There is a time and a place for three ring binders. Simply put, when you need to bind reference material, you should use one and when you don’t need to bind reference material you shouldn’t. So what would be some good examples?
It’s all too common to think of a file cabinet as a place to make paper go away. It’s not. It should be a safe place to store files where they can be FOUND reliably. Don’t put things you want to make a point of acting on in your file drawer. They will be out of sight out of mind. Instead, they need to be out where they are more compelling.
This isn’t the first time I have attacked a familiar office convention. There was the accordion file, the spiral notebook, and the rubberband.Today, I take issue with the apparently harmless paper clip. Let me start by saying I do use paper clips myself. I believe they have their place. It’s just that I find they are grossly over-used.
A couple weeks ago in my May Tip of the Month I recommended transferring your old taxes, old statements, and old tax supporting material from your file cabinet to a more remote location. I said that it should only take 15-20 minutes if you had a user-friendly file system set up. This weekend, I followed my own advise and I’m happy to report that I clocked in at just under 17 minutes.
It's only natural to want to make a fresh start in the upcoming New Year. Now is the perfect time to clear out your stuff from 2008 and create space for the new possibilities of 2009. This installment of Organizing Works is dedicated to getting rid of those old papers in your home or office. Sure, it may seem like an overwhelming task, but it's surprisingly manageable if you know what to do and what NOT to do. Here are three tips for starters:
Originally from Matt Baier’s Organizing Works Newsletter, July 2008
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