Do you search through the clutter on your desk for a document you need?
Can you retrieve information easily and quickly?
Imagine how great it would be to immediately find a document you were looking for?
Despite computers and emailing, we do still have to deal with paper on a daily basis. Whether it’s at home and you’re dealing with mail, insurance documents, forms that need to be filled in…or you are at work and you are handling reports, articles and other important documents, the fact remains that they have to be put somewhere, ideally for quick retrieval.
When you constantly look at a pile of paper that you know you need to sort through, it tends to sap your energy. While it may take time initially to decide on an effective filing system and to get your paper sorted, it can save you plenty of time in the long run.
Here are some key points to remember when deciding to clean up your paperwork;
1. Purchase the right kind of storage for your paper. Effective filing comes down to how you store your paper. Consider magazine files, vertical files, file boxes etc… There are so many varieties available – it is about what works best for you and your environment. If you have a small office space, you may want to have upright magazine files that look neat and tidy on a shelf and save space. If you have cupboards you may prefer to have file boxes that have a large amount of space within them and can be stacked and stored. Make sure you have got your storage boxes or files empty in front of you when you start sorting your paper. Also have label stickers and a pen handy!
2. Consider how you are going to label your files. For example if you are wanting to file a Board Report on Written Language, would you file it in a folder labelled ‘Reports to the Board’ or in the ‘Written Language’ folder? There is of course, no right answer, it all depends on what works best for you. (This one goes for naming your documents/folders on your computer too!) You may want to think about dividing folders into sub folders. This avoids over filling folders. For example, within a Special Needs folder you may have subfolders for IEP’s, Agencies, Referrals, Anecdotal Notes, etc…
3. Have a rubbish bin/recycle bin ready when you decide to get organised! You will be moving lots of paper!
4. If you are doing this for the first time and you are facing a mountain of paper, get someone on board to help you. They’ll be more ruthless than you and less likely to hoard unnecessary paper.
Once your filing system is up and running, here are some tips to keep you on top of your paper game!
OPEN IT, READ IT then… FILE IT or BIN IT
Deal with paper as you receive it, as opposed to putting it in a pile that you think you’ll get to later (as you watch it pile up during the week). Ideally you only want to touch paper once or twice. When I open mail at school, I do it next to my recycling bin so I am culling as I go. I glance over it, and either file it or bin it.
DON’T GET HOOKED!
(unless you have oodles of time)
I often get really interesting magazines in my mail folder at work, with articles I know I’ll enjoy or may use as a professional reading for a staff meeting. Rather than getting hooked into reading through it at the time, taking me away from my priority tasks, I scan it, fold down pages of articles I’ll read later, and slip it into my ‘Professional Reading’ folder, that I take home and read in the weekend. If I know I am going to be waiting at an upcoming appointment or sitting at the hairdressers for two hours I slip it into my handbag to read.
Keep The Article Not The Magazine!
If you do find a great article, and think you’ll need it for future reference either photocopy and file the article or scan and save in a folder on your computer. I have a folder at work called ‘Professional Readings’. If it’s a hard copy I try to write what magazine I have taken it from with the date for future reference. Magazines can be heavy and bulky and take up so much room to store. (except TeachersMatter of course!) If it is a small piece of writing – take a photo of it with your mobile device, that way you have easy access to it whenever you need it. Educational magazines are best shared. Think twice before you shelve it away in a folder or file. The staffroom is a great place to put reading material.
Have A 2 Stage Throw Out System
If you are someone who worries each time you throw paper out that you may need it again, then the 2 stage throw out system is for you! Have a box (stage 1) preferably out of sight, fill it with paper rubbish and keep it in there for a month or two. If you haven’t needed anything from it for at least two months, then it is safe to say “sayonara” once and for all! Stage 2 is actually getting rid of it for good.
Have A Today Or Current Week Folder
Keep any documentation you are currently working on in its own folder – that way you can access it quickly. And keep it close by for quick retrieval. At the end of the week if you have anything left in the folder move it into its appropriate place.
So… go buy your filing boxes or files and get started!! If the thought of sorting through your paper is over whelming, block out half an hour once or twice a week to chip away at it. Action creates momentum and before you know it your effective filing system and the success you’ll be having with it, will motivate you to complete it.
For any system to be useful and effective, it needs to work for you. You will be amazed at how great you feel with a streamlined filing system. Piled up paper becomes clutter and clutter can erode energy and creativity!