In addition to the filing cabinets, I brought this shelf from my mother’s hometown. The physical act of organizing my books cleared up a little more RAM. Sometimes physical action will help you get over your samurai drama and help you get going.
Another school year has ended. My wife and daughters are in Japan and I am living the wild bachelor life. The other day I got a little wild and bought a filing cabinet. Crazy! I know!
Buying a filing cabinet is all part of taking myself a little more seriously and allowing myself to play at the same time. If you file something efficiently you save time and space at the same time. More time. More play.
I lazily channeled Getting Things Done by David Allen and his filing system. First of all, David Allen says to get a label maker. My hand writing is awful and it just hurts my spirit to look at my crawlies to find information. A crisp typed label makes it less of a drag to look through files. You can alphabetize everything nicely nicely with clear labels.
David Allen’s system of creating files also includes a simple and powerful method of creating files for each day and month. David Allen suggests creating a file for all the days of the month and a file for every month. Sometimes, you need to hold projects or papers for the next day or month. Creating a file for each day keeps you from struggling to hold that information in your brain and therefore distract you. Ay, but the rub is that you actually have to look at the files for each day and use the system.
I’ve got the labels but I’ve been placing the folders in a big plastic box. Albeit it is an elegant plastic box from Muji. However, I soon got tired of just having to heave files in a hard to use box. It just didn’t invite looking through and sorting. Though it had nice labels, the box seemed more like a physical barrier. It didn’t invite daily use.
As I’ve been dusting, cleaning, and filing I’ve come to realize that when you are filing, you are also filing your brain. The physical tossing and filing is an opportunity to set priorities, review, and take stock of resources.
Take a look around. What needs to be “sorted and filed?” You may get into a hissy fit about doing it, (I know I did), but once you get going it will be worth it. Sort and organize your tools. Polish and shine your armor and sword, and neatly arrange them for ready use. File your sword. File your life.