The #1 Organizing Mistake

One of the number mistakes a disorganized person makes is piling vs. filing.

The most obvious places you see this is on your office desk, kitchen counter or bedside table. Less obvious places you will find piles are in bookshelves, drawers and an entry table. Some swear by piling, saying they know where everything is ... all the power to these folks if they can find what they need fast in their piles. I'm here to tell you that piling is the least effective way to use your time and space and here's why ...

Why You Shouldn't Pile

1. To find anything in a pile you have to unpile which takes more time

2. The higher the pile the more irritating it is to retrieve something at the bottom

3. The more piles you have and the less space you have

4. You can only see what's on the top of the pile

5. Piles look messy

Why You Should File

1. Retrieve things faster as you can easily access anything in the file without removing other files

2. Save horizontal space

3. Visibility is enhanced as you can see what you have at a glance

4. In-depth categorizing or sorting is easier

5. Files are tidy
   

20 Other Things You Can File

Paper is the most obvious choice but there are many other things to file:

1. Plates (yes there's vertical plate organizers)

2. Cookie Sheets

3. Fabrics

4. Kids games

5. T-shirts

6. Shorts

7. Socks

8. Bras

9. Underwear

10. Books

11. Scarves

12. Gloves

13. Tupperware lids

14. DVDs / CDS

15. Lipstick

16. Napkins

17. Towels

18. Sheets

19. Craft Projects

20. Purses

While the allure of piling may seem tempting, the drawbacks far outweigh the benefits. Embrace the efficiency and tidiness of filing to reclaim your time and space. Remember, exceptions exist, but for most items, filing is the key to organization and productivity. So, let's file away the chaos and welcome a clutter-free, streamlined lifestyle.