Clean Out Your Closet
By Dan Murdock, OBA General Counsel

Do we ever have enough room for clothes and the usual stuff that we put in our closets? Why are we always trying to push more in without getting rid of the items we know we will never wear again? Do you ever go look at a new house and think about how nice it would be to have such large closets so you could get everything organized? If so, you are like me and many others.

I used to get frustrated when looking at my closet while having trouble finding the clothes that I could not see in the back and having others wrinkled because things were so crowded. I did not think that I could ever get things organized. So what did I do? I started looking at new houses with larger closets instead of getting organized and getting rid of what I never wore.

Our offices can get like that as well and cause the same sense of frustration I felt when I looked at my closet. Do you have files scattered all over? Can you find what you need without hours of searching? Are documents filed where they should be filed, or are they in a stack of loose papers that you have just never gotten to? Are you out of room in which to store old closed files? Maybe it is time for you to clean out your closet.

As Yogi Berra1 would have said, “You can't get started until you get started.” Set a definite time during a future day when your schedule may not require you to be in court or seeing clients in the office all day. Gather all the loose files and put them in one place and organize them however is best for you. You will be amazed at how well file cabinets work. Use colored folders or tabs for different years. File them alphabetically or numerically. Use whatever system fits you best. How you do it does not matter. What matters is that you do it.

This organization will reduce the loss of time in searching for what you need and ease the frustration of not being able to find it. It will also help you meet guidelines, be more responsive to your clients and, hopefully, prevent grievances.

I know very well that the practice of law can cause you to feel like you are on a runaway train, and there is nowhere for it to stop and allow you time to get off. Set that specific time. Put it on your calendar. Have your staff assist. It CAN be done.

After looking at new houses (and their prices) recently, I went home and cleaned my closet. It now looks wonderful (okay, maybe a little better). But the important thing is that I did it, and I feel much better knowing what is actually there and not having to wonder about it.

How about you? Can you clean out your closet?

P.S. Jim Calloway can provide great assistance with your law office management and organization.

1. If you do not recognize the name, call me and I will assist.