Posted in Productivity
The following was left as a comment How to Set Up Your Personal File System, by Stephanie Calahan. Given the amount of useful information it contained, I e-mailed Stephanie and asked if I could turn it into a regular post. She agreed, so here are her tips for purging files:
Great tips for filing. The last point is to purge your files. That is the area I have found my clients have the most difficulty. Here are a few questions that you can ask yourself as you make decisions about what to keep and what to let go.
Does it require any action by me/us?
If an item requires action (a phone call to make, a report to write, an outfit that requires altering) then it is an “ACT.” Keep everything that requires action in one location, so that when you have time, you will be able to go through and check the items off of the list!
Is it recent enough to be useful?
Is the address book that has not been updated in 3 years really current? Just like food has an expiration date so does the things in your life. If you are keeping things that are no longer current, you are not allowing yourself the space for new and better things to start.
Is it difficult to obtain again?
Birth certificates, legal documentation, marriage licenses, company incorporation papers, the list goes on and on. If there are items that are difficult to find or obtain again, you may want to consider keeping the item in a container designated for that type of item.
Are there tax or legal implications?
Have you talked to your council about the information you keep and how long you keep it? If not, you might want to consider doing so. Each industry has different documents that should be retained as does residential paperwork.
Can I identify specific use?
Do you keep things because you might “need them someday?” That is fine if you #1, have the space to keep the items and #2 know what you are going to do with the item. If you are keeping something for the express purpose of keeping it, consider that item a little harder.
Is it beautiful, useful or loved?
Are you keeping something that you think is hideous because it was a gift to you from someone special? Don’t. Only surround yourself with things that bring you joy. Most likely, the person that gave you the gift would not want you to keep it if they knew you did not like it.
Does it reflect the person I was or the person I am now?
Are you keeping things that were important to you in the past, but really do not have the same meaning anymore? Does your space reflect who you are or who you were? Get rid of things that no longer hold meaning for you.
What is the worst possible scenario if I toss this?
This one is one of my favorite questions! If you can ask yourself this question and find that you can live with the answer, then it can make it easier to let go.
Also, if you don’t like the idea of making your own system, you could consider pre-made filing systems that are on the market:
EZ Home Filing: http://tinyurl.com/easyhmfiling
Home Filing: http://tinyurl.com/homefiling
Small Business Filing: http://tinyurl.com/businessfiling
Teacher Filing: http://tinyurl.com/TeacherFiling
To your success!
Stephanie
Recommended: Make Money With AdSense Find out how in AdSense Secrets
译文:
8种净化您的文件系统的秘诀
发表在生产力
以下是由斯蒂芬妮.卡拉汉写的如何去创建你个人的文件系统的评论。鉴于它所包括的有用信息的数量，我发邮件给斯蒂芬妮去询问我是否可以把它变成定期的邮件。她答应了，所以这里是她净化系统的秘诀。
伟大的备案秘诀。最后一点是，清除您的文件。这是我的客户觉得最困难的地方。这里有一些问题，你可以问你自己当你下定决心要保留什么和要放弃什么。
它是否需要我/我们采取一些行动呢？
如果某种物品需要采取行动（制造一个电话，写一篇报道，需要更改的全套装备），那么它就是一项主动控制技术。把所有需要采取行动的事件放在一个位置，以便当你有时间，你就能够去浏览并核对清单上面所遗漏的物品。
最近它很有用吗？
三年尚未更新的通讯录是否真的还是现行的？就像食物有一个有效期，你生命中的东西也是一样。如果你保留着不再现行的东西，你不允许你自己有开始新的和更好的东西的空间。
重新获得它难不难？
出生证明，法律文件，结婚证明，公司合并的文件，清单会不断地增加。如果有很难找到或很难重获的物品，你也许会考虑把这些物品放在一个为它们而设的集装箱里。
要收税或牵涉到法律吗？
你有向理事会说过有关你拥有和拥有它多久了的信息吗？如果没有，你也许要考虑这么做。每一个行业都有不同的像住宅证明一样需要保留的文件。
我能区分出具体的用途吗？
你会因为也许将来某一天你需要它们而保留一些东西吗？如果你有空间保留这些物品和你知道将用它们来做什么。如果你是为保存的目的而保留某些东西，考虑那种项目稍微更困难一些。
它漂亮，有用，讨人喜欢吗？。
你会保留一些你认为是丑陋的但只因为是某个特别的人送给你的礼物吗？不要（这样做）。只需要保留那些能带给你快乐的东西就行了。很多情况下，送你礼物的人如果知道你不喜欢（他们的礼物），他们也不希望你（把那些礼物）留下。
它能反映出过去的我和现在的我是一个什么样的人吗？
你会保留那些在过去对你来说很重要而如今已不再（重要）的东西吗？你的空间反映出你过去和现在是什么样的人吗？清除掉那些对你来说已经没有任何意义的东西。
如果你扔掉这个东西，最坏的结果是什么？
这是我最喜欢的问题之一！如果你能问自己这个问题而且发现你能接受的答案。那么放弃这个东西就会变得更容易。如果你也不喜欢这个创建自己文件的想法，你可以考虑预先做好的被供应出售的文件系统。
简易家庭档案：http://www.elanso.com/MyBoki/
家庭档案：http://www.elanso.com/MyBoki/
型企业档案：http://tinyurl.com/businessfiling
教师档案：http://www.elanso.com/MyBoki/
祝你成功！
斯蒂芬妮
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