Organizing the Invisible

One of the questions I get asked a lot is “How do you organize paper?” Paper is something everyone has and despite the talk of a paperless world, that hasn’t happened.There are many ways to simplify and reduce the inflow of paper, but my most suggested tip for managing the paper clutter that builds up is to scan the items you truly need to keep. Scanning allows you to turn a stack of paper on the kitchen counter into an invisible collection of files on your computer.Problem solved, right? Not so fast… Unless you organize your “invisible” clutter, you’ve still got a mess, you’ve just moved it to a different spot!The key is to be mindful of what you’re hitting “save” for. Yes, there’s likely more room on your computer for items than there is in your home. But by not being intentional in choosing what to store digitally, you’re just creating another mess that will eventually need to be organized.Here are a few key tips when organizing “invisible” or digital clutter:A good folder structure is keyEvery person has unique documents, but a few common primary digital file folder categories are:

• Auto
• Career
• Financial
• Home
• Kids
• Medical
• Recipes
• Taxes

You’ll want to create just the right number of primary folders, each with a few subfolders to avoid having to dig through one large folder.For instance, if you volunteer for a few different organizations, you should create a primary folder called “Volunteering”. Then create subfolders under it for each organization you work with, such as “Animal Shelter” and “Mother’s Group”. You can create additional folders under each of these sub-categories but be careful not to create too many. For example, if you are responsible for an organization’s annual fundraiser each year, it might be valuable to have the following folders under “Animal Shelter”: 2013 Annual Fundraiser, 2014 Annual Fundraiser and so on just to keep each year’s information separated.File names are importantYou’ll want to be able to find items easily so creating accurate file names will save you time searching later. If you are scanning a page from a magazine because you like an idea, be sure to name the scanned document something that you’d think to look for, like “spring planter ideas” or “mudroom shelving idea”.With a good folder and filing system, you will keep your documents organized, but good file names provide an extra search option helping you find what you need when you need it.Be selectiveOnly scan what you truly need to keep or plan to reference later. And just like you would with papers, it’s important to periodically go through your files and get rid of ones you no longer need or plan to reference. For example, instruction manuals from appliances you no longer own and project ideas that you no longer intend to complete can be deleted.Backup, backup, backup!Keeping your files in at least two spots (in addition to your computer) is ideal. A combination of an external drive and a cloud system provide extra protection.Do you struggle with organizing papers? Is organizing your “invisible” digital files just as challenging? How do you keep paper clutter at bay? Send me a note and let me know!Blessings,Lisa