Last weekend it was clear that the time for getting my filing up to date had come around again. The basket into which everything is simply dropped on a daily basis was overflowing. When I am organised it includes items from about the last month or so and takes about 2 hours. Unfortunately, this time, the task had been left for rather longer and there was a big pile of papers to be filed. One thing which keeps me going though is that, when everything is filed, it is so much easier to find documents or to follow a paper trail for proof of actions. I can hear many groans already and others who probably think that I am just too organised. Chatting with one of my sisters this morning she chuckeled when I described how I like to hang washing so that it can be taken off the line in an orderly way!
Last weekend it was clear that the time for getting my filing up to date had come around again. The basket into which everything is simply dropped on a daily basis was overflowing. When I am organised it includes items from about the last month or so and takes about 2 hours. Unfortunately, this time, the task had been left for rather longer and there was a big pile of papers to be filed. One thing which keeps me going though is that, when everything is filed, it is so much easier to find documents or to follow a paper trail for proof of actions. I can hear many groans already and others who probably think that I am just too organised. Chatting with one of my sisters this morning she chuckeled when I described how I like to hang washing so that it can be taken off the line in an orderly way!
Returning to filing, it is sad that it is frequently considered a menial job which should be kept for the practically unskilled person, usually a young woman straight from school. Too often we hear the comment, ‘She just does the filing’ or similar. As far as I am concerned, being able to file accurately and in an organised manner is a wonderful skill. Most filing is alphabetical, though some is numerical and then there is the third form, alpha-numeric filing. Which ever system is used accuracy and alphabetical and numeric knowledge are the real skills required. Unfortunately, with education not being based on the basics of knowing the alphabet and basic numeracy, filing seems to have become even more inaccurate. Having to search for a document which has been misfiled is most frustrating and an unnecessary waste of time.
This got me thinking as to how important it is to have all our personal documents, certificates and bank records properly filed and easily located. For this none of the 3 aforementioned systems will necessarily work. Probably the best way to keep these in an easy to find system is to have a file or envelope with a cover sheet stating exactly what is retained and where in the file it is.
Over the last few years I have had to sort out property and homes of parents who have died or moved out of their homes. It is amazing how much we accumulate through life, most of which is irrelevant when we die or move to smaller premises. Due to this unnecessary amassing of paraphenalia important documents tend to get lost in the melee of papers. This makes things very difficult for those who are left to locate the documents needed by the undertaker, the executor or the Master of the High Court .
As I mention in my webpage when my Dad died in 1982 we learnt by trial and error what documents and details were required by the various entities. Having done the research for my book it was so much easier to cope with my mother’s death in 2009 and that of my father-in-law last year. He, in particular, had taken the final chapter of my book to heart. In an envelope was every document we would need to give to the different role players and the executor was most surprised to receive everything he required in the first meeting.
What is the point of this posting? Just to say that even the most disorganised of us should take the time to ensure that we have at least ensured that we have originals and/or certified copies of all our personal documents and put them together so that our family and friends will not be sorting through our chaos to wind up our estates.