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R – Read
A – Act
F – File
T- Toss
Paperwork, e-mail messages and electronic files can overwhelm you making you feel stressed and ineffective. Step one is to open your mail or email. Step 2 is to have a system to process it. If information has built up, look at the creation date on the document and decide if is the most recent version. If the document was replaced by a more current version toss or delete the old versions. If the document can be replicated, retrieved or is obsolete toss it, shred it or delete it.
As documents arrive, paper or electronic decide:
R – Needs to be read or referred to later
If it will be read or referred to another person, place it in a folder (electronic or paper) labelled as read. If the document is to be used by another person forward it to the correct person.
A – Needs to be processed
If the document requires:
- an action to be taken,
- a decision to be made,
- a response conveyed or
- has a deadline
place it in a folder marked Act. Financial documents should have their own folder separate from the Act folder.
F – Needs to be filed
If the documents are completed but must be retained, then they are filed. If it is an electronic document forward it to the correct folder. If it is a paper document place it in a file or basket for filing at a later date.
T – Toss – Needs to be disposed of
Documents that you:
- no longer need,
- have no financial implications,
- are out of date,
- junk mail or
- a copy can be obtained elsewhere
can be tossed, deleted, recycled or shredded.
All of your electronic communications and paperwork are now filed as:
- Read
- Act
- File or
- Tossed
and are ready to be handled at a later time. Schedule time in your agenda/calendar to read documents, complete any action needed on documents and file paperwork. This system helps you to:
- know where documents are if someone has questions,
- allows you to manage your time effectively by scheduling your paperwork at times when you will be uninterrupted and
- be able to quickly locate the papers/documents you need to complete a task.
Although much of your information is paperless there is still a substantial amount of paper to control. Have 3-5 stacking trays or a desktopper with folders. Label the folders/trays: to do, to read, to file, refer to other people, and miscellaneous forms. File the paper correctly and schedule a time to process each folder.
At the end of the day:
- Clean off your desk, leaving only papers you are going to process tomorrow in a stack on your desk.
- In your calendar record the files you need to process. Place e-mails/documents to be worked on in a folder marked with the day of the week they will be processed
- Check your to-do files (paper and electronic) for items that need to be completed the next day
- Sort all other papers and documents into their appropriate trays/ folders.
Share how you prevent emails and paperwork from drowning you.
Julie Stobbe is a Trained Professional Organizer and Lifestyle Organizing Coach who brings happiness to homes and organization to offices, coaching you virtually using Zoom. She has been working with clients since 2006 to provide customized organizing solutions to suit their individual needs and situations. She uses her love of teaching to reduce clutter, in your home, office, mind and time. She guides and supports you to be accountable for your time, to complete projects and to reach your goals. If you’re in a difficult transition Julie can coach you to break-free of emotional clutter constraining you from living life on your terms. Online courses are available to help instruct, coach and support your organizing projects. Get started by downloading Tips for Reorganizing 9 Rooms.
Contact her at julie@mindoverclutter.ca
Twitter – Facebook – Facebook group Organizing Mind and Space
Many people feel the only way to file paperwork is in a filing cabinet in filing folders. I like to say some people file horizontally using files and something to hold them. While other people use files and stack them vertically. Both types of people are doing the same thing in a different direction. Are you a filer (horizontal hanging files) or are you a piler ( vertically stacking files)? Learn about 5 ways you can keep your paperwork controlled.
1. Traditional Filing Cabinets
They come in many sizes and colours. Make sure to get one with drawer sliders so you can easily reach the back of each drawer. Some come with locks others do not. They can be vertical or horizontal. Horizontal cabinets provide a space to set things on, a printer, a plant etc. You can buy a stand that has wheels to set under the filing cabinet to make it easier to relocate.
2. Binders
Binders are a good solution for visual people. You can have them on a shelf and easily see all your files. The binders can be colour coded to make it simple to find the correct binder. Use dividers, pocket dividers or sheet protectors to file papers. Set up the categories you need: household bills, bank statements, warranties etc. Some binders also have a set of accordion files attached to the binder. Here is a review of this product.
3 Rolling Crates/ File Boxes on Wheels.
Use hanging folders and file folders. The advantage to this is you can take them to whatever room you want and the top is open so you can see the files easily. With the crates, you can stack them for easy storage.
