From Piles to Files - My Notes

LATER = Left Alone To Eventually Rot – Don’t save things for “later” – do it now or schedule it.

Creating an Office Space and Working Environment

• Choosing the best location – where do you like to work?
• Filing cabinets to fit any décor – http://www.homedecorators.com/

Daily Flow vs. Storage

• Daily flow – items used daily, weekly or monthly. Keep readily accessible; prime space.
• Storage – items you are keeping but that are less frequently used. Can be kept in less accessible places. 

Papers: What to keep and for how long

• IRS guidelines – 7 years
• Check with broker or accountant for retention period of financial papers
• Ask yourself "if I don’t keep this, how/where could I get this information if I needed it?"
• One in/one out; set limit on number of items or amount of space
• Safe Deposit Box – keep things that would be hard to replace:  mortgage papers, birth certificates, death certificates, original Social Security cards, military papers, passports, marriage certificates, divorce decrees, life insurance policies.
• Keep a backup copy of important documents (suggested on-line storage, scan and save to disc, or email a copy to yourself).

You don’t have to catch up in order to start keeping up!

• Start using the system with new paper coming into your home or office.
• Spend 10-15 minutes a day dealing with old stuff.

From Piles to Files

• Buy hanging files, not manila (100 for an average filing system; at least 19 to start)
• Set up files for days of the week, months of the year
• Sort papers according to when you will take action on them
• Color coding – use if it helps you
• For people with multiple projects that need to be worked on daily, consider a desktop file with 4 folders for time slots (9-11, 11-1, 1-3, 3-5 for example) and divide current day’s assignments into time periods.
• “Receipts” and “Paid Bills” files – Kathi keeps these in front of her daily folders.
• When you come home from shopping, put the credit card slips in the “Receipts” file. When the bill comes, reconcile the account, shred the receipts, and replace last month’s paid bill with the current one in the “Paid Bills” file.
• “Waiting For” file is for things that need action by someone else (Follow Up or Pending are other names for this file).
• “Passwords” – A place to record all your passwords, security questions and answers, etc. Recommended using a sentence to help you remember your password (Ex: I am 69 and Lilly is 11 for the password ia69aLi11). Kathi also recommends using false answers for security questions if the real answer could be known by others, such as place of birth or mother’s maiden name.
• File the most recent document in the front.
• Keep receipt with warranty information.
• Visual clutter aggravates migraines.

Time Management

• Do one thing at a time.
• 80% is perfect!
• What if I don’t do it at all?
• Horizon Concept – you can never travel to the horizon; don’t set unreachable goals/standards for yourself.
• Focus Five – you can’t have everything. Chart your time management goals and what changes you need to make to reach them

Yard by yard is hard, inch by inch is a cinch.

 

Handout with suggested file headings was included with the presentation:  Monday through Sunday, Paid Bills, Receipts, Waiting For, January through December, School, Church, Passwords, Fun, Shopping, Gift Certificates, Insurance-Life, Coupons, Insurance-Home, Insurance-Auto, Insurance-Medical, Insurance-Rx, Insurance-Dental, Taxes, Auto, Home Repairs, Investments, Bank, Decorating Ideas, Frequent Flyer, Attorney, Mortgage, Warranties, Personal, Professional.

 

Other categories: organizations, sports, gardening, crafts, specific cities or people, medical records, credit reports, art, antiques, short-term projects, “at computer” to hold things you need to do at the computer.

 

Kathi recommends Arial 14 bold font for file labels.