11) Organize your File Folders
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Organizing you physical files became much easier for me after I read David Allen’s “Getting Things Done” book about a year ago. Since then I’ve helped businesses, practices and professionals implement the same system. I will detail below how I handle organizing my files on an ongoing basis.
Setting up the System was detailed in a past post.
This post is more about how I deal with these files on an ongoing basis.
First of all I have a File Map that has it’s own page in my Backpack account. I have kept the File Map in an excel or numbers file to this point, but my new method involves keeping it online. I will periodically, probably quarterly, print this out and put a hard copy in a cabinet with the files. For instance I’m leaving the hard copy I currently have in the filing cabinet (at the front of course in it’s own folder for easy access).
Secondly, when I do a weekly review; I scan the File Map to get an idea of next actions or projects associated with my personal reference files A-Z. I also look through the business/customers A-Z list and scan the financial files. This will quickly help me to get any ideas, projects or next actions out of my head and into a physical inbox or digital inbox for assignment- which would also take place during the weekly review. This is also a great time to purge a file that no longer has a use or can be easily eliminated.
The third part of this process involves creating new files (I avoid this like the plague because I find it’s easy to justify creating new files ). As I go through, say my physical inbox, I may find things that need to be filed that do not have a File Folder yet, for example a new customer. I have a label maker at hand before I begin this exercise and I quickly kick out a new label. Then I promptly file it away. All done Right? Nope, here is the last crucial step that most forget.
The last thing you must do is update the File Map so that it maintains it’s accuracy. This is so important because the very files you’ll probably need first- the newest ones, won’t show up on your map. So I quickly reference my digital list or spreadsheet if you go that route, and I delete the purged files and create a new entry for the new files.
Now we have a system.
1 Comments
January 22nd, 2009 at 1:02 am
For implementing GTD you can use this web-based application:
http://www.Gtdagenda.com
You can use it to manage your goals, projects and tasks, set next actions and contexts, use checklists, schedules and a calendar.
A mobile version is available too.