where
you put the first red tab. The third red tab (“tags and registration”)
goes on the front of the third folder in the far right position --
exactly opposite of where you put the white tabs. When you are done,
your red tabs should be in alphabetical order in a STAGGERED position
on the right of the folder, so that you can see every label clearly.
Now you can put your automobile papers in their appropriate folders.
Repeat this exercise with each major category -- pick a color for
the category, make your labels, and put them on the folders in alphabetical
order and lined up with the first three labels. If you have more than
three subcategories to label, just keep repeating the position of
the tabs -- 1-2-3, 1-2-3, 1-2-3. And it doesn’t matter what color
you assign to what category, as long as no two categories that are
touching use the same color tabs.
When you are done, you should see four things. First, you have a row
of major categories running down the far left side of your files.
Second, you have subcategory labels staggered along the right side
of your files, but all in ALIGNMENT with each other. Third, your files
are now broken up into distinct bodies of information, separated out
by color. And fourth, your files are alphabetized -- first by major
category and then by subcategory.
THE CARE AND FEEDING OF YOUR SYSTEM
So how does this system help you to file papers quicker and easier?
Instead of opening your drawer and sorting through a sea of files
to find the right one, you can put your hands on the folder you want
almost instantly. You just run down the row of MAJOR CATEGORIES until
you find the right one -- so if you’re trying to file your Visa bill,
you would look for “credit cards” or “finances” or something like
that. Once you’ve located the right major category, you just slide
over to the appropriate color-coded SUBCATEGORIES.
Instead of choosing one of 300 files, you may only have to look through
three or four before you find the one that is labeled “Visa.” And
the same is true when you are trying to find a document in a file.
You can make things even easier if you create a file index that lists
all of your major categories and the subcategories within them, in
alphabetical order. That way, you don’t even have to open the drawer
to know where to find a piece of paper.
But remember that your filing system is a dynamic and ever-changing
creature. As your interests and responsibilities change, so should
your filing system. Don’t be afraid to abandon a category if you don’t
use it anymore -- or to add a new one if you need it. Consolidate
folders that seem to go together under one larger heading, and split
categories up into smaller pieces if your folders get too stuffed.
And you should plan to set aside time at least once a year to purge
the old and obsolete information from your files. If you follow these
simple (but detailed!) instructions, your filing system will serve
you well for the rest of your life.
Ramona
Creel is the founder of OnlineOrganizing.com
--
offering "a world of organizing solutions!"
Visit OnlineOrganizing.com
for organizing products, free tips, a speakers bureau -- and even
get a referral for a Professional Organizer near you. And if you
are interested in becoming a Professional Organizer, we have all
the tools you need to succeed. (Copyright 2000, Ramona Creel)
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