Organized A to Z Blog

Organizing Tips from Claire Tompkins

July 28, 2010

Create an index of your file names on your computer and keep it up to date. This can be as simple as a table in a Word document. Use it as a database to locate files quickly. Keep a paper copy in the front of your top file drawer to use as a quick visual reference.

Whenever you use a file, take a moment to see if anything in it is now outdated and can be thrown out.

Quit sorting your bills into separate folders. It’s generally a waste of time. In fact, unless you are itemizing deductions, you don’t need to keep bills for more than a few months anyway. If you’re reluctant to get rid of them, file them in chronological order in one big folder. For most people, the time saved by not filing each one separately is more than the time it takes to find a specific one in a larger folder.

If you get overwhelmed trying to organize a room or another large space, take some photos of it. Our eyes have an amazing ability to screen out things that we take for granted or that we don’t want to see. Photographs don’t do that. They’ll give you an objective view of what’s actually there. You can often see more accurately what’s in a photo than you can in real life.

Reduce your piles faster by sorting them from the bottom. Paper on the bottom is much more likely to be outdated and irrelevant, so getting rid of it is much simpler. Usually, the “juice” has gone out of those old papers meaning you won’t have to agonize over your decision.

Thanks to Organized A to Z.com partner Claire Tompkins for contributing these tips. Claire is the owner of Clutter Coach. You can visit her Web site at www.cluttercoach.net.

Filed under: Organizing Tips