What could you accomplish in your practice if you had six extra weeks in the year?
That is how much time professionals lose, on average, looking for misplaced items in the workplace, says Kyla Rozman, a professional organizer with In Order To Succeed in Vancouver.
You can start to take control of your disorganization by developing a system for those endless piles of paper. A proper system requires regular maintenance and knowledge of how to properly handle the three categories of paper.
Rozman defines these three types of paper and how to organize each one:
1. Reference paper
Your crowded filing cabinets hold your reference paper. These are items that you probably don’t look at often. While that makes this type of paper easier to control, you should still go through those files at least once a year.
This review could be as simple as reading your file names, which will remind you of the files you already have and therefore make it easier to file reference paper throughout the year.
“People don’t use their filing cabinet that often,” Rozman says. “It becomes a ‘graveyard,’ where you don’t even know what’s in there.”
By reviewing these files, you won’t make unnecessary duplicates of files and you’ll know what to recycle or destroy. For example, you might forget that you have folders for former employees. Finding those will remind you to declutter by getting rid of those documents.
2. Active paper
Your “active” documents are related to ongoing projects and items on your to-do list. People often pile this type of paper because they feel better knowing their projects are easily visible.
Says Rozman: ” ‘Out of sight, out of mind’ is a huge fear.”
The good news is you can organize these projects and still keep them within arm’s reach with the proper equipment. Try a desktop file organizer that will hold your folders upright, suggests Rozman. Also, sort these folders by priority.
Because your ‘piles’ are now vertical, it is easier to view your labels and be able to pull the proper project out.
3. Unprocessed paper
When you’re unsure of where a sheet of paper should go or don’t have the time to file it, you’re dealing with “unprocessed” paper. This category can include mail, pamphlets from conferences and notes from meetings.
Have an inbox solely to hold this type of paper. A vertical filing system that can be mounted on a wall is a good option, as it provides limited space. This will encourage you to sort your inbox regularly.
In fact, you should take some time at the end of the day to determine whether items should be placed into an “active” category or a reference file, or thrown out. While it may seem strange to lump your mail in with your meeting notes, you’ll save time by organizing them at once instead of trying to decide where each item goes when it first comes into your possession.