Organizing Paper Files
Now that I’ve got this wonderful new file cabinet, I’ve got two whole drawers to fill up. It was multiple stacks of paper, plus a totally full wire, rolling file box that sparked the purchase and assembly.
Wouldn’t you know it? I started going through the old one and sure enough found a hanging file folder full of chock full of bank records my account tells me I no longer need. With those gone I could have postponed the expansion. Ah well.
Rather than just start stuffing, I’ve been thinking about how I want to file the paper. The first decision is that my client files will go in the top drawer and my personal files in the bottom drawer and in the old wire box. My thinking is my clients deserve my first attention – they should be on top. I’ll create a hanging folder for each. Some will get subfolders, others won’t.
Next I’ve started a list categories for my personal files. I’m trying to think about how often I look for certain information and get that close to the front. For example, I belong to an organization that creates membership lists with email and phone numbers. I want that easy to find because I often need to find one or another of the folks involved. Then there’s all that stuff, like car insurance, instructions for appliances, etc. that I want access to, but I don’t use often.
I’ve given myself a week to get this all sorted out and I suspect I’ll be glad I’ve put thought and effort into it.
Write well and often,
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POSTED IN: Musings From A Freelance Writer
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