{"id":6873,"date":"2016-09-01T06:00:24","date_gmt":"2016-09-01T11:00:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/professional-organizer.com\/WordPress\/?p=6873"},"modified":"2016-09-03T17:56:45","modified_gmt":"2016-09-03T22:56:45","slug":"3-essential-filing-tips","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/professional-organizer.com\/WordPress\/3-essential-filing-tips\/","title":{"rendered":"3 Essential Filing Tips for Home and Work"},"content":{"rendered":"

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According to the Economist the average American uses the paper equivalent of almost six 40-foot (12-metre) trees a year.\u00a0 <\/em>That’s a lot of paper!\u00a0 While we would ideally have less paper in our home and office, frankly we need to find great strategies to create filing solutions and more efficient strategies to find what we need.\u00a0 Check out these basic filing techniques and tips.<\/p>\n

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#1\u00a0 Know what to keep and how long to keep it<\/h3>\n

In the tsunami of paper that comes in your space, knowing what to keep is the crucial first step.\u00a0 It’s easy to be overwhelmed so look to a resource to help you.\u00a0 Every situation is a little different so start with your lawyer and accountant. They know your home and business details.<\/p>\n

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A detailed list of what to keep and how long is critical.\u00a0 My favorite resource is Oprah.com ABCs of Important Paper<\/a>s.\u00a0 Julie Morgenstern has a list that includes details about your home and work. For finances, I rely on Real Simple 5 Steps to Simpler Record Keepin<\/a>g.\u00a0 This document focuses on your financial documents.\u00a0 Between these two resources I find that your record retention is up to date.<\/p>\n

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While much of this information can be found online, it’s up to you to decide if you want a paper statement too.\u00a0 In some circumstances you can save a PDF of the online document to your personal Dropbox account or on your computer. Be sure you are always backing up if you decide to keep your documents electronically.<\/p>\n

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#2 Separate your documents by how long you will keep them<\/h3>\n

Divide your filing into two categories: reference and archive.\u00a0 Reference refers to document with information you refer to regularly.\u00a0 These are documents that are up to a year old.\u00a0 Archive refers to documents you must keep for the duration.\u00a0 By categorizing your files, it’s much easier to keep up to date and much simpler to know what information is kept in what area.<\/p>\n

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Set an annual file organizin<\/a>g time.\u00a0 It’s when you move files from reference to archive. This keeps your files updated and uncluttered.\u00a0 There’s nothing worse than a paper cut from overcrowded files! It also reminds you what you have in your files.<\/p>\n

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#3 Keep your filing simple<\/h3>\n

The simpler your filing the more you file.\u00a0 There are a few options for filing systems, depending on your style.<\/p>\n