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7 Steps to Set-Up a File System

The following are 7 recommended steps for setting up a paper file system adapted from Julie Morgenstern's book Organizing from the Inside Out.

Determine your high-level categories of files, such as Financial and Lifestyle. These are not names of file folders, but broader categories that apply to many folders. Three to five categories should be adequate for personal files
Purchase these fabulous file boxes to use for the temporary sorting of files
Assign each box a different category (e.g., Financial) and label it
Sort papers on your desk and floor. As your sort, place a paper in a temporary, cheap manila folder and label it. Then place the folder in the appropriate category box (e.g., Financial)
When sorting is complete, type up a file index for each category of files. A file index is a table of contents for your files
Move the files out of the temporary file boxes into file drawers
After you've lived with the files for awhile, purchase higher quality colored folders and labels and transfer your files from the temporary manila folders to the colored folders

Of course there are little details behind each of these steps, but these are the main activities to set-up a file system. If you have questions or clarifications, post them here and I'll answer them!

posted on: 3/14/2011 8:30:00 AM by Heather Cocozza
category: Business

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Use Your Space & Conquer Office Workflow

by Heather Cocozza

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About Heather:

Heather Cocozza, PMP, CPO® is a Professional Organizer who organizes and designs tailored home and office solutions. She is on the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO)-WDC Board of Directors 2009-2010 and is the owner of Cocozza Organizing & Design, LLC. Prior to her organizing career, Heather Cocozza worked 13 years at IBM and PricewaterhouseCoopers as an ERP Project Manager and at times traveled extensively while her "virtual" twins were between the ages of 0 to 3.

Heather's Website:

CocozzaOrgDesign.com

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