What’s Your Filing Style?

In today's digital age, going paperless is a popular choice. But let's face it, many of us still rely on physical documents - and that's perfectly okay! Having paper can be just as effective as digital solutions, as long as you have a good system in place. 

I’ve been working with clients for over 12 years, and I’ve seen a couple of different ways that people like to handle their papers. So, which best describes your filing style?

The Quick Filer: Do you receive a document and immediately file it away?

The Pile Procrastinator: Do you let a pile form, tackling it at the end of the month - if you tackle it at all?

If you are the first type, you probably don’t need to read the rest of this article, but if you find yourself in the second type, please read on. 

If you are a pile procrastinator, most will say they are too busy to file. I think people would rather continue to throw into their piles than actually spend the time tackling the project. The entire process can feel overwhelming for some. When I see a pile of papers, I like to sit with my clients and ask why they like to pile them. 

Here are the top four reasons clients defend their piles:

"I have better things to do than file." I usually ask them what those more important things are. It often turns into a conversation about their daily routines. Think about how long it takes you to find a document when you need it. If you filed it when you first touched it, it would be in the filing cabinet, easily accessible, no time wasted.

"Why file one paper when I can stack them all and tackle them at once?" Paper piles become distractions. The more distractions in your home or office, the more likely you are to lose focus and reduce productivity. Most who pile will say they know exactly what is in their piles. I’m here to tell you that it’s not necessarily true. When going through paper piles with my clients, we’ll come across uncashed checks, new credit cards, cash, important documents, missed opportunities, and more. 

"I’m too busy to file right now." If your filing systems are set up for success, it should take less than a minute to file a document. If you have piles, you’re likely wasting more time searching for documents than if you filed them immediately. A few different piles could possibly mean you won’t know where anything is when you go to look for it, wasting precious time.

“I’ve had a life-changing event and can’t get back on track.” You may be going through a divorce, you’re having a baby, or you’ve recently lost a loved one. You may have been organized, but you’ve been thrown off course due to a life-changing event. Break down the process of tackling your backlog of papers into manageable steps, and you'll find yourself back on track in no time!

Don’t forget to mark your calendar every year to purge your filing cabinets. Maintaining your filing cabinets will make the filing process much easier to handle. 

Think about how you handle your documents and how you function throughout the day. Are you creating more work for yourself? Do you have a process to handle every piece of paper that arrives in your office? Do you have organized systems in place? Take a moment to re-evaluate how you’re working with paper and strive to move from being a piler to a filer.