3 Keys Thursday: 3 Keys for Creating Your Reference Spot

Dodgerton Skillhause via Morguefile

The school district in which I live started school last week, which means parents here are already drowning in those first week of school papers and announcements. While a countertop or table is a good place for your family drop spot, you'll want to create style-appropriate storage for the things you'll want to hang onto for reference--school calendars, lunch menus, field trip information, etc.

While your styles should dictate what this long-term reference spot should look like, function should lead this charge. Because most of the information that goes into this reference spot will be rendered obsolete in a short time, what matters most is ease of access.

Here are a few things to consider as you create this sanity-saving system.

Who's the primary user of this system? If you are, then your styles trump everyone else's. Like binders? Use one. Prefer accordion folders, a fancy clipboard or a family bulletin board? Go for it.
Be careful, though -- this also makes you the disseminator of information. If you want others to contribute to and access this storage, you may need to make it friendly to other styles as well. Want to have it both ways? Create a system that works for you and a drop spot that works for everyone else.

How will you manage the flow of papers? Are you a keeper or a tosser? Not you personally, but your style. If you write information down, then toss the form or flyer, you won't need much paper storage, but if you keep the original as a reminder until its date has passed, you'll need to make provisions for filing or posting the paper. Function is key, but let your styles be your guide.

Where will you put it? This goes back to who's using the system. If you're a Type A organizer, you probably have a nice file drawer somewhere with all of this information tucked inside and labeled, but if you're an I need to see it or I know I put it somewhere person, the words "drawer" and "inside" just made you cringe. If you want your family members to look up their own information, your system will look different than it will if you want to be the information clearinghouse.

No judging here--I can identify with the information clearinghouse model. If I know where things are at all times, they don't get lost. Be honest with yourself about how you want this to work, not how you think it should work. If you're most comfortable being the keeper of the originals, then use that part of your style to make yourself the back-up--an external hard drive of sorts. Encourage your family members to create their own parallel systems, with you as their safety net. This can be a great way to help kids build organizational systems of their own.

If your child's school has gone paperless, the solution is even simpler. Bookmark key locations on  your phone or computer or, if you prefer, designate a home for a cheat sheet where you can write all this down. You can use a white board, a single sheet of paper (on a clipboard or bulletin board, perhaps) or, especially if you have kids in different schools, a tabbed notebook.

One last note. This is not the time to create the be-all, end-all stylishly perfect system. If you've done it before and it works, you're all set. If you haven't and are just getting started, it will evolve over time. Either way, all of this information will be in and out in a year or less, so don't spend a lot of time creating a system that should serve you.

Have a great idea to share? Post it in the comments below.

Creating My Reference Spot

I've often heard professional organizers suggest
using tabbed binders for all family information.
It's a great idea, but not a fit for my styles.
Photo via Pixabay

Two weeks ago, I wrote about three keys for getting organized for the school year. I also promised to talk a little more about managing the reference spot, a.k.a. the place to store all that stuff that comes home to stay (but you can't get rid of) in a future post. But, last week, I got sidetracked by helping to manage my daughter's transition to college, and ended up writing about that instead.

This week, after getting her dropped off and settled in, I'll be putting together my own reference spot because, even though she's in college, there's information I want/need to keep available. And, since this is a whole new experience for our family, having easy access to information isn't just about organization; it's about mental peace as well.

I'll be the primary user, so I'll set it up based on my styles and preferences. This puts me in a position to be the disseminator of information rather than the facilitator, but I'm okay with that. My husband's styles are different from mine, and he'll filter the info as it comes in and store it in his own way, while my daughter will be gathering and storing the information she needs from her remote (to us) location. We'll be like three nutty squirrels stashing nuts in our own trees.

Sorry. Couldn't resist.

Because I've been gathering information for close to a year, the bare bones are already in place, and my system just needs a little fine tuning. The open-top file that initially housed pertinent information for all the schools she was applying to has been cleared and transformed to the home for all information from her chosen school. Initially, that was sufficient, but preparing to get her from here to there while keeping track of everything in between has convinced me of the need for subfolders. Those are at the top of my list of "Keep busy, Mom" projects as I adjust to our now empty nest.

Tomorrow I'll tackle three key questions to ask yourself as you set up your own reference spot. And, to make sure I keep that promise, I'm writing that post.

Right now.

Files like this work better for my I need to see it style
than more traditional options do.
The mesh pockets in front hold the small notebook
we took to orientation as well as key brochures.
Photo: Thirty One Gifts