ARTICLE: “Turn Your Files Into Smiles”
Most people dread filing. I say “most” because I have actually met some strange individuals who enjoy it. I’ve even tried hiring them to do my filing for me! Here are some of the common complaints I hear about filing:
1. I don’t know what to call this file
2. I don’t remember what I called the file, so I create a duplicate
3. I’m unsure about the order and placement my files in the drawer
4. My filing pile gets so large it becomes overwhelming
5. My files are like black holes—once a file enters, it’s rarely seen again
If the above statements sound familiar, your files might need improvement. Here are some questions to ask yourself: Does it take you longer than three minutes to find something in your files? Have you ever filed anything so well that you hid it from yourself? Are any of your files straining from the weight of the contents? If you can answer “yes” to any of these questions, keep reading. I can’t promise this article will make you enjoy filing more, but it will make the task more manageable.
Before you begin filing, take an objective look at each piece of paper. Ask yourself, “Do I really need to keep this?” “Will I ever need to refer to this again?” “Can I get a hold of another copy?” Be ruthless and realistic. Toss as much as you can. According to The National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO), we never reference 80% of what we file! Who in your office is known for keeping everything? Let them keep the paper! (Unless that’s you, in which case STOP IT!)
Filing Tips:
0 Noun First. One of the biggest problems we face in filing is that we title our files as we speak. In the English language, an adjective always precedes the noun (English is one of the only languages that does this). For example, if you had several insurance files, you might call them ‘Automobile Insurance,’ ‘Homeowners Insurance,’ and ‘Medical Insurance.’ When you file these alphabetically, they promptly become separated and spread out in the drawer. Even worse, you can’t remember, “Did I call that ‘automobile’ insurance, or ‘car’ insurance, or ‘Bronco’ insurance?” You would logically want to go to ONE place in your files to find all information related to insurance. So a simple solution is to put the noun first, such as ‘Insurance, Auto’; ‘Insurance, Homeowners’; ‘Insurance, Medical.’ It looks funny, but when you file alphabetically, all of your insurance files will be together. You can title files by subject, by name, customer, project, numerically, geographically, or chronologically—whatever best fits your needs. Ask yourself, “What is this file about?”
0 Use Markers. I don’t like having to repeat the word ‘insurance’ every time I label a new file. So I create a marker (a hanging file cut in half lengthwise; it doesn’t hold any information) called ‘INSURANCE’ and file the individual files behind it. Think of how your computer files are arranged in Windows Explorer. The ‘folder-within-a-folder’ scheme breaks out levels and groupings—getting narrower as you go. You can do the same with your paper files. Designate different positions and tab colors within your files to designate the placement. I use a yellow tab in the first position for the marker; a white tab in the second position for the main file (subdirectory); and a blue tab in the third position for a sub-file.
File alphabetically by the markers, which are so broad you never forget what you called them. Once you set up your system, make a list of all the titles for reference. You can check the list before making a new file to see if it already exists or to trigger your memory about where to file existing information.
Here’s an example of my personal file directory. Please feel free to modify and use it!
CAR
AAA
Honda
Infiniti
CATALOGS
CHURCH/CHARITY
Cherry Hills Community Church
Compassion International
Young Families Group
EDUCATION
College Planning
Primrose
Univ Of Colorado
Univ of Phoenix
Washington & Jefferson
Wildcat Mountain
ENTERTAINMENT
Colorado Ideas
Gymnastics
Holidays
Halloween
Christmas
Ocean Journey
Zoo
FINANCIAL
Bank Statements
TCF, business
TCF, personal
Credit Cards/Statements
American Express
Discover
Express Toll
Norwest
USAA MasterCard
United VISA
Credit Report
Financial/Retirement Planning
Flexible Spending Account
Insurance
Automobile
Business
Claims
Homeowners
Life
Medical
Personal Articles
Investments
American Century
Solomon Smith Barney
Thrift Savings Plan
Waterhouse
Merchant Accounts
American Express
Discover
National Processing Company
Mortgage
Burberry
Cordova
Cottoncreek
Paystubs/Invoice stubs
Social Security
Taxes
Receipts, Business
Receipts, Medical
Returns
HOUSES
Burberry
Community Association
Cordova
Cottoncreek
Repairs/Improvements
Yard
INTERESTS
Collectables
Ashton-Drake
Easton Press
Lenox
Religious Studies
LEGAL
Accidents/Lawsuits
Estate Planning/Will
Power Of Attorney
Security Clearance
Stack, James C.
Stack, John J.
Stack, Johnny K.
Stack, Meagan E.
Stack, Laura M.
MEDICAL
Dental
Diet
Eye
Stack, James C.
Stack, John J.
Stack, Johnny K.
Stack, Meagan E.
Stack, Laura M.
Osteopathic
Physical Therapy
TRAVEL
Brochures
Frequent Flyer
American
Continental
Delta
Northwest
United
US Air
Hotels
UTILITIES
Cable
Electric/Gas
Phone
Lightyear
Qwest
VoiceStream
Trash
Water/Sewer
WARRANTIES/INSTRUCTIONS
Appliances, large
Appliances, small
Baby
Computer
Electronics
Furniture
Jewelry
Tools
0 Color Code. If you have a large quantity of one type of file—clients, projects, forms, and administrative files—assign each type a different color to make the system easier to use and more attractive. Identify each major section of your files by color: Clients—orange, Projects—yellow, Forms—green, Administration—red, etc. Use whatever colors make sense to you. For example, if you think of red tape and administration at the same time, use a red folder for that section. Then alphabetize within each section. You then have, in essence, four separate filing systems instead of one. Color-coding makes accessing files and refiling easier and less time-consuming. It also serves to identify misplaced files.
0 Add Information Consistently. When you add information to a file, don’t put it in the file randomly. Because then you must dig through the entire file to locate a particular piece of paper. Consistently add information to the front or back of the folder to create a chronological order. It doesn’t really matter which method you choose, so long as you’re consistent. I prefer to file paper in the front of the file. That way, when I open a file on my desk, the papers on top are the most recent and the items in back are older. Being consistent in this manner helps tremendously when purging files because you don’t have to peruse the entire contents to find outdated material.
0 Purge Regularly. Purging is essential. The only alternatives to purging are getting bigger office space, adding a room to your home, or buying more filing cabinets! You can purge your files in one of two ways: once a year or whenever you use a file. Throw away or recycle any unnecessary duplicates, outdated draft copies, and otherwise unnecessary materials BEFORE you clutter your life with more filing cabinets! If you haven’t touched a file in four weeks, move it to your central files instead of keeping it at your desk. Once a year, archive the central files you no longer need except as a record of history. For example, move all your tax returns and related receipts/documents to archive files down in your basement. Keep only current information in your central files.
0 File at least weekly. Once you have your system set up, don’t let your filing build up! That’s where you get into trouble. It you wait a month before filing, it will seem as if you poured fertilizer on your filing pile. File at least once a week on a day and time when you have low energy anyway.
Try these tips, and you will turn your files into smiles!
Copyright 2002 Laura Stack, MBA, CSP. All rights reserved. Portions of this newsletter may be reprinted in your organization or association newsletter, provided the following credit line is present:
Laura M. Stack, MBA, CSP, is “The Productivity PRO,"® helping people leave the office earlier, with less stress, and more to show for it. She presents keynotes and seminars on time management, information overload, and personal productivity. Contact her at 303-471-7401 or visit her website at http://www.TheProductivityPro.com.