While I was reading the tip about Mastering Your Filing System, I noticed item number (2): “Now that you know where you will naturally look for information, you must determine whether an alphabetical, numerical or subject filing system will work best for you”, and wondered if other people have the same file management problem that I do.
I often want to file items that can be listed in different catagories and by different subjects. I used to have trouble remembering the correct category when wanting to retrieve the information. To solve the problem, I now file eveything numerically, and keep a cross-reference on my computer.
Each file can have as many key words as necessary. Now I just search for a key word, and up pops the associated files. I look at the file names and easily select the correct one. You can develop your own file management system with any of several database tools, or even simply keep the cross reference in a spreadsheet. Any of these tools will allow you to search for a specific word or phrase.
Now I don’t have to remember if I filed last years utility bill under Utilities, or Home, or Services, or etc. My cross reference filing system finds it for me in micro-seconds and tells me that it is in the file labeled 10144.
