DNAphil

This is the third in a series of articles designed to look at how to ease into the GTD system, using some simple tools and the essence of the GTD method. Last week I discussed how to Process your inputs, so that you could quickly make decisions on what to do with the requests that come through your inputs. This week, we are going to talk about how to file the small amount of paperwork that you are now keeping (since you are discarding all the non-essential paper you receive when you are clearing your inputs, and the mess of papers that you were hoarding before you embraced GTD).

The goal of filing is simple: place papers where they are organized and tidy in a way that they can be found quickly when they are needed. It sounds simple, and it is, and yet most people do not file properly. So let’s talk about what it’s going to take to get you filing the correct way….

Make A Shopping List

Before we get into filing, we are going to need some supplies. The list is pretty obvious, but it’s worth mentioning:

• File Folders - You need plain old file folders. You can get them at any office supply store. You may want to get colored folders or fancy extra durable folders, that is up to you, but you will need a box of folders, the more the better.
• File Labels or a Labler- Hardcore GTD’ers will tell you you need a label maker to make the labels for your folders. I am not going to argue that a label maker does not make good file labels, because it does, and I love mine, but when I started my GTD system, I just wrote on some file labels and stuck them to the folders. If you want to get a labler, do it, you won’t regret it. If you don’t have one, don’t worry about it, a pen and some labels will do fine.
• Filing Cabinet or File Box- You are going to need to put your files somewhere. If you have a filing cabinet, you are all set. If you do not have one, then look at either plastic file boxes or cardboard banker boxes as a storage solution. A dedicated drawer in a desk will do just as well.

File Just The Important Stuff

I have mentioned this in previous articles, but it is worth mentioning again. The only things you should file are the things that you really need to be keeping (i.e. documents that serve one of the following purposes):

• Future Need- The document you are filing is going to be needed sometime in the future. Perhaps it is a print out of a hotel reservation confirmation for your trip next month. These types of papers are the kind that in a few weeks or months you are going to need to put your hands on again for a specific purpose or event.
• Reference- These documents are the kinds of things that you want to have around because they contain important information that may be needed in the future. Manuals are the best example of these. You don’t have a future event for them, but if something happens to your Series 3 TiVo next year, you are going to want to put your hands on the manual right away.
• CYA- Some documents you want to have around because you need to cover your… well you know. These documents are not likely to be referenced, and they don’t have a future need, but you want them around, just in case. Paid bills and paperwork from legal disputes fall into this group. For instance, I once had to fight a supermarket that tried to cash a check that was stolen from me. I won the fight, and obtained documentation that none of it was my fault. I then put all the paperwork from my dispute into a folder and into my files. I doubt that I would ever need it, but if it ever came up, I know exactly where those documents are.
• Important Papers- Similar to CYA, these are documents that you should have around because they are paperwork associated with important things in your life: copies of insurance policies, paperwork from investments, birth records, etc. Of course, the originals should be kept in a safer place like a fireproof personal safe or a bank’s safety deposit box. You know what these documents are, and you know which ones you need to keep.
• Historical Preservation- Some things you just want to keep around, because they are reminders of things in the past. This is the weak link in this chain, and the category most abused. You should keep mementos around from the past, as they are a link to who you are, and the memories you have, but if you keep too much, you will bloat your filing system and create clutter. So be somewhat miserly in what you keep for historical purposes.

If you cannot make a clear and strong case that a paper you are holding falls into one of these categories, then you should be throwing it out. Excess papers create clutter, and clutter creates mental paralysis and a feeling of helplessness. Organization does not come from taking a lot of stuff and being able to keep track of it. Organization comes from keeping the least amount of stuff and putting it in the best place possible.

A Filing System

So now you have materials for filing and some things to file. The system is going to be as easy as possible, because simple systems work. In this case, the GTD book has the filing process listed out in its essentials. There really is no place to simplify, so I will review some of the highlights of the GTD system:

• A Folder For Each Item- Do not create catch-all folders with sweeping names like: Investments. Create folders for specific items. If you have a 401k and some Money Market Funds, create separate folders for them. There is no need to create additional layers of organization to your filing. Keep the folder contents simple.
• Easy To Understand Labels- Do not create intricate naming schemes for your folders. Label them with simple, easy to understand labels that will make you instantly understand the contents of the folder. If you have a folder for all your computer manuals, then call the folder “Computer Manuals.” You want to be able to look into your filing cabinet, and have no doubt about the contents of every folder.
• Alphabetical Order Only- Again, keeping it simple, your folders should be arranged in alphabetical order by the name on the label. Do not use categories or sub-groups or any other elaborate system. When you want to find Medical Bills, they should be under M. Medical starts with M, go to M.
• File Frequently- When you process your inputs (and later your inbox) file right away. Filing is not an activity to be done later. If you pull something out of your inbox, you are not going to act on it, and it meets the criteria above, file it right then. If you don’t have a folder for it, make one right away, and file.

The goal of the GTD filing system is to create a simple and fast system for taking documents that need to be stored and getting them put away in an organized fashion. If your system is too complex, you will put off filing and create clutter. If you do not believe that you can find anything you filed, you will not file papers and create clutter. If your system is simple and trustworthy, then you will want to use it.

File That Under Done

As you master filing you will feel a sense of comfort as you become aware that you know where every scrap of paper that you are keeping is located. It’s a great feeling when someone asks you for something, and without hesitation, you reach in and take out the exact file, never worrying where that document was located.

You will also start to appreciate the decrease in clutter on your desk, now that you are not using it as some orphanage for wayward papers. Soon you will start using all that space on your desk for doing work. People will start to comment on how clean your desk is, as it shames them into wondering how inadequate their own filing is.

Making It More GTD

The GTD filing system is so straightforward, that there really isn’t a way to make it “more GTD.” If you can set up the simple filing system outlined in the book, and discussed here, you will have mastered filing. The real trick is not in the creation of an organized system, it is in knowing what to keep and what to throw away, as well as getting into a habit of filing as soon as you need to. If you file only what you need, as soon as you get it, you will keep clutter down, and reduce stress with the knowledge that you have full control of your documents.

Next week we will look at setting priorities and the Weekly Review, one of the least understood and most powerful GTD tools.