Digitize it… and then recycle (or shred) it.

Recycle it (this happens to most of the mail I get).

Whenever I get a piece of paper, my first instinct is to either: Well, if you’re anything like me, the answer is “mostly yes”. So… should we even be talking about how to organize physical files? Shouldn’t we all be going paperless? We’re not writing down our friends’ phone numbers on Rolodexes anymore, and when the phone company leaves a phone book on our doorsteps today, we angrily tweet at them for destroying the environment. Digital: How Should You Store Your Files? Then, we’ll talk about how to organize and process those files using the Three-Location System. Finally, we’ll dig into how you can start to digitize your files.

We’ll start things off by figuring out which of your files should actually be on paper (rather than on your computer).

Well, prepare to kiss your average-ness – and all of the messes in these places – goodbye.īy channeling the combined spiritual energy of Marie Kondo and Leslie Knope, I have created this guide that will show you how to easily organize all of your files, documents, and papers. Your desk is a likely candidate, as is your kitchen table – and, of course, there’s the very bottom of your backpack, where papers go to die and never be recovered. If you’re like the average person, you probably have several “unofficial” spots for the various files, papers, and documents that make their way into your life.

How to Go Paperless: Digitize Your Physical Files.

The Three-Location System for Organizing Files.

How to organize your life on paper