I gave two presentations yesterday – well the same presentation to two different audiences – and I think I said this phrase a dozen times each. Filing is for retrieval, not for storage.
It is one of the first statements I make in my Clear the Clutter presentation, and I actually broke it down word by word for one of the groups. What can I say, I was inspired!
It can be a guiding phrase for us as we clear clutter from our home. Consider it a mantra! And here is a summary of all those 7 words can mean for you and me!
Filing.
Filing = putting things way.
Filing can be putting ANYTHING away, and not just papers. AWAY is the goal for organizing and clearing clutter. Putting clean laundry away is filing. Emptying the dishwasher and putting the dishes away is filing. Hanging up your coat when you come in the house is filing.
Filing is putting things away so you can expect to easily find them again.
Filing is for Retrieval, not for storage.
Retrieval = using again.
We put things away where they belong so we can find them again the next time we need them.
We expect to use things again, and we expect to use certain things together. We store related items together. We can ask ourselves “In what context will I need this item again?”
Sure, we could file our credit cards in a desk drawer, but that is not where we are going to use them, to retrieve them, again.
In our house, we store shoes in our closets, but we also keep a few pairs by the door because we use shoes when we leave the house. We use them all the time, and place them by the door for easy retrieval.
Not For Storage.
Not for Storage = Use your stuff, don’t just store your stuff
Most of us do not have unlimited storage.
I mean, hey – if you do, Good on you, we’re all just jealous. But most of us do not. And because storage is not limitless, we need to put limits on the stuff that we might store in our homes or businesses.
We should only be putting away the things that we actually expect to use again.
Now, sometimes we put something away, like a paid bill for reference, that we feasibly do expect to retrieve again. However, as the bill lingers, it becomes obsolete and grows less likely to be retrieved. We need to add in maintenance steps to our systems to purge those obsolete resources – papers, clothes, books, etc., once we no longer need them.
Next time you’re pondering a pile of clutter, and considering just tucking it in a drawer or in a bin, first remind yourself that “Filing is for retrieval, not for storage”. Maybe that pile of clutter just needs to GO instead of stay!