The Organized Approach Blog

It’s filing day! Over the last few weeks we’ve gathered all our paper, sorted it into broad categories and purged what is no longer needed. You’ve decided on a system and have shopped for supplies. Now it’s finally time to select names for our files and get them put away. If you’re the type the runs in…

It’s Shopping Day! It’s finally time to go shopping and stock up on all the filing supplies you’ll need to complete your file system. Notice how far we’ve progressed into our Paper Organization Challenge before I even mentioned shopping for supplies! When purchasing supplies without going through the organizing process as we have (refresh by…

Are you ready to begin setting up a filing system for all those papers you sorted so many days ago? If you’ve been following along with this Paper Organization Challenge then yes, you are! You’ve gathered (Day 1), sorted (Days 2 and 3), set up an Action File System (Day 4), purged (Days 6 and…

Today’s topic is receipts … those tiny scraps of paper that seem to enter our lives and multiply almost daily! Wondering what on earth to do with them? Believe it or not, there are more options than tossing them into a shoe box. Here are some simple strategies and tips to help you organize your receipts one and…

April 15 is less than 7 weeks away! Are your tax records in order? If not, no worries – today’s Paper Organization Challenge offers a simple solution: We’re going to set up a filing system based on the premise of keeping tax records for a period of 7 years. Note: Please check with your accountant regarding…

Before we move forward with the next step in our Paper Organization Challenge, let’s recap our progress (If you’re a new reader, no worries … there is plenty of time to catch up). Over the last 7 days we have: Gathered all loose paper into one spot, Sorted this paper into broad categories, Pulled out…

Yesterday we discussed the various types of paper you should easily be able to let go of (shred, recycle, etc.). How are you doing? If you’re moving right along – congratulations! If, however, you’re still thinking “The very minute I shred this document, I’ll be sorry!” or, “I just know I might need this some…

Welcome back! Now that you’ve had an extra few days to contemplate the fact that perhaps you do not actually need all the paper in your life, it’s time to start purging (remember the 80/20 rule!). To get you started, here is a suggested list of paper you can easily eliminate from your life and…

Welcome to Day 5 of our Paper Organization Challenge! If you’ve been following along, you should have all your loose paper gathered into one spot, and sorted it all into broad categories. And finally, the papers that still need your attention should be sorted into a desktop file box. Way to go! I imagine you’re…