Business Tips Guides

Is your desk disorganized? Do you stack papers everywhere because you don’t know what else to do with them? This article will provide you with some useful information that will help you develop an organized filing system with file folders. Specifics may vary from person to person; however, the following information includes helpful and important guidelines from which everyone can benefit.

Our lives are extremely hectic! By the time we finish juggling work, kids, homework, housework and spouses, well, there just isn’t time for anything else. It’s no surprise that most people are disorganized - they can’t seem to find the time to file on a regular basis.

There’s always that one spot that you use as a catch-all. It could be a corner of your desk at work, your kitchen counter or the “junk” drawer. These are the places you put your “stuff” - the stuff that you have no idea what else to do with it but you know you’re probably going to need it at some point (like right after you throw it away). This is where you toss your keys, your mail, your kids’ homework, the bills that are due and the ones you’re going to pay later, that report from work that was due yesterday - you name it!

Now, wouldn’t it be great if you could keep that same spot but have everything in it organized neatly? Well, maybe not everything, but pretty close. Of course it’s recommended that you file away your papers and documents right away, but you can’t always find time to do so. But when you do, you’ll want a filing system that lets you file quickly and efficiently so that when you finally go searching for your stuff, you can actually find it.

There are several ways to create a good filing system. It all starts with file folders. File folders will hold all of your documents and you can organize them however you want. You can color-code them, alphabetize them, break them down by month, label them, whatever you choose. The key is to maintaining your filing system and correctly labeling and filing your documents so that you can always find what you need.

Why bother, you might ask? Well, think about what might happen if you misplace a couple of bills - like your mortgage or car payment. The longer a document sits around on a desk, a shelf or anywhere else but in the file, the more chances it has of being misplaced, covered up, hidden or otherwise lost.

Plus, some papers contain information that is not for everyone’s consumption. The next time your best friend drops by, do you really want your paycheck hanging out for them to see? When papers are placed into the file immediately instead of allowed to sit out in the open, the chances of accidentally sharing personal documents are decreased substantially.

And lastly, rather than piling papers everywhere, leaving you with two square inches of workspace or counter space, put your papers into the filing system right away so you have more room to do what you need to do. You’d be surprised at how that simple task can change the lives of you and your family!

Sharon Mann is President of the I Hate Filing Club, a group of nearly 100,000 office professionals who hate filing but love finding new ways to become more organized. Learn more about develop an organized filing system with file folders - visit our website.