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9 Common Home Filing
System Mistakes and Their Solutions
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 buy 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.
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Author: © COPYRIGHT KAREN FRITSCHER-PORTER |
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Karen Fritscher-Porter publishes
http://www.how-to-file.com,
a website with all the informational answers and file products
that meet your home filing system needs. Start clearing your
paper clutter today!
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ARTICLE POSTED
MAY 12, 2006
ARTICLE SOURCE: EzineArticles.com |
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