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This stylist's cubby bookshelf elegantly holds jewelry and accessories. She has been featured in Fast Company, NBC News, The Washington Post, Business Insider, NPR, Huff Post, Fox Business, and The Atlantic. Get access to her free guide, 10 Simple Ways to Make Your To-Do Lists More Effective, by clicking here. Organizing a filing cabinet seems like it should be a relatively simple organization project.
Once you have all of your home filing system categories labeled and added to folders it is time to add your paperwork into its new home. This part shouldn’t take too long since you’ve created a category for all of your important paperwork. In this post, I’m going to walk you through the 6 steps to take to create a home filing system that organizes your paperwork.
Your Home Office Organization Can Stop Here
Your post has helped refresh my memory on your methods. Do you need to keep the insurance big manuals when you have a new policy? I file specific medical records that need to be kept indefinitely, information like eyeglass prescriptions and diagnosis, important test results.
For anyone who works from home, or just has a lot of paperwork in their personal life, setting up a home filing system can be the right choice. But there are some ways to create this system that work better than others. While making some minor adjustments is expected, major changes shouldn’t need to be made after the system has been set up. Here are some of the most important things to consider when setting up a home filing system.
Plan to organize on a regular basis
White tape creates the boxes, and dates can be written in erasable ink or pinned with sticky notes. If you want help decluttering and organizing your filing cabinet, I offer professional organizing services and organizing mindset coaching. You can use a label maker if you’d like to create labels, but it’s certainly not necessary. Check around your home or office for existing supplies before purchasing items online or in store. By following the steps I shared in this post you can create and maintain an organized system with ease.
Colored hanging folders are easily available and easily recognizable. Being able to read file labels sounds obvious, but clarity in labeling will save time. Most companies that make labels provide templates that integrate with common word processing software.
Install a Wall of Cabinets
For example, you may have a hanging file for Bank Statements and inside have a folder for each bank where you have an account. You can use fabric covered boxes to store your files in plain sight or plastic bins for better protection. Although it may not blend with your home decor – this rolling file cart is great if you don't have a dedicated home office. Just roll it from room to room with you to have your files with you at all times. One way to help yourself remember to pay bills on time is to use either a chronological or numerical based home filing system. To keep this from happening, most people use a combination of two or three of the basic filing systems that I named above.
Users should have levels of permissions, and ownership should be assigned accordingly. You’ll want to have clarity around document access and editing abilities. Different people should have different access levels, depending on their roles and skills. Your staff should be aware of the upcoming change and know the general guidelines around document sharing, permissions, storage rules, etc. Following standard procedures, and naming conventions should also help when employees start using the new system. Health club, country club, whatever club you belong to that you paid money into...
Which Filing System is the Most Common?
A great way to organize your home filing system is by category – and then organize the files inside that category alphabetically. Most household paperwork falls into a group of common categories. But Randolph's School Papers would be in a completely different file cabinet drawer or further back at the very least. Your file cabinet would have files for ABC Bank, Abigail's School Papers, Acme Lawn Service all in a row. Using a top or category based system, you would set up your files by the type of content that you include inside. If you are still operating the old-fashioned way, but interested in going green, you can transition to paperless over time.
This is done so that it is visible to anyone looking at the folder. Doing so allows you to quickly find the files that you need without having to pick up every folder and search through it. Before you can really begin organizing your office, you will need to determine how you will want to get the files you need.
Schedule a time once a month to cycle through old paperwork allowing you to keep a home filing system that is clean and organized. The list can be endless when it comes to subcategories that’s why I like to narrow it to 3-5 subcategories this way you don’t have too much paperwork in a category. The home filing system I put together is a portable system just because I want to store all of the paperwork in the closet of the office (an update is coming soon!).
You also want to make sure you are purposeful in making this e-storage switch. Now is an excellent time to clear the clutter and be sure you have an easily searchable digital database. When you choose document management software, make sure it realistically fits within your budget.
I definitely have my work cut out for me in this department. It’s very hard for me to let go of “hard copies” of most paper records. I’m almost 60 and have dealt with paper records all my life, both at home and in my twenty-year career in the corporate world. I recently retired early from my career in part because the company I worked for was about to go paperless with what they called “big data”.
You are more likely to remember your file locations if they are color-coded. This section covers the paper sorting aspect of a filing system. We will quickly see past mistakes, which helps us avoid them in the future. Hence, the filing also helps in the formulation of plans for the future. I have always been a massive fan of organizing my workspace. It helps me to keep track of my work which relieves the anxiety of future projects.
When it comes to sharing, make sure you know what kind of security you want, whether it is "view only" links, limited editing, email verification, etc. Since collaboration by nature invites many cooks into the kitchen, just be sure you have a plan for clearance levels. Aside from system costs, it’s important to consider your skills and the tech-savviness of the rest of your office so that you schedule yourself accordingly. I'll share how we balance it all to bring a sense of calm, peace, and order to an otherwise chaotic busy life. Get all of your warranty information and instruction manuals organized so you can find them fast when you need them.
Also, wipe your desk, keyboard, mouse, and phones using disinfectant wipes now and then. A clean working area helps to stay focused for longer hours. It is the place where you work on projects and make crucial decisions. Some people also like to hang up motivational quotes or family pictures.
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