Organize Your Paperwork Once And For All

Are you someone who can’t find your desk beneath the huge mountain of papers and files? Is your idea of organizing paperwork stacking them on top of the table or stuffing them inside drawers? If so, then you could use a few tips on how to organize paperwork and cut the clutter. Using a category based system to organize paperwork can help you find things quickly and easily. Also, if you can get it right the first time, you will never have to re-do your filing system again.

The following tips are some simple ways to organize paperwork in your office and in your home:

*The easier, the better. If you choose to organize paperwork in a complicated system, you might not be able to keep up with the influx of documents, let alone a growing household or business, and you will undoubtedly still end up with clutter.

*Color-coding isn’t the best approach. Intuitively, it is a great way of organizing paperwork. However, if you run out of a particular color and need to start a new category, you’ll be wasting time by going out for supplies, or by trying to accommodate the new category with existing colors.

*Designate a specific area in your home to organize paperwork, even if the only space available is a drawer.

*All documents that do not fit into any specific category should go into a “Miscellaneous file. This file should be organized from time to time so that it isn’t cluttered and so that you can make sure that there aren’t documents in there that can make up a new category.

*If you do not have time to organize paperwork each time documents arrive, put them under a category called “To File” but don’t accumulate such papers for too long. Organize paperwork regularly.

*In a house with children, it can be challenging to organize paperwork. You can keep a special clipboard or bulletin board in a prominent place where you can put all important permits, admission slips, forms, and school documents and other papers related to your children.

*Go through your filing system regularly and organize paperwork by taking out papers that you no longer need. These papers might include last year’s bills, warranties on items that are no longer valid, and other unnecessary papers.

*Keep a paper shredder and recycling bin near your table where you usually open your mail. When unwanted, unnecessary mail comes in, do not hesitate to shred it, or toss it in the recycling bin. For a detailed list of what you need to keep and what to shred, check out the “About the Author” section at the end of this article.

Heidi DeCoux is a Professional Organizer and creator of the Fast-Filing Method home office filing system. For more info, free home organization tips, and to receive her FREE Special Report: Which Papers to Keep and Which to Shred, visit http://www.HeidiDeCoux.com.

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Filed under organizing by Heidi DeCoux on Aug 10th, 2010.

Organize Your Paperwork Once And For All

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