Organizing your home office or work area might seem difficult when you don’t know where to begin or what equipment to purchase. However, even with this filing manual at your disposal, you can still have concerns, such as “What specific plastic folder kinds do I need?”
Paper Records You Must Maintain
All of these papers should be kept in your plastic folder filing system:
- Passports and identification papers
- Certificate of Birth
- Cards for Social Security
- Business permits (if you have a business)
- Marriage certificate (if you’re married)
- Titles, loan paperwork, and registration papers
- Mortgage paperwork and house deeds
- Wills and living trusts
Further, you might wish to retain a few emotional papers close to you, such as newspaper clippings from pieces you were mentioned in or wrote yourself, adorable birthday cards, crayon drawings from your younger brother, and the like.
File organization system
Whenever it involves physical file organization, adopt a simple system.
- Main folder
Most of your physical files should eventually end up in the main file box. If you need to keep many papers, you might get a multi-drawer filing cabinet; however, I find that a single file box suffices. This file box is designed to hold hanging folders, each labeled. The majority of hanging folders feature labels. When establishing your structure here, stick to the “tree” structure you utilized for your digital files. Each dangling folder should be treated as a top-level folder.
- Folder for Portable Files
Your travel companion is another component of your physical file organizing system. When you’re gone from your file box and email, you still need a place to save any documents you obtain at work class. Depending on the nature of your job and the classes you attend, your portable file folder may now serve as a tiny file box that can retain papers for an extended period.
Sort documents into categories according to their kind
Arrange the actual copies of your papers into groups like reports, client files, or bills for payment. Each category may be further broken down into tiers of subtypes. Before categorizing the papers for a single customer into reports, communications, and other categories, you may, for instance, categorize client documents depending on each client. This tiered sorting technique might assist you in deciding which papers to save and how to arrange them for quick access.
Summary
While organizing your documents might seem daunting, following a procedure and paying attention to each step can make steady progress. You may streamline your process, minimize stress, and enhance production by following a set procedure. Even if you already have an organizing system, it is a good idea to set aside time regularly for upkeep and maintenance, as it is easy for files to accumulate during busy periods.
