Filing Facts:
- 95% of the world’s information is stored on paper rather than electronically
- 80% of what is filed is never looked at again
- The office professional loses up to six weeks per year looking for information misplaced because of a lack of organization
- The No. 1 reason people pile instead of file is a fear of never finding it again once it is filed away
Organization
Why get organized?
- Feel more in control
- Have more room
- Be able to find something when you want it
- Make a favorable impression on the people around you
- Save money
- Reduce stress, frustration and anxiety levels
- Have more time for fun
Getting started
- Schedule a date and time
- Take everything off your desk and out of your drawers
- Sort everything into piles
o Current projects
o Reference paperwork (phone lists, reference guides)
o Historical paperwork
o Supplies
o Reading material
o Data entry (business cards, notes, scraps of paper)
- Only put back on your desk items you use daily
- Store all equipment on one side of your desk and leave the rest of the desk space free to spread out your work
- Current projects or frequently referenced information such as phone or account numbers should be at your fingertips and never in a desk drawer
- Clean off your desk at the end of each day and prioritize for the following day
- Stick with it! Studies show a habit will become automatic if a person makes the desired change a conscious choice for 21 consecutive days without fail.
Organizational Tips
- In a notebook, make an index of your filing system for quick reference and to avoid duplication
- If you haven’t looked at it in three weeks file it or throw it away
- Follow the FAT rule: File, Act or Toss
- Avoid Miscellaneous files and piles, they are junk collectors
- Staple, rather than clip, relevant material together. Paper clips catch on other papers
- Do not overstuff your files or file drawers. Overstuffing can be just as bad as misplacing a file
Organizing Computer Files
- Computer files should match your paper filing system
- Create a new folder for every 20 files
- Keep data separate from program files
Gussco
