A clean desk is a sign of a sick mind.
I’ve seen this saying in various offices, as wall art or as a desk placard for much of my career and, to some degree, it may be true. Certainly, a pristine desk MAY (but not necessarily) indicate anything from a degree of obsessive compulsion to a bored employee. But somewhere in the middle is the feeling of relief, accomplishment, or clarity when a workspace is well-organized. Think about when you took the time to set up a new office or desk or even just straightened up while looking for a specific document. Felt good, didn’t it? I have to straighten up my workspace once every 2-3 months. When I do I discover papers, notes, and mail I forgot I had. It helps keep me on track. It leads to a more efficient workday. AND I feel like I accomplish more. Organizing our documents obviously makes it easier to find a specific piece of information quickly. This will give us a feeling of peace and eliminate most of the panic that can show up when we cannot find a file we need.
I’m old school and still keep a file cabinet drawer with my important papers. One file is for dropping in receipts for tax filing. My tax filing is much less stressful at the end of the year. Another set of files has the instructions and warranty info for my home appliances and systems. When something goes wrong, say my sump pump fails during these April showers, I know exactly where to find the instructions to reset the pump or my home insurance information to file a claim.
While some info is easier to keep in paper form (vehicle titles, wills, perhaps tax returns), much of it can be stored on a computer. Not only the instructions and warranty docs for things you own, but you can even scan in paper docs. But beware. Technology fails. Have some of your most essential documents in a backup file. This may be an external hard drive for your computer, or it may be in paper form in a lock box or a fireproof safe.
It’s really not hard – but it takes a few minutes of time. But it’s well worth the small effort now to save a big problem later.