How To Get Organized

Do you struggle with clutter? Is your mail and miscellaneous paper piles continuing to grow at your home or office?  Are you in an “out of sight out of mind” habit of tossing everything in a drawer or under the bed?  Do you long for a more simplistic atmosphere?  If any of the above rings true for you I think you’ll enjoy this article.

Getting organized is a way to keep your mind clutter free and more focused.  A streamlined, neat area has a calming, peaceful, welcoming feel to it that a busier, disorderly space does not.  A neat and tidy room simply has a different feeling to it than say one where the kitchen is a mess, the bathroom is a swamp, and the couch and other living space resemble a laundry hamper more than an environment to enjoy.

How To Get Organized – The First Step To Organization

The first step to becoming more organized is simply deciding to be more organized.  I can give all kinds of great advice on how to do it but if the decision isn’t made to change… then crap will continue to pile up physically and mentally.  So if you’re ready to take some responsibility, clear your space and thereby clear your mind then let’s get started.

The only way to break the cycle is by doing something different.

Get Organized – Stay Organized

Getting organized is about breaking through self-defeating habits.  When you walk in the door have a place for your essential items (i.e. keys, cell phone, wallet, and purse).  When I walk in the door I hang my keys up, in the same place every time.  By doing this I always know where they are and never feel the panic of needing to find them if I’m in a rush out the door.  This is the start of my “get organized-stay organized” routine when I get home.  I then hang up my purse, take my cell phone and put it in “its spot” and now all my travel essentials are in “their place” back at home.

Many people have a wonderful little habit of leaving out their assorted toiletry items, dishes, laundry, papers, and other miscellaneous items after they’ve used them.  It’s like a bread crumb trail of where you’ve been and what you’ve done all day.  It simply creates areas that add clutter to your mind.

To avoid this simply put your things away and clean-up after yourself as you go.  It doesn’t take that much extra time, about 5-10 minutes to be exact, to pick up your shower and breakfast items and other miscellaneous items.  The small amount of additional time is not as significant as the totally different look and feel the area now has that it did not have before.

With your heightened personal awareness syncing up with your more minimalist surroundings you may notice a feeling of energized responsiveness as you develop the habit of putting all those little things back in “their spot”.   whereas before you may have been able to walk by, ignore, leave and reuse the item when needed for extended periods of time.

Overwhelmed By Mail

Mail can get to be as big of an issue as you decide to let it.  Some people avoid and ignore their mail altogether.  I have seen many dinning room tables overflowing with mail; mail which bled into adjacent rooms, into boxes and tubs that filled the garage and or basement.

All that is essentially involved with you mail is opening, reading, and making a decision on what needs to be done with it.  Don’t let it become more than this in your head.  Make the decision to read and handle your mail once or twice a week and then honor your commitment to your self.

If you receive something that is unclear then take your time to read it again.  If you’re still unclear on what to do with it contact the sender or ask a trusted family member for their take on the piece.

What Documents Do I Keep

Keeping some items will save you time from having to request a copy in the future should you require it for proof.  Some things that you might need for reference include a proof of payment, legal papers, and any documentation of settled or unsettled disputes.  You’ll also want to keep your marriage certificates, annulments of marriage, divorce decrees, and adoption papers.  Along with these you want to hang on to a hard copy of your will, life, health, care, home, and any other insurance policies.  These sort of documents you’ll keep indefinitely.

Should you need a hard copy of something, most everything can be requested from the original provider (i.e. bank, lawyer, utility company).

How Long To Keep Financial Documents

I believe the following chart to be a clear and concise reference guide when asking what financial documents to keep and for how long. Marquette National Bank and Catherine Williams, President of Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Greater Chicago put together the following table.

 

Type of record
Length of time to keep, and why:
Taxes

Returns

Canceled checks/receipts (alimony,charitable contributions,mortgage interest and retirement plan contributions)

Records for tax deductions taken

Seven years
  • The IRS has three years from your filing date to audit your return if it suspects good-faith errors.
  • The three-year deadline also applies if you discover a mistake in your return and decide to file an amended return to claim a refund.
  • The IRS has six years to challenge your return if it thinks you underreported your gross income by 25 percent or more.
  • There is no time limit if you failed to file your return or filed a fraudulent return.
IRA contribution records
Permanently

If you made a nondeductible contribution to an IRA, keep the records indefinitely to prove that you already paid tax on this money when the time comes to withdraw.

