The Joys of Filing

 

I don't know about any of you, but I am obsessed with all things organizing and office. Taking me into an office supply store is as bad as the shoe store. My husbands dreads it. I get told to "focus" several times during each trip.

One of the things I obsess over the most is filing and I have several ways that I file things. This has been a life-saver at different jobs, but makes it difficult for people to work with me. Maybe I need an intervention? No, I didn't think so either.

Eve though it is difficult for some to understand, my filing system isn't really that difficult- I promise.



Important Documents
Items like health insurance documents, policy information, product information, and other records are in the average, run of the mill filing system. The folders are color coded according to purpose and alphabetized. Normal filing things here.

Items I need at a later date
Say, I have a meeting that I'll need to pull notes for. Maybe I need to take a record to the doctor at an appointment. It could even be a drawing that I will give to someone at a special occasion. These items are put into my 43 folders system. This is by far my favorite system and one that has saved me on countless occasions.

This system is ideal for those that are busy and have a lot of paperwork to keep up with. It is also perfect for mothers who have children in school. (Where did I put that permission slip?)

I enjoy this system because I often have notes or something that I need to retrieve for a meeting and I don't want to keep them tucked into my calendar for fear of losing them.

To read more about the 43 folders system, check out this video.

Items that I need to handle but it has to wait
I often have items that I need my husband's signature on, need to discuss with someone, or I need more information to handle it. Those items go into a pretty file box at my launch system (I promise to reveal this soon). I have a pretty pink damask basket that is the perfect size for some girly file folders. My file folders read: ASAP (I need more information, but it needs to be done soon); Chris (I need my hubby's signature or input), Econfina Press (I need to discuss something with mom), School (These are usually homeschool ideas or things that need to be filed, but I'm not in school mode at the moment), File (I need to file, but cannot get to it).
This is an ever evolving part of the system and gets updated quite regularly.

Mobile Office
I have a file envelope in my mobile office that has different purposes. One section is for ideas, one is for projects (a file inside the section for each project), one is for mail, and one is for upcoming projects (one folder for each project). Doing this guarantees that I am constantly looking at my projects I am currently working on and those that I need to get started on. The idea section irritates me when things are in it, so that guarantees that I will do the research done required to scrap the idea or get started on it. The mail section houses catalogs  magazines I want to look through, and mail that I need to work on. I don't like it when items are in this section either, so I take care of them quicker.

I do have one more place I file things, but that will come with the updated calendar post. Oh, and binders are a whole other post.

Do you file? What works for you?