The big, scary genealogy file drawer

I'm halfway through the 3 months I have chosen to devote to my physical organizing project (the credenza to the immediate left of my computer desk). Recently I've tinkered a bit with the items on the top of the credenza itself, moving a single pen from the desk drawer to a pencil holder, because I realized how often I need it. And because I'm using the whiteboard above the credenza to highlight the most important tasks of the day, I needed to put a whiteboard eraser just below it.

The desk drawer on the right side of the credenza (the side nearest my computer desk) now provides easy access to a USB flash drive, rechargeable batteries and the recharging unit, sticky notes, and scissors and a pocket knife for opening envelopes and packages. Underneath the drawer organizer is a charging cord for my new Logitech MX Master wireless mouse.

But what remains next is the big file drawer on that same side of the credenza. At the moment it is jammed with file folders, most of which are labeled but empty, as I had set this system up when I expected to file genealogical papers this way:

Because I'm moving toward a paperless system, I have to reconsider how I want to use this drawer. No matter how I use it, its location dictates that it should be for papers or other items that I need immediate and frequent access to. What, then, should go into it, at least for now?

How about a stack of papers that require organizing? I have many of these currently in plastic tubs in another part of the office.  But if I want to work through one of those stacks, having it right next to where I work would help speed the process. Eventually, once I've gotten everything scanned, I can re-purpose this space for something else.

So in a later post, I'll go into the process of going through the papers.