We spend about 7% of our working lives searching for bits of paper around the office - that's about 45 minutes a day. Spend less of the time procrastinating about the 'to file' pile and remember the old filing adage: If you don't know you have it, or you haven't referred to it in the last six months, then it's absolutely no use to you!

Before you become suffocated under the paper mountain take control and Fight your Files by following this 10 step action plan.

1. Evaluate the effectiveness of your current filing system.
Do others needing access to your files find it difficult to locate things

2. Dejunk your files
If it's more than six months since you cleared out your files you can probably discard 70% of the paper

3. Transfer files which should be stored elsewhere
Can information be stored more appropriately in centralised files? Can inactive files be archived.

4. Subdivide 'Fat Files'
If your files are still bulging after de-junking, subdivide them into narrower subjects.

5. Reorganise your files
Focus on the circumstances of retrieval when choosing a classification system - by subject: alphabetically; by date: numerically or by colour

6. Relabel your files
Produce printed labels to ensure a clear, professional image - try using Avery LabelPro

7. Set up a 'to file' tray
Try to clear 'to file' items at the end of each day and don't rely on a miscellaneous file

8. Set up current action files
Allocate each day of the week a section in any Avery Organiser File - use this as a "bring forward" system to clearly define what item has to be actioned each day

9.Reorganise your shelves
Throw out out-of-date magazines, reference books and manuals - Avery Elasticated Filing Boxes and Folders are ideal for things which don't fit standard files and can be stored vertically on shelves with the spine label clearly identified

10. Filing Fouls
Avoid: 'general' files, multiple copies, worn out stationery, fat files, piles of reading material, the memory system rather than logical classification, and 'to file' piles

Check out our filing range at worklifehome for ideas and products that can help you fight your files!