Several months ago I introduced the great filing system debate. My old filing system no longer worked for me because it was slow, complicated and did more than I required. So at the start of this year I tried a different approach, something that might not on the surface seem like it should work. Currently I’m using a just a two-level letter tray and I organize all my mail and paperwork into just two categories, active and reference. Below I’ve detailed how I use it.
- Bottom level
The lowest level is for paperwork that you are unlikely to look at again, but has to be kept for reference or legal reasons. This typically includes stuff like paid bills, wage slips and tax forms. - Middle level
This is for active paperwork, that you will need to refer to regularly or will require in the near future. Bills that haven’t been paid yet go here, as does any mail that I’ve yet to fill in, process, read, etc. - Top level
I don’t currently have three levels but if I did I would use this to capture any incoming mail and paperwork that I have yet to open/action. Everytime something came through my letterbox it would go here. Later I can make a decision as to whether it should go in the active or reference level.
This works for ME because I have minimal paperwork, and I go through it every seven days as part of my weekly review (this is required because as you’d imagine, it would get out of hand very easily). To keep it all at low levels I’m very rigorous in processing out paperwork I don’t need. In the unlikely even I need something from my reference level, for instance, it might take a few moments to shift through it, but because I save so much time not having to categorize and sub-categorize everything that more than makes up for it.
I admit this approach certainly wouldn’t work for anybody with large amounts of paperwork and would be an impossibility in business (or would it?). Shifting through several dozen letters (or more) to find what you want will quickly become a chore if you don’t have it deeply categorized. The only categories I need are active and reference. Of course, the real challenge will come later in the year. Will the system still work with six months of paperwork clogging it up?
For anybody interested in re-inventing the way they file paperwork, remember the two rules that every organization system needs to follow for it to be a success:
- It should only do what you need it to do (simplicity)
- It should be quick and easy to use (speed)
March 18, 2009 at 08:37PM
Whilst I will always (and inevitably) lean towards a paperless approach, I have to admire the simplicity of your system. But as you say, we shouldn’t forget that we should go for the simplest approach that does what we need. It will be interesting to see if this solution survives the test of time… and I look forward your your update!
March 19, 2009 at 07:07PM
Great method. Very simple and similar to how I handle my email inbox (I wrote about that sometime back, just do a search for inbox zero on my blog). I think you are right, it will work as long as you have minimal paperwork. Regular review is definitely the most important step to keep things in check.
March 20, 2009 at 04:45PM
Glad you like my approach. It certainly requires a regular review to keep on top of it. Of course, as the year progresses it will mean more reference material. Will it get too much to review effectively every week?