Organized Artistry: Who What Where Magazine article

• Home Organization • Paper/Filing Systems • Time Management

True or False? Paper multiplies while you sleep.

Believe it or not, the answer is False. It doesn’t reproduce in the middle of the night. It only seems like that’s the case!

If you’re looking to create order out of your piles, take heed and start out by taking ‘baby steps’—don’t attempt to tackle a project all at once. Start by taking fifteen minutes a day to organize. Once you’re more comfortable with the process, increase the time to a half hour or more.

Project necessities: markers, manila folders, garbage bags, banker’s box or a large Rubbermaid container

Pick up one piece of paper at a time, skim it’s contents, and ask yourself the following questions:

1.What is this piece of paper?
Is it a bill? Your kid’s spelling test? The instruction booklet for the stereo?

2. Do I need this piece of paper?
If the answer is no, immediately throw it into your garbage bag. If it has your name, address or any financial information on it, rip it up or shred it before placing it in the bag. If the answer is yes, continue to question #3.

3. If I needed this piece of paper, how would I find it again?
This is where your pencils, folders, and brain come into play. Let’s say you’ve just identified and decided to keep your monthly bank statement. Take the statement and place it in a manila folder. Now, think for a moment…How should you label the folder so you can find this paper again? If you only have one bank statement, then take your pencil and write ‘PDQ Bank – Monthly Statement’ on the folder’s tab. If you have multiple bank accounts, you may want to separate the accounts and label the folders ‘XYZ Bank-Monthly Statement’ and ‘ABC -Bank Statement.’ Label your folders for retrieval, not storage purposes.

4. Where should I keep these folders?
As you fill and label the manila folders, place them in a banker’s box or large Rubbermaid container.
Repeat questions 1,2, and 3 until all papers have a manila folder home. This may take you a weekend, a month, or the better part of a year depending upon how much paper you have and how much time you devote to the project.

As you do this, you will see that your folders are falling into broad categories. Examples of such categories are: Medical, Warranties, Paid Bills, Investments, Home Improvements, Credit Cards, etc. Group all ‘like folders’ together under a category that you create. For instance all 401K, mutual fund, stock folders can be categorized under ‘Investments’ while Visa, Macy’s, and other credit card folders can be categorized under ‘Credit Cards.’

Place manila folders in hanging folders and label the plastic indexing tabs (that come with hanging folders) with the category name. If your folders are bulging with paper or you have many folders within a category, consider using a box bottom hanging folder. They have flat bottoms and come in 1", 2" and larger widths. Using these prevents folders and papers from spilling out of the top of the hanging folder.

The best place to eventually house your papers/folders is a file cabinet. File cabinets come in many different sizes. The size of the one you purchase depends upon where in your home it will go and how many folders you have.

5. What can I do to maintain my files?
• Create a temporary home for papers that need to be filed. This can be a basket or in-box placed on top of or next to your filing area.
• Devote time for filing. Spending a few minutes filing your papers at the end of the week will prevent you from having to file for hours at the end of the month.
• Every six months take time to go through your files and throw out papers you no longer need. If your filing needs have changed, create new categories (i.e. new baby, divorce, small business, etc.)

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WHAT AREA OF YOUR LIFE NEEDS ORGANIZING?

Organized Artistry, LLC • P.O. Box 2682 Fair Lawn, NJ 07410 • 201.703.8438 • stacey@organizedartistry.com