Get Organized

I don't know about you, but I love using the week after Christmas to read, relax and get organized. This past week I decided to tackle the filing drawer for our personal finances, house and cars. Our filing system, if you want to call it that, has served us well over the years, but it was in desperate need of a New Years "make over." You can click on the picture above to see a slide show documenting the process.

The filing system that I now use is from Julie Morgenstern's book, Organizing From The Inside Out. Two years ago I bought the book and gave it to Sharon on her birthday so she could help me organize my filing system at work. But that's another story! You can ask Sharon about that.

I find that Julie's filing system really works well for me. I have shared it with others who have also found it helpful. Here are some of the principles for a successful filing system:

• Break down your entire filing system into 3-5 categories that are easy to remember. For instance, at work I use Staff, Learning, Projects, Administration and Finances. At home on the filing drawer project I used Home, Auto and Finances.
• Assign each category a file color. This way you will know what category the file belongs to by just looking at the file. I didn't use the color coding on my home project as the file folders need to be special ordered. Instead, I used the file folder tabs to designate the file type - left cut for Home, center cut for Auto and right cut for Finances.
• Use the two ply filing folders. I like the Smead color folders for use at work. On my home I used the Pendeflex reinforced folders that I purchased from Office Max. The two ply folder lasts much longer. It's time to say "good-bye" to the dog eared folders in your file drawer!
• It's important to use a "straight line" filing system. This simple tip has been a big help to me. This helps you to quickly scan down the row of files to find what you are looking for. A staggered system makes it much harder to locate files and to add new file folders in the future.
• Once you have selected your categories and purchased your file folders you are ready for labeling. Invest in a good label maker. At church we use the Dymo LabelWriter 400. The Dymo is an awesome little product - I highly recommend it. You can purchase it for around $75 on sale at Office Max. You can purchase cheaper label makers for personal use. Neat, legible labels make it easy to find and file your folders.
• Lastly, you are ready to file the folders in your drawer. I recommend that you use a hanging file folder for each file. This allows you to space out your file folders in the drawer, making it easy to find and refile each folder.

There you have it. Now, what are you waiting for? Go and tackle your project! And of course, no system works if you don't work at keeping it up on a regular basis. The new year is just around the corner. Take the opportunity this year to get organized!