What My Thousands of File Folder Labels Have in Common

Organizing Your Home Office: What My Thousands of File Labels Have in Common

Thousands of little handwritten labels have been scattered by me throughout Metro DC offices and beyond.  The telltale mark of The Inspired Office, aside from the sparkly inspiring paper flow systems, is white, neatly written folder labels.  Believe me when I say that I have never been asked to type labels.  I have a toolbox full of supplies that I bring to each job.  Of the dozens of supplies in there, the two that I cannot do my job without are my pack of white labels and my fine point Sharpie. Here's why I take a stand when it comes to old fashioned handwriting: It’s already hard enough to deal with filing, so we need to make it as easy as possible on ourselves by eliminating superfluous steps and machines.  Handwriting is FAST and fuss free.  Sure, a labeler or computer printed labels will probably look cleaner, but that involves at least 5 additional steps.  That’s 5 more steps than most of us are willing to take each time we need to make a new folder.  Would you rather have piles of folders awaiting printed labels, or get it done in real time as the mood strikes, perhaps sacrificing perfect penmanship.  As they say, don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good.

7 Day Inspired Office Challenge

Handwriting always looks better and jumps out on a fresh white label.  Here are the exact ones I use.  Buy a $3 pack and do a mini-makeover this week.  Heaven forbid you just might find some trash in the process.  Go with it....

Do you prefer handwriting or label maker labels?  Do you use a combo or just one method?  Even if you have sub-par handwriting, do you agree that writing is sometimes the path of least resistance?  Feel free to disagree!  Please share in comments!