I would imagine that my previous personal trainer is either going to start laughing at me for this post, or is going to shake their head and think “THIS WAS WHAT I WAS TRYING TO TELL YOU!!!!” because I’m going to be telling you about how important it is to stay consistent, but with your filing. We are constantly inundated with documents, PDFs, and various other materials that we may have to hang on to. If you’re anything like me, you’ve likely worked hard to get all your documents emailed or sent in a digital format. Unfortunately, there is always SOMETHING that shows up on paper. No matter what format your documents come in, they all need a destination, and those that don’t end up in the shredder or recycle bin must be filed. The problem is that taking the time to sort through your filing system can be a chore. Like most chores, no one really wants to do them. Sadly, like most chores, it is something that needs to be done. I have a few ideas on how to make things easier for you.
- Finding time can be tricky – We all live busy lives. I get it. It can be gruelling to go through your work week, and then when you get home, you want to kick back and relax without having to worry about adding to your filing system. The trick that I find is that (if at all possible, when you come across a document that is easy to put into your filing system (say you get emailed something that you can easily save to your filing system), then I would advise doing it right there and then. I have done this from my smartphone both on the subway and at lunch. We have the technology now to
- Without a Naming convention, filing becomes significantly harder. One of the main reasons I prefer a consistent naming convention for my filing system is that it enables me to locate files easily when needed. If I know what specific documents will be called, I can tailor my search engine and filing system to find particular files more efficiently. The other (and frankly more practical) reason is that I have a heck of a time trying to remember what everything is called. I’ve created a naming convention for my files, so I don’t have to think about what to call them. At this point, it’s automatic. With a naming convention that you don’t have to think about, you will be much faster at getting your files where they need to go.
- Create a schedule in your todo list. If you’re struggling to find time to sort through your filing system, block it out for yourself. I know that sounds like a solution that is way too simple, and to a degree, I agree with you. The problem is that if you don’t set aside time to get your filing system in order, it will become an unrecognizable pile of documents, which will be impossible to sort through. I like to add tasks like “Sort through your files” to my todo list. I’m a massive todo list guy, so getting things scratched off my todo list daily is something I take great joy in. I know it’s weird, but that’s how I roll. For me, scheduling something means putting it in my todo list. For you, it may mean setting aside time in your calendar to review your filing system. I would advise using whatever method you use to sort out your time to set aside some time to ensure your filing system is well organized.
The trick with staying consistent with your filing is to make it as easy a task as possible. This may seem like circular logic, but repeating the same action makes consistency easier. If you set yourself up in such a way that you are able to work consistently on it and chip away at your filing a bit at a time, it makes everything go much smoother. Making time to do it is also important. PRO TIP: Find a specific time of the week or month to plow through it, and eventually it will simply become a habit on its own. Since we all need to keep our filing systems in some semblance of order, it’s crucial to do so in an organized manner. If you don’t, you’ll end up with a disorganized pile of unidentifiable PDFs that will take forever to sort through- no one wants that.
How do you file your documents?
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