Hey, they can’t all be about Internet marketing.
Recently, I came to realize that I write a helluva lot about Internet marketing. I just hit the 50 articles mark, so let’s change it up.
Filing so simple you’ll think it doesn’t work.
But it does. Filing is about two primary things:
- Reducing visual clutter.
- Retrieving information.
At least it is for me. Clutter reduction means you can focus on a single thing. Retrieval means your filing system works.
A lot of this logic came from David Allen, BTW, and he is the practical ninja of organization. So let me let you in on my filing system, developed from years of trying to make it more complex.
Digital doesn’t work. Paper rules.
Oh, sure, a paperless office is a great idea. But how many of you can pull it off? Some things are not digital, like bills, notes, drawings, etc. So you’re going to have to do filing anyways. Might as well have a simple system of filing that doesn’t get in your way of doing business or fun.
The mobile Swiss-Army kevlar reinforced backpack. Hey, I'm serious about mobile.
Here’s my filing system.
1. Active Folders Backpack.
- Where is it? Super-close-by, in the Swiss Army backpack/suitcase, ready to go mobile on a moment’s whim.
- How I work with it. I want to work on the porch, I grab the backpack. I want to work on the couch with a view, I grab the backpack. I want to work in the middle of the woods somewhere, I grab the backpack. I want to meet a client at their business, I grab the backpack.
- When it gets too full… If my laptop and gear + folders doesn’t fit, I start focusing deeper on singular tasks (a particular client instead of many) and transfer the rest to the Important Folders Holder (below).
Simple wireframe 25-folder holder. Can't fit anything else in? Move it along the chain...
2. Important Folders Holder.
- Where is it? On the (covered) front porch, easily within ‘grab-it’ reach.
- How I work with it. I turn around, grab what I need. Usually, this wire-frame folder holder holds about 25-30 folders. You don’t want any more Important Folders than that.
- When it gets too full… If I can’t stuff anything else into it, I transfer some of the folders to the Dormant Folders Filing Unit (below). I check it every week, actually, to see if there is nothing I can’t do without. Usually, there is at least a few that get transferred to Dormant Folder Bin. If you can’t transfer anything, start ‘deboning’ folders with unnecessary stuff.
- Caveat: Anything with a bang (!) on it moves to the front.
Stand up file for 'dormant' files. (shh... they're sleeping.) While you're at it, have fun naming the drawers.
3. Dormant Folders Filing Unit.
- Where is it? In a back room that feels more like a dungeon than a storage overflow.
- How I work with it. 4 drawers, alphabetical order once again. It’s just storage, folks.
- When it gets too full… I start moving things to the Old Folders bin.
4. Old Folders..
- Where is it? Nowhere.
- How I work with it. My Old Folders is my circular file – the trash bin.
- When it gets too full… I take out the trash.
Other considerations.
You should consider how you make folders and reuse folders as well.
Dymo label printer.
A great tool to have. It makes clean and super-readable file labels. David Allen does it, I do too. I use the Dymo 400 Turbo label printer. I have no idea what how the label printer is turbo-charged, by the way.
Nothing fancy in the printing, either. Just as big of a font as you can make. Use san-serif; easier to read from a distance.
Sorting folders.
I’ve tried every conceivable method of sorting folders. You know what works? Alphabetical order. Simple, alphabetical order. Don’t get fancy.
AT&T goes under A. Cajun Party goes under C. Don’t try to make ‘sections’. It doesn’t work. Whatever you think it should go under, is probably where you will look later on. Mom goes under M, Wild Ideas under W. You get the point.
Date-stamping folders.
Every folder i put into the Dormant Folders bin gets a date-stamp. The date-stamp serves as a quick ‘can I throw this away?’ date. If I run out of room in the Dormant folders section, I look for the date stamp, and if today’s date is later than the date stamp, I throw the contents of the folder away and recycle the folder. Since I use the Dymo printer, I can recycle the same folder again, an infinite number of times.
In Conclusion…
You can’t escape paper. So work with it. Simplicity is key. Anything complex cannot be sustained.
Visual clutter is the enemy. By creating a series of steps between information’s ‘cradle to grave’ evolution, you reduce visual clutter while maintaining flexibility.
And have some fun! Remind yourself that filing is organization, and organization is mental clarity.
