Organizing Paper Action Files Made Easy

[@sagarmisshhr]

mark my words. there will be a time when this channel will blow up or its ideas will be copied like plague. the content here is not only useful but also interesting.! loved it!

[@MattBaierOrganizing]

Wow! Thanks for the kind words. So glad you are finding this channel useful

[@ksin3258]

Thanks for sharing...I needed this

[@kalgores]

Thanks! This has been super helpful, I am overwhelmed with paper and tasks, and this has given me some idea how to begin to tackle it all.

[@MattBaierOrganizing]

Thanks. Glad this is helpful. If you have a large quantity of paper, you might want to check out my other video Purge Paper Piles Pronto in 8 Easy Steps.

[@UnpopularOpinionX]

No cuz this is absolute gold. 🥇 I've tried every app but this is pure genius and helped me immensely

[@MattBaierOrganizing]

Thanks so much. Glad you’re finding this helpful. You’ve made my day!

[@melissawong4125]

Best file organization video!

[@MattBaierOrganizing]

Wow, thanks! So glad you found this useful.

[@margaretmatthews511]

THIS is so helpful!!! Thank you.

[@MattBaierOrganizing]

Great! So glad to hear that.

[@shenlaw]

Matt, I"m trying to figure out how the clipboard/task list works with the running files. Is this explained in the book? Thanks for the great work!

[@MattBaierOrganizing]

My pleasure! Yes, I cover this in chapter 4. Maybe I need to do another video if that doesn’t help

[@yenlinglo3577]

Hello, I would like to know where did you get the 6 tier ladder file organizer ?thank you cuz I found it is handy !

[@MattBaierOrganizing]

Here you go a.co/d/2ZixouN

[@yenlinglo3577]

@@MattBaierOrganizing Thank yo so much !

[@iwant2stayhome]

Where did you get the clear folders?

[@MattBaierOrganizing]

For smaller projects, I purchase these and cut the flaps off. www.jampaper.com/clear-letter-open-end-9-3-4x11-3-4-tuck-flap-plastic-envelope-item-1541729 For larger projects, I get the clear string flap envelopes available at Staples and cut the flap off

[@christinewilliams7289]

I've been binging your videos all weekend - they are incredibly helpful! About your small Post-Its headlines: can you explain your cross-referencing system and what your notations mean? Thanks so much.

[@MattBaierOrganizing]

Thanks for the kind words. Glad you’re finding these helpful. Cross referencing is for connecting to other text that would elaborate on the first text, you read. The Post-it note headline is simply to connect you to something bigger then what’s in front of you. For example, if you want to make a point of working on your taxes, you might write a post that says “ add up home office expenses,” (the more specific the better). You would want to organize your filing system so that you are reliably connected to statements and tax documents, rather than have them piling up on your desk as a reminder. The goal is to completely avoid keeping piles as reminders on your clear desk (your number one organizing tool.) That’s the job of the post-it headline. Another emergency task may come along and you won’t have time to work on your taxes, so rather than having to move your tax pile off your desk back into your organizing system, you simply move the post it to another open part of your schedule and focus on the priority at hand, on your reliably clear surface.

[@christinewilliams7289]

@@MattBaierOrganizing Thanks for your quick reply! So, the letters on the Post-it headlines refer to other locations?

[@MattBaierOrganizing]

Oh, sorry. No, the letters in the upper left corner are shortcuts for regular actions I use like C for call, E for Email, G for research(Google), R for review, etc. Sometimes I put a number in the lower right corner for the amount of time I want to devote to this task. The idea is not to be too restrictive, but to just make you more time aware. With well organized project corrals and sitting files, you will know exactly where to look for the bulkier documents, but if they take some getting used to, then you would write a little reminder, maybe PCW for project corral, website folder, or SFT for sitting files, taxes.

[@christinewilliams7289]

@@MattBaierOrganizing Wonderful! Thanks for clarifying. I'm a freelance performing artist and I'm constantly juggling different kinds of projects and the business around them. I also do my work in various locations, so I love the idea of surveying my current projects in the morning and simply putting doable task post-its in my day planner to take with me, so I love the shortcuts shorthand. Maybe this can be the topic of a new video...?

[@MattBaierOrganizing]

I think so too, Christine,. Would you mind if I mentioned you as the inspiration for it?

[@shenlaw]

I am implementing your setup in my office. Question: I have the red page in front of the see-through envelope. I will be moving client documents through these folders as I work on them. Folders for Smith, Jones, etc., will be processed and dealt with. Should I label each envelope by client and then just make a new label for new matters? Does your book deal with this? For office? Thanks!

[@MattBaierOrganizing]

in an effort to keep ongoing projects as minimal as possible, I don't include client files with ongoing projects. Clients come and go, so what's most important is to be able to find them reliably as needed. Therefore I keep them in a "sitting files" in a file cabinet. And since they are all basically the same type of file and there are so many, this is an example of when it DOES make sense to file alphabetically. I do keep a running file (in a clear envelope) for prospects that I need to make a point of following up on. The goal is to get them onto my calendar, so that they become part of my schedule and then a client with a sitting file. For individual client tasks I have to make a point of doing this week (email, call, research, etc.), those go straight to my very visible task collector.

[@shenlaw]

@@MattBaierOrganizing I keep my client files electronically but thought I’d use the running files for projects within a file that require my current attention. Thanks for the great information!

[@diane-s3391]

May I ask,is that a red folder inside the envelope?

[@MattBaierOrganizing]

Nope. Just a red piece of paper. I just use it to collect all loose tasks related to a project (0n 1.5x2 Post-it notes). I only use clear envelopes for ongoing projects, so that the contents can be as visible as possible.

[@diane-s3391]

@@MattBaierOrganizing Thank you!