Index
- Home
- Who Is This Crazy Person?
- Contact Me
- The Media Room
- Full-Time RVer
- Where We're Going
- A Map Of Our Travels
- We Came, We Saw Blog
- Art Across America
- My Travel Photography
- Real-Life RVing
- Eating Great, State-To-State
- Squished Pennies
- Organizer And Coach
- Coaching Services
- Business Tools For P.O.'s
- Organize And Simplify
- Download My E-Book
- Organizing Services
- My Organizing Philosophy
- Hire The Traveling Organizer
- FAQ's About Hiring Ramona
- Before And After Photos
- Client Testimonials
- Want To Get Organized? Blog
- Simplicity Reality Check Blog
- Organizing Tip Sheets
- Photographer And Artist
- My Photography Portfolio
- Ramona At Play
- Fun Stuff
- Rants For All Occasions
- In My Fascist State
- Living Child-Free
- Writer And Speaker
- A Blogging Fool
- Spoiler-Free Film Reviews
Search
Follow Me
Translate
Archives
Spring Cleaning Your File Cabinet
Posted On: 4/19/2010 6:00:00 AM
You Are Here: Home > Organize And Simplify > Want To Get Organized? Blog > Entry
I know that I've been gone for a while -- my mother passed away on June 6th, and I've been absolutely overwhelmed dealing with everything. I'm just about ready to return to my normal life, and that means that my blogs will be returning too. I look forward to reconnecting with my site visitors -- keep an eye out for me in late September!
Spring cleaning isn't just for home -- and it isn't just for spring, either! Your filing system needs an occasional deep-clean, just like your kitchen cabinets and closets. So let's get to it!
Clear Out The Clutter
Your filing system is a lot like your junk drawer. Every time you find something that you think might be useful, you stash it away. Some of those things come in handy later on -- others just take up space. But every once in a while, you have to clear the decks and start fresh with your storage. Now, here's your chance!Empty every folder out of your file drawer and start by asking yourself if that category is still meaningful and relevant to your life. Completed projects, old client files, and obsolete reference topics may be able to go away. You can then sort through each "keeper" folder and clean out unnecessary and outdated paperwork. Remember, only current and relevant documents should reside in your active files. If you don't use it all the time but might possibly need to refer to that information again in the future, place the item in your archive files. If not, and there is no legal reason for you to keep it, toss or shred.
A New Coat Of Paint
While you've got your file system emptied, take a minute to look at your supplies and see if they pass muster. Are your folders getting old and raggedy, coming apart at the seams and losing their grip on your hanging file rails? Why not replace them with new, clean files. Are your labels a mess? Too many cross-outs and write-overs make it hard to find the folder you need -- so get some fresh labels and neatly type or print the correct title for each file. Are your filing cabinets dysfunctional, with dented and hard-to-open drawers? If you have to fight with your cabinet every time you need a document, it's time to consider a replacement.Also examine your naming convention and make sure that your files are labeled in a way that makes sense. The goal is to start each file with the name of the larger category to which it belongs (ex: utilities), then add on the descriptor that lets you know exactly what paperwork that folder contains (ex: utilities -- water or utilities -- electric), moving from general to more specific. Color-coding your files and/or labels is another great way to distinguish categories of files from one another.
Put It All Back In Order
Finally, it's time to get each document back in its home. Once you have all of your file folders labeled and placed in the drawer, check around your home or office to see if there are any loose piles of paper sitting out -- on a desk, shelf, countertop, or credenza (don't forget to look for homeless papers stuffed into drawers or boxes, as well!) Go through each stack and clear out any junk -- papers that you thought might be useful, but now turn out the be outdated, obsolete, or no longer relevant to your interests.Once you've trimmed the piles down to only what you know you want to keep (and will use in the future), file those papers one-by-one in your existing categories. Don't just ask yourself where it should go, but also where you would LOOK for it when you need that document down the road. And if you don't have an appropriate category (or subcategory) for that item, create a new file.
By the time you are done, every piece of paper should have a home and be easy to locate whenever you need it. If you missed spring this year, don't worry -- you can clean up your paper management act any time you need to. Don't put it off until next spring!
Would you like to reprint this article? Please review our reprint guidelines.
Read More: cleaning out - clutter - getting organized - office - paper management
View Next Entry In This Blog: < Previous Post - Next Post >
View Next Entry In Site: < Previous Post - Next Post >
Content on RamonaCreel.com is © Ramona Creel, all rights reserved.
No text or graphic representations may be copied off this site or used in any form.
Entry into this site constitutes agreement to these terms.
If you notice any problems with this site, please contact our webmaster.
Discuss This Post
There are no comments.