Managing Personal Affairs {Part 3}

An image from my project file - I simply stuff relevant info into the right compartment so that it's there when I need it.

One of the banes of my life is never ending paperwork. However, when I'm on top of it and being systematic, I feel like I'm the boss of the paperwork. I'm winning. That, my friend, is a good feeling.
So here I'm sharing some paperwork systems which work for me. We're all different, some of us are more high-tech than others. I'm not very high tech, so this is my game plan: 

• If your papers are in a mess, put some time aside to go through them with brutality. I suggest booking time off work if that's the way to get on with it. I know it's not a fun way to spend holiday time. It sucks in fact, but once you have an efficient system running, it will only be a matter of maintaining it, so this is a one off.
• Shred anything you don't need. Now I was one of those chicks who thought I had to save the box from every electrical item I'd purchased and that I ought to file every statement ever dished out to me. In fact, if you really need them in the future, you can order them (at a small cost) so I suggest getting rid of all the unwanted paper which in all likelihood you never refer to. 
• Tell every company you deal with that you want to cease paper statements and manage your accounts online. Some companies will give you a discount for this. It's a huge relief not to have a big pile of mail to go through when you get in. Keep a note of all the relevant websites and passwords in one place (unless we're talking finances of course) to keep things easy. Use the same password where possible. For instance, I have a note of my organic veg delivery and gym class-booking passwords in my diary as they're not very exciting to anyone else.
• Personally I use ring binders to store information. I've tried to record everything on my computer but I find shoving bits of paper around a bit more realistic. It took me ten years to find the best system for my purposes, I've experimented a lot and had some really useless procedures in the past, but what I now do is the following:

1. I ensure that I can see my folders. I need easy access to them so hiding them away in a cupboard will make me too lazy to use them. 
2. I keep an in tray which is purely for fresh information - adverts, magazine cuttings, rented dvds, post-it notes, business cards and so on.
3. I try to transfer all fresh information from the in tray to my files on a weekly basis.
4. I label my ringbinders for different areas of my life. Deciding on how to break up my interests and commitments into sections was hard at first but I got there. It's very specific to the individual of course, but personally I keep files on static information such as holistic treatments, beauty, first aid, medical records, qualifications and so on and then a few files for constantly evolving information which I frequently add to such as nutrition, beauty, crafts, blogging and so on. I like to use numbered separators which I label clearly. I simply stuff relevant items into plastic pockets so I can deal with then when I need them (see image above).

• In addition to all of these files I also keep a large tabbed notebook which I've divided into sections: 'blog', 'Iona' and various other projects. I make notes here about ideas for blog posts, things I need to do in my personal life (holidays, research, emails and so on) and other projects I'm working on. I transfer any ideas I've made on post-it notes throughout the day (invariably stuffed into my handbag) into this notebook so that it's tidy and easier to tick off tasks.

It does sound like a lot of aggro and I know it's more fun to be downing tequilas without a care in the world, but because I'm balancing various projects I'm able to feel on top of them like this. I sometimes wish to have a job and hobbies which requires no surplus equipment or notes, but if you have a lot of interests then it stands to reason that you'll have a lot of admin. Happy filing!