Crates make your files portable
4. Expandable Files
Use one section for each category of paperwork. For example household bills, income tax, financial documents, insurance policies, warranties, etc. They are great to have one for each member of the family to store papers relating to them, report cards/school documents, immunization/health records, passport and other documents, certificates etc. You can also colour code these files.
Some come with special hooks so you can store them in a filing cabinet or crate.
5. Magazine holders
Magazine holders come in paper and plastic. They are available in many colours and patterns. Try to buy ones with solid sides so papers will not get caught and it can be hard to slide in. Use a holder for each category of paper you need to file. You can colour code your systems making it easier to quickly access the files you need. You can turn them so the spines are facing out, and label them, to reduce the visual clutter of seeing all the papers in each box.
What is your preferred method for filing paperwork? Tell me about your system.
Julie Stobbe is a Trained Professional Organizer and Lifestyle Organizing Coach who brings happiness to homes and organization to offices, coaching you virtually using Zoom. She has been working with clients since 2006 to provide customized organizing solutions to suit their individual needs and situations. She uses her love of teaching to reduce clutter, in your home, office, mind and time. She guides and supports you to be accountable for your time, to complete projects and to reach your goals. If you’re in a difficult transition Julie can coach you to break-free of emotional clutter constraining you from living life on your terms. Online courses are available to help instruct, coach and support your organizing projects. Get started by downloading Tips for Reorganizing 9 Rooms.
Contact her at julie@mindoverclutter.ca
Twitter – Facebook – Facebook group Organizing Mind and Space
Reading time – 3 minutes
Organizing your home office can lead you in many directions. Perhaps:
- your inbox is inundated,
- your files are filled or
- your time management is missing.
You need to start somewhere so let’s start with the S.P.A.C.E. that houses your office.
Look around your office and start:
1. Sorting the items that are visible into groups of papers, books, office supplies, client files, products, advertising materials etc.
Start with the visible clutter first.
2. Pair down each pile with the items that are current and recycle or shred the rest.
3. Assign a convenient place to store your resources. If you use them often keep them near your desk, if they are used infrequently store them further away but still in your office. If they are never referred to but are needed for tax or legal purposes they can be stored in another room.
4. Take each of those piles and select the best Container for keeping the items organized, binders, magazine holders, bins, boxes etc.
Organize with binders
Organize with bins
Organizing for the person who likes to see everything, the visual person
5. Evaluate your new S.P.A.C.E. to make sure it will help you be more efficient, productive and profitable this year.
Share one of your office organizing tips in the comment box.
Julie Stobbe is a Trained Professional Organizer and Lifestyle Organizing Coach who brings happiness to homes and organization to offices, coaching you virtually using Zoom. She has been working with clients since 2006 to provide customized organizing solutions to suit their individual needs and situations. She guides and supports you to manage your time, and projects and to reach your goals. If you’re in a difficult transition Julie can coach you to break-free of emotional clutter constraining you from living life on your terms. Online courses are available to help instruct, coach and support your organizing projects. Get started by downloading Tips for Reorganizing 9 Rooms.
Contact her at julie@mindoverclutter.ca
Click here to learn more about her online course Create an Organized Home.
Twitter – Facebook – Facebook group Organizing Mind and Space
Harry Potter Film Studio, England 2017
We use 20% of the stuff we own. Keep the 20% of paper that is important and discard the other 80% . Share on X
1. Don’t allow paper to build up
- Handle paper daily, don`t let it grow into a pile
- Place all paper in one location, don’t let it travel all over the home
- Open mail and discard the envelop and advertising
- Schedule a time to file, make calls, pay bills etc
2. Make a decision on each paper the first time you touch it
- If it can be done in 60 seconds or less do it now, otherwise R.A.F.T it
- Set up 3 files, bins or trays and sort your paper into:
- R – read later
- A – action required
- F – file
- T – toss it / shred it now
3. Follow through on work
- Each time you pick a sheet of paper put a small dot on the top corner.
- Three dots or more means it is time to take action on that piece of paper.
- If you are procrastinating about what to do, it probably means you are not sure how to solve the problem in the paperwork. Ask for advice, designate it to someone else, research the issue or break it into smaller parts you can complete.
