After I recently posted an updated set up video for my beloved Malden, a lovely reader named Gina Burnett reached out and asked if I could do an additional video detailing what type of information I keep in the A-Z “filing cabinet” system that I’ve recently adopted.
Since I’ve been trying to do more videos, I happily obliged! So instead of overwhelming you with words, here’s a bit of me blabbing on about what I keep in the system and how it works for me:
In case you can’t watch the video, here are a few tips on how I’ve made it work:
- Let it grow organically. While a nice full section might seem nice, it is much better to only file away things you really need.
- Which leads me into reviews. With this system, it is important to go through weekly, monthly, or whatever works for you to “clean out” things you no longer need to be carrying with you. Whether that means throwing them away or archiving them appropriately is up to you! But the system won’t be efficient if you are hauling around a bunch of outdated or unnecessary info.
- A big concern I’ve heard about this system is that people are worried they won’t remember where they filed certain info. I haven’t found this to be a big problem for me, but if I do ever forget which letter I used to file info, I simply think about where I would put it if I was about to file it now. That typically jogs my memory. At the end of the day, there aren’t all that many tabs, so you should be able to find anything in under a few minutes!
Do any of you use the A-Z system? How does it work for you?
I love the 'filing cabinet' system; it is one of the best tips I have ever picked up. I go through it weekly, as you do and sometimes create a sub-section when the subject gets too many pages. With anything I haven't referenced in a long time, it's off to the archive Filo.
I do an A-Zfile cabinet index using the 2 letters on a tab address pages.These look like normal tabs but have lines for names and phone numbers. I run a small home business as a sideline and need to order certain things each week. Although most of my phone numbers are in my phone I keep my suppliers names and numbers on the address tabs along with the part numbers and pricing on all of the hardware I buy. In between these phone number tabs is my A-Z file cabinet with a ruled page or two between each with things that need to be filed for a short time. The system would be a bit too complicated if I used separate address sheets between the regular 2 letters on a page blank tabs.