TL;DR
When work papers and personal papers mix, things get lost. Give work projects their own basket or file drawer, set up one filing system for projects, bills and correspondence, and keep papers that still need action in labeled vertical folders on your desk, such as Current Projects, Waiting for Response, Bills to Pay and Calls to Make.
Dear Kathi,
I have a small home office and I don’t know what to do with all of my papers. I bring work projects home periodically and then my personal correspondence and bills get lost. Do you have any recommendations?
Kyle, Solana Beach
Kyle,
When you mix business with personal paperwork, items will invariably get lost. Create an area in your office for large work projects. This can be as simple as a basket where your project is stored when you are done for the day. For multiple work projects, use a file drawer or free-standing file unit to hold resources and information separately for each project. When a project is just getting started, you can keep it in your current projects vertical file described in the last paragraph.
Create a filing system for all work projects, personal bills and correspondence.
There is a super duper file system that I recommend to all of my clients. It is called Freedom Filer. This system is self-purging and rotates your files so that you have paper archives for two years and tax archives for ten. It makes filing a breeze and also teaches you what to keep and what to throw away. It is expandable and works well for personal file systems, home-based businesses and corporations. You can learn more about this filing system at www.freedomfiler.com.
For papers aren’t yet ready to file and need attention, designate a holding area. Your desktop is a logical space because they will remind you to work on them when you see them every day. Stack these folders vertically and label them Current Projects, Waiting for Response, Bills to Pay, Calls to Make etc. There are many labeling possibilities for your folders. Use whichever label titles work best for you and work on these files a few minutes every day. Implementing these practices will keep you free and clear of the black hole syndrome.
Kathi is a professional organizer, image consultant and event planner based in San Diego California.
Please submit your questions to: [email protected]. San Diego Professional Organizer
Keep reading
- How to Organize Your Home OfficeA work-only zone, an inbox and outbox, and ten minutes a day.
- Tired of Being Buried Under Paperwork?What you can shred, what to keep and how to stop receipts from piling up.
Frequently asked questions
Why do my bills get lost in my home office?
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When business and personal paperwork are mixed together, items invariably get lost. Keep work projects in their own place, separate from your personal correspondence and bills.
Where should I keep work projects I bring home?
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Create an area just for them. For one project, a basket where it sits when you are done for the day works well. For several projects, use a file drawer or free-standing file unit so each project’s resources stay separate.
What kind of filing system should I use at home?
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Create one filing system for work projects, personal bills and correspondence. Kathi recommends the Freedom Filer system, which purges itself and rotates your files so you keep two years of paper archives and ten years of tax archives. It also teaches you what to keep and what to throw away.
What should I do with papers that are not ready to file?
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Give them a holding area on your desktop, where you will see them every day. Stand the folders up vertically and label them with titles such as Current Projects, Waiting for Response, Bills to Pay and Calls to Make.
How often should I work through my action files?
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Spend a few minutes on them every day. Kathi says that habit keeps papers from disappearing into what she calls the black hole.
