Space Treat: No Memory Required

Filing your paper is more about being able to find the documents you need than it is about just putting them away.

Clients who are fond of paper piles often tell me they know where everything is in the pile and can find anything when needed. This often turns out to be true… but it takes them 15 or 20 minutes to do so. Sound familiar?

Spending 15 minutes a few times a week adds up to hours. Is that really how you want to be using your time? Not to mention, it takes incredible skill to sift through these piles without disturbing it’s precarious order.

Having witnessed the extraction of papers from these paper mountains, I’ve determined that it requires the memory of an elephant. I prefer to use my brain space for successful organizing sessions with clients (Bravo Emily!), storing memories like my very first kiss (Thank you Steve!) or for creative endeavors (like writing these Space Treats every week).

Storing the exact location of a piece of paper in your brain is a waste of good brain space. Ready to part with your piles and embrace the file? To ensure you find the papers inside the files faster than you would in the piles, label the file with words that specifically reflect what you will be thinking of when you go to retrieve the paper. For example, instead of writing a generic title on the file like Medical, instead write, Medical History or Claims to Submit or Pending Claims, this way you’ll be able to differentiate between the various Medical categories you may have paper for.

When you label your files appropriately all you have to do is read the names you’ve picked. No memory required!

Space-tacularly,
Erica
www.TheSpacialist.com