Celebrate National Organize Your Files Week
During the third week of April each year, we celebrate National Organize Your Files Week. For many, this falling so closely to the traditional deadline for submitting tax returns works out well. There are many elements to consider related to what to keep, in what form and for how long. Here are some considerations to keep in mind as you celebrate this National Organize Your Files Week:
First, think about how many minutes of each day are lost searching for specific paper documents, electronic files or emails received that you know you have but simply can’t find. Boost your productivity by considering the mantra “location, location, location” to keep what’s used most frequently in the prime real estate of where you spend most of your workday, putting less frequently used files further and further away. Make sure the homes assigned to the contents of your workspace are well earned, placing them logically for how you move items from to-do to done. Your workspace can be a powerful tool.
Then, think about the clutter amidst your electronic documents, paper files and email folders. It’s easy to let what’s not needed accumulate. Thus, remember that what we have to dig through to find what we’re seeking is slowing us down. Boost productivity by keeping only what is accurate, applicable, useful, legally required, not easily found with a quick online search or bringing you joy. In today’s world, things change quickly so it’s vital to make sure we’re keeping up to date on what earns space in our files. If it’s challenging to find what you need, there might be too much being retained. What can you edit out?
Next, be reassured by the fact that setting up your folder system really is the hardest part. You want to have enough folders such that everything has a home but not too many folders. Avoid a situation where you’re going to file something away and it could go in more than one place by having a system with fewer, more generic folders, and, then, mirroring that set-up from paper to electronic to email. Please steer clear of “miscellaneous” folders as that could mean anything or nothing at all, focusing on general terms that apply to what you’ll actually be keeping. There will be some folders that appear in one space but not the others; however, the skeleton is a starting point for getting organized. Most importantly, be honest with yourself… Do you have more folders than you’re actually using? Consider what folders can be combined together, keeping your system simple and easy to figure out where to file something so you can find it later.
Start putting color to work in boosting your productivity. Color can be vital for all of us as color motivates behavior. Consider how you can incorporate color into your filing system. Maybe you’ll follow my lead and have green for your client folders or red for your volunteer efforts or maybe a bright, vibrant pattern for action files. Add color to fuel results: red has been shown to increase attentiveness, blue has proven to boost creativity, and green is associated with growth. Plus, this concept of adding color works for paper, electronic and email filing solutions alike, especially when using colorful tags across your computer’s folders. Use what colors speak loudest to you.
Make sure your filing system can be maintained. Getting organized is a start, but real success comes from maintaining a system that supports achieving your goals. Only when it can be maintained is your filing system a true productivity tool. Think through these questions: For what you’ll keep, how can you group like with like and contain what you retain? Are there things you receive in paper format that can be scanned into electronic format for better retention, and how will that process work? Most importantly, what will be your timeline for assessing how well the systems are working, dividing folders that are overflowing and maintaining your retention schedule? Allow your files to serve your long-term needs.
How do your filing systems currently serve you? Do they need a little TLC so they can better support efficiently working toward effectively achieving your desired results? Make a simple change today for which your future self will be grateful.
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