Paper piles are a problem when an effective filing system is non-existent. In our experience people generally resist filing their papers away for a few common reasons:
- I know exactly which pile it’s in
- I will never find it if I file it away
- My filing cabinet is full
- I don’t know where to start
Are you ready to rid your office of those piles of files? Take the easy road to conquering the piles of files by starting with the kAos Group Core Four ™ system.
- Begin by creating four clear areas and clearly mark those areas with each of the following titles:
To Do / To Pay / To File / To Read
You can use shoe boxes to contain the papers and keep the Core Four™ neatly sorted.
- Start sorting the paperwork in your office into the Core Four ™ areas.
- To-Do’s get merged into ONE to-do list and scheduled into your calendar
- To-Pay is where all incoming bills go – never to be paid late again!
- To-File is now ready to be archived but first you will need to create your filing system so that those piles can be filed! Remember to keep your ‘office documents’ separate from ‘office expenses’ and both of those should be kept separate from ‘personal’
- To-Read is now in one easily accessible area so that you CAN catch up on your reading.
Before you start:
- Schedule time for this project in your day timer. Three hours is a good time frame.
- Have all the resources you need to start. The basics include: hanging file folders, sub folders, tabs (legal size), labels (Avery 8366 fit perfectly), sticky notes, and a bankers box to transfer archived files into.
- Don’t allow yourself to get sidetracked by the “oh, that’s where that was” paperwork that you will inevitably come across. Just put stuff that you realize is an action item into your To-Do folder and review your To-Do folder each day
- Stay focused. That’s what I do when working with my clients – keep them focused and working towards the goal, which today is creating filing systems and clearing the paper piles.
