Out From Under the Paper & $25 Richer

In follow up to a previous post about getting organized, I decided to put some money where my mouth is. I went to the store after work Friday and bought some essential organizational tools- file folders, sharpies, labels. I salvaged some paper ream boxes from work, then, feeling like a bit of a hermit this weekend, I spent most of my spare time working my way through piles of papers and stuffed cabinets. I got all my files cleaned, sorted, labeled and filed. I made space for storage, organized my books by subject, and created a nice, large work space for my homework, complete with easy access to any tool I might need, computer and a large white board. Plus, I found an overpayment refund check from back in June- bonus! Ahhhh! It feels so nice to sit in that space and bask in the glorious cleanliness and order. I almost convinced myself to take a personal day today just so I can enjoy my new office.
In the book I am reading, the author suggested a website called www.123sortit.com for tips on getting organized. I did use some of these tips. I have a tendency to try and achieve advanced organizational skills when in reality, I am not as experienced of an organizer as I would like to be. I wouldn’t say that I am an amateur, but more of a mid-level. If organizing was high school, I would be a sophomore, in May, getting close to junior year. I left out all the bells and whistles this time, like buying special containers, color coding devices, fancy portfolios and binders and other random things that caught my eye at the supply store. When I buy these things, I find that they are waste of money for me. Simplicity is key.
I have decided that the most valuable organizational skill is creating a good filing system. Paper seems to be the x-factor for all my organizational mishaps. There is just too much paper to deal with all the time. Some papers are important others are a waste of a poor tree's life. Somehow, I tend to get confused/ overwhelmed by paper and save useless things, while losing track of very important things. A simple but effective filing systems changes all this and makes the paper manageable.
When it comes to organization, there are two main things I want to remember for my future teaching years: 1) Keep organized files and 2) Group things in meaningful ways. If I can manage to do this, I think I will be fine (dealing with all the paper anyway- everything else, who knows!)