Organize This! Set Up a Filing System to Store and Manage Your Paperwork

By Stephanie Calahan (Calahan Solutions, Inc)

Paper!  Paper Everywhere!  Every horizontal space is covered in piles of the stuff.  With all of the talk of our society going “paperless” it has never happened.  In fact, we have more paper today than we did 20 years ago and it is still the #1 reason that people contact us.

Why is paper so difficult?  Well, for starters, it is hard for people to make decisions about what to do with the paper they have.  Sometimes just the thought of letting go of information causes panic attacks. 

Clutter of paper (and other items) accumulates for three primary reasons:

Fear of Scarcity

We worry that we might “need it someday.”  Right?  We fear that the paper holds important information that we need and we are afraid of losing.

When we are in a fear state, we very rarely make good decisions.  We are being ruled by negative emotion.  The solution is Trust!  Trust that you will make good decisions.  Trust that the systems that you put in place will work.  Most importantly:

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your way acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths." (Proverbs 3:5-6)

Know that everything that you need to live the life that you were born to live will be supplied to you when you need it.

“For God is not a God of disorder but of peace. As in all the congregations of the saints.” (1 Corinthians 14:33)

Deciding to Not Decide

It is much easier to decide to not decide when looking at papers.  We pick up a piece of paper and put it down and move to the next one without ever processing the first one.  You must DECIDE TO DECIDE when you are going through your backlog of papers.  I realize that paper can be paralyzing where this is concerned, so I created the D.A.R.T. system.  You can use this system to help you figure out what you should keep and what you can let go of.

Retrieval or “Finding” Problem 

We often make lots of piles throughout our space rather than filing the paper away because we are afraid that we will forget where we put the information!  Let’s look at it a bit differently.  Your paperwork likely consists of three types of paper:  1) stuff you need to take action on 2) stuff you are saving for reference and 3) stuff that you should have tossed a long time ago, but haven't. 

1 - Create an Action System

This is the system that manages all of the papers that are on your counters and other spaces that you have out in the open and in piles because you don't want to forget to do something.  Then use the system.  Read, sort and process your email and snail mail daily.  Avoid backlog.  Also, when you come across papers that are date driven, make sure to add an entry to your calendar/planner to remind you to do things.  This system is the perfect location to store all of the bills you have yet to pay.

2 - Create an Effective Reference System

Did you know that the average person wastes 150 hours a year just looking for things?   Imagine what you could do if you weren't searching!  An effective reference system is one that you use consistently because you trust it.  You trust it because it is easy to use and you can find information with ease when you need it.  Different systems are going to work better for different people, so make sure you set up something that works for you. This system is a great place to store all of the bills you have paid.  Here are a few for you to consider:

AboutOne.com

If you would like to go paperless with your home filing, this is definitely the tool to consider!  I have the honor of being on the advisory board of AboutOne and I love how this company really listens to your needs.  AboutOne was designed by moms and dads for moms and dads to make managing all that household information fast, fun, and easy. With just a few clicks your information is stored with bank-level security, and all your posts can then be combined or mixed together in new ways, saving you time on everyday chores like creating family newsletters, scrapbooks, hardcover photo albums, and creating and mailing holiday cards, or completing school forms, college applications, caregiver instructions, and tax returns.  I personally LOVE how easy it is to manage all of the complex medical information we have in our family.  AboutOne.com’s patent-pending service takes just seconds of your time and helps you save time, save money, and be prepared.  You can sign up for a trial account HERE.

Paper Tiger

I have been a happy Paper Tiger user for years.  If you don't want to go paperless, but you want an easy way to find anything in 5 seconds or less, then this is the tool. The tool gives you a powerful index search -- like how you would search on Google -- that allows you to find your information fast.  However, you can use this tool for much more than filing paper!  Anything that you can number you can put into the system.  At home, we have "paper tigered" books, CDs, DVDs, binders, storage bins, and more.  We love this tool because it does not matter how different my husband and I might reference information (for example, I might say Insurance-Car and he might say Country Insurance) we can find things with ease using the fast find button.  Your information is secure and backed up too.  You can sign up for a trial account HERE.

FileSolutions Home File System

If you like the idea of a color coded system, then you might consider the FileSolutions Home Filing System.  The Home Filing System includes a booklet to guide you through the filing process by helping you select the appropriate files for your home. You can build 80-100 files for your home & family items using the pre-printed, color-coded labels for both vertical files and 1/3 cut file folders. The categories include:  Personal, Financial, Taxes/Insurance, and Lifestyle.  In addition, file your important papers & find them again using FileIndexTM,. With this unique system, you can index over 350 items.  It will be the first and last place you look when you (or another family member) need to find something.  Note, folders & hanging files not included. This tool is great for simple household filing.  Consider or one of these great paper systems: Home Filing Systems and paper management.

3 - Let Go of the Rest

80 percent of what we keep, we never reference again.  I see that theme repeat itself over and over again when I work with clients and help them through their decisions.  If you have a hard time figuring out what to let go, consider using the DART system that I shared above. 

To your success!

Stephanie is the founder and CEO of Calahan Solutions, Inc. She is a nationally known speaker, media personality, author, publisher, productivity & organization consultant, and business coach. She believes that organizing is about making time and room for what is important to you and that life was meant to be lived. Stephanie lives in Illinois with her husband, 9-year-old son and Havanese puppy. You can find her on Twitter and at Productive and Organized, Daily Productivity Tips, and at Stephanie Calahan.