How to Organize Paperwork

For years I’ve tried many different methods to organize paperwork without much success and just this weekend I finally found the answer.  Although I’m not a professional organizer, organization is an important piece of time management because we waste so much time when we are disorganized. So I am always on the look out for better ways to organize my life.  Although my “aha” moment below came from home organization, the process below works at the office as well.

So here’s my story.  As far back as I can remember whenever I clean my home I am always left with one stack of paperwork that I need to keep for future reference that I need to keep track of and I don’t know what to do with it.  You know the paperwork I’m talking about:  concert tickets for later this year, flyer for an upcoming carnival, property tax invoice, directions to a birthday party, flyers for the vacation you’re planning, etc.  As my homes have increased in size over the years so has my pile of paperwork.  What once was a small pile in a dorm room has been known to consume my entire buffet in my kitchen.

My personality is such that I fear losing an important paper or forgetting to do something if I file it away.  And finally I can fear not for I have found the perfect solution!  And, it’s such a simple system; I wish I had thought of it years ago.

The inspiration for my system came from my coupon system.  I’m referring to the retailer coupons (you could add in grocery store coupons too, I don’t simply because it’s not been high on my priority list of late to clip grocery store coupons).  I have a cute expandable file system that looks like a purse.  In it are folders for each month of the year.  Every time a coupon comes into our home, it gets filed in the appropriate folder – coupons that expire in February go in the February folder and so on.  I even have a folder for non-expiring coupons.  As I need to buy something, I can quickly reference the folders to see if there is a coupon I can use.  When a month ends, I know I can toss everything in that month’s folder.  No more sifting through piles of coupons only to find one that expired six months ago.

I took that concept one step further and created a hanging folder file system for my paperwork.  You could choose to keep coupons and papers in the same filing system; personally, I think it’s simpler to have two systems.  I wanted the paperwork to be professionally contained so I used a Stockholm Desktop File which can be found at The Container Store.  I have been known to get lost for hours in that store because they have so many amazing organizational products, but I digress.

In my Desktop File I created one hanging folder for each month of the year.  Then I got out my calendar and my task list and here’s how I went through the pile of paperwork:

  • First on the pile was a flyer for a family carnival that might be fun to go to this month.  I put the event on our January calendar with an “F” that I circled next to it to remind me the flyer with all of the details for the carnival are in my Desktop File.  I then placed the flyer in the January folder.
  • Next up was the renewal form for our vehicle license tab.  I added a task to my typed task list* that says “pay vehicle license tabs, form in February folder”.  Now I know when I go to pay my vehicle license tabs to look in my February folder for the renewal form.
  • The next item was a flyer for a fun family activity we can consider doing some time in the future so I added a new folder called “Things To Do” and filed it there.  No notation was necessary in my calendar or my task list because there isn’t a specific due date for the activity; at least now I have a place to keep that brochure and all of the other brochures I had in my pile.

I continued working methodically through my pile and before I knew it my counter was completely empty except for my Desktop File.  I was so excited that I even called my husband to come over and look at the amazingly clean counter.

Now that I have conquered the paperwork in my kitchen, I say, “Bring it on” because I’m ready to face future waves of paperwork that enters my home.  How about you?  Are you ready to organize your paperwork once and for all?

 

Shari McGuire is the author of Take Back Your Time:  101 Simple Tips To Shrink Your Work-Week and Conquer The Chaos In Your Life.  Ypu can visit the book website at http://takebackyourtimebook.com where you can get a free chapter from her book.  Shari is also founder of Shrink Your Work Week and is a time management, productivity and profitability expert.  You can visit her website at http://shrinkyourworkweek.com.

 

* At the office, if you’re closely tied to a calendar as I am, I recommend you Ditch Your Task List as I did.  I do still use a task list at home.