It didn’t take too long but a few minutes spent re-arranging the shelving unit beside my desk has made such an improvement! I knew where things were (mostly) and the biggest change was grouping ‘like’ items in the same sections. I do Lean Continuous Improvement in my ‘other job’ and a 5S can really apply to almost anything. Five simple steps:

• Sort
• Straighten
• Shine
• Set in Order
• Sustain

Scope your project by setting a manageable goal of a shelf, an area or a set of files at one time to work on as opposed to tackling the whole job. It’s amazing what improvement you can make in just a few minutes. Give yourself a little lift!

This is an ideal tool to use to organizeyour financial papers.