Organize Your Files

Organize Your Files

Computer and Paper files getting in your way?

I used to maintain a 4 drawer metal filing cabinet, until I went traveling.  That taught me to ‘travel light’ through life.

I still have my paperwork filed away, but less of it.  Especially now that things are more and more available on the internet and computer.

But none the less I know you need to organize your files.  And here’s how:

Get David Allen’s book Getting Things Done and use his system.  It’s the best I’ve found for organizing paper work.  Essentially, get rid of hanging files, just go for box files and card files.  Prop them up so they stand well in the filing drawer of your cabinet.

Create new paper files liberally and label them with the keyword of what it’s about.  If you want to, write some kind of index on paper and keep it atop the cabinet, then type it on computer every so often, pay someone to do it, like a child relative for a few coins (like washing the car).

And order your files alphabetically.

I’m telling you, that’s the best way I’ve found to file paper files.  Not by category, not be project, not by date.  Just alphabetically by the keyphrase that comes to mind that identifies what the particular documents are about, and put in a new file.

Yes you’ll have lots of such files soon enough.  That’s ok.  So get David Allen’s book and read how to do it properly.  Also, visit our home page and discover the only 7 steps you need to organize anything, including how to organize your files.