4. Be ruthless
- 80% of what is filed is never accessed again, so 80% or more of the paper you receive on a daily basis can be discarded
- Clear out your files once or twice a year
- Remove yourself from subscription lists
5. Think before you print
- File e-mails in a folder on the computer
- Print only the selection of the e-mail or webpage you need
6. Store inactive files in boxes indicating a destroy date
7. Follow retention guidelines
- Retain files as specified by your company or accountant
- Put inactive files in boxes and place them in storage indicating a destroy date on the box
- Clear out outdated files
For more great office organizing ideas read “Don’t Agonize Organize Your Office” by Diane A Hatcher
If you need help with your paper organizing book a complimentary discovery organizing session with me. Organizing Session
Julie Stobbe is a Trained Professional Organizer and Lifestyle Organizing Coach who brings happiness to homes and organization to offices, coaching you virtually using Zoom. She enjoys working with her clients to provide customized organizing solutions to suit their individual needs and situations. She reduces clutter, streamlines processes and manages time to help her clients be more effective in reaching their goals. Julie can coach you to break-free of the physical or emotional clutter constraining you from living life on your terms. Online courses are available to help instruct, coach and support your organizing projects. Get started by downloading Tips for Reorganizing 9 Rooms.
Contact her at julie@mindoverclutter.ca
Twitter – Facebook – Facebook group Organizing Mind and Space
Samsill 2-in-1 and 3-in-1 Organizers
Samsill has a 2-in-1 organizer and a 3-in 1-organizer. They are binders with a section of 7 clear plastic accordion style dividers and a fold-over cover with an elastic closure to hold the organizer closed. They come in a variety of colours.
1 Inch 3 Ring Binder + 7 Pocket Accordion Style Expanding File + Hanging File –
There are very few differences between the 2 products. The 3 in 1 organizer has 4 slide out clips that allows you to hang the binder in your filing cabinet. The clips lock into position making it easy to use them. This function makes storing the files neat, tidy and easy to retrieve. No more shelves of binders that slide and tip over every time you remove one.
The binder has clips to hang in a filing drawer.
The 2-in-1 organizer has tabs on the top of each file section making it easy for labeling. It also has 2 elastic closures so you can open just the file section or just the binder section. This is helpful as it prevents any loose papers from falling out when you open the binder section.
In addition to the clips to hang in a filing cabinet, the 3-in-1 organizer has tabs only on 3 file sections for easy labelling and one elastic closure.
The fold over lid is quite stiff and initially caused me some problems but if you fold it open and re-crease the fold the lid will stay back and make it easy to access the plastic file section. The files hold paper that is exactly 8 ½ by 11 inches. If you have manuals or slightly large paperwork you may need to trim it.
Fold over lid keeps document secure.
At first, you may be fooled and think the elastic closure won`t stay closed because the elastic is loose. The elastic closure works well when the organizer contains paperwork making the elastic tighter.
The elastic closure hooks securely onto the front of the binder
The file sections are open at the bottom edge, it is not a pocket. Some small items may slide under the edge and into the next section. If this is a problem for you try using an envelope to hold small items in the file section. The dividers are flexible and bend slightly making it hard to get the paper to slide easily into the correct section. As you get used to it and you have more paper in the sections it becomes quite easy to use.
This may be the perfect product if you have large client files. You can record your ongoing notes, to-do lists, reference information in the binder section and use the file section for billing, receipts, marketing material, information to give to the client, calculator, and iPad.etc. It would also be a great networking tool. You can have a place for notes, following up with clients after a meeting, recording upcoming events and to-do lists and filing all your marketing material. It would always be ready to go when a networking event arises. Having the binder and file system in one organizer gives you the flexibility of storing paperwork in the way that suits your preferred style and the paper best. You can pick it up and go and look like you are ready to work.
If you need help setting up a filing system contact me at julie@mindoverclutter.ca.
Julie Stobbe is a Trained Professional Organizer and Lifestyle Organizing Coach who brings happiness to homes and organization to offices, coaching you virtually using Zoom. She has been working with clients since 2006 to provide customized organizing solutions to suit their individual needs and situations. She uses her love of physical activity to reduce clutter, in your home and office. She guides and supports you in managing your time. If you’re in a difficult transition Julie can coach you to break-free of emotional clutter constraining you from living life on your terms. Online courses are available to help instruct, coach and support your organizing projects. Get started by downloading Tips for Reorganizing 9 Rooms.
Contact her at julie@mindoverclutter.ca
Twitter – Facebook – Facebook group Organizing Mind and Space