Retirement/savings plan statements
From one year to permanently
  • Keep the quarterly statements from your 401(k) or other plans until you receive the annual summary; if everything matches up, then shred the quarterlies.
  • Keep the annual summaries until you retire or close the account.
Bank records
From one year to permanently
  • Go through your checks each year and keep those related to your taxes, business expenses, home improvements and mortgage payments.
  • Shred those that have no long-term importance.
Brokerage statements
Until you sell the securities

You need the purchase or sales slips from your brokerage or mutual fund to prove whether you have capital gains or losses at tax time.

Bills
From one year to permanently
  • Go through your bills once a year.
  • In most cases, when the canceled check from a paid bill has been returned, you can shred the bill.
  • However, bills for big purchases — such as jewelry, rugs, appliances, antiques, cars, collectibles, furniture, computers, etc. — should be kept in an insurance file for proof of their value in the event of loss or damage.
Credit card receipts and statements
From 45 days to seven years
  • Keep your original receipts until you get your monthly statement; shred the receipts if the two match up.
  • Keep the statements for seven years if tax-related expenses are documented.
Paycheck stubs
One year
  • When you receive your annual W-2 form from your employer, make sure the information on your stubs matches.
  • If it does, shred the stubs.
  • If it doesn’t, demand a corrected form, known as a W-2c.
House/condominium records
From six years to permanently
  • Keep all records documenting the purchase price and the cost of all permanent improvements — such as remodeling, additions and installations.
  • Keep records of expenses incurred in selling and buying the property, such as legal fees and your real estate agent’s commission, for six years after you sell your home.
  • Holding on to these records is important because any improvements you make on your house, as well as expenses in selling it, are added to the original purchase price or cost basis. This adds up to a greater profit (also known as capital gains) when you sell your house. Therefore, you lower your capital gains tax.

Source: Marquette National Bank and Catherine Williams, President of Consumer Credit Counseling Services of Greater Chicago

Remember to shred everything with your name, address, or any personal information on it especially credit card applications and of course anything with your social security number gets tossed in the shredder.

How To Get Organized – Declutter The Home

Get a large garbage sack and a goodwill box and begin to go through the closets, the storage area, under the bed, the garage and anywhere else you’ve hidden responsibilities.  As you go through things make your decisions quick and without emotion… like tearing off a band-aid… quick and easy!  When in doubt ask your self, “have I used this in the last year, do I plan to use it this year, is it in good enough condition to give to charity?”

You will notice clarity of mind and spirit when the space under your bed is clear; when you can move freely through your garage and the other living areas that have historically been less traveled throughout your home.

What Clutter Says At Work

Your office space, much like any other space you call your own, is a reflection of your inner mind.  An office area full of piles of papers, among other things, looks like an easy place to loose something.  If you aspire to rise within the company, if only up the ladder of trust and respect, consider keeping you space neater.

A cluttered area says to some that you don’t care about your self or the environment you spend the majority of your waking life in.  This speaks volumes and begs the question of how could another expect you to care more about a special project or additional work related tasks than you do for your self.

Get Organized At Work

The tasks that don’t exactly spring you out of bed in the morning should be done first.  If you keep putting them off they’re like dark ominous “to-do’s” hanging over you throughout the day.  These may be the more tedious, boring, or slower functions of your job (i.e. filing) and seem to slow the progression of the entire day.  This is when you just need to suck it up, do what needs to be done and get on with it before the big picture starts to suffer or suffers any more.  There is a great feeling that comes with completing a whole list of things that you let get too big in your head.

Get Organized At Work And At Home

Grab some folders and some hanging files and take the time necessary to get your self organized.  It clears off all the non-essential but frequently reference items from your desktop or kitchen table so you can work with ease and places the items in an easy to find location.

Keeping essential/confidential documents put away will also keep you in compliance at the office with the security and confidentiality policies of most companies.

Make a to-do list.  Add to it throughout the day, prioritize it and get going.  Whenever you find yourself getting off point just reference your list to get back on track.  To-do lists are not just for the office.  I keep one for home, work, for shopping, things to write about and whatever else I need one for.  They’re awesome at helping me find my way back when I get sidetracked on something else.

I hope this article helps to get you organized and bring some mental clarity to your life.

If you would like to share your own experience on a relative matter, if you have constructive feedback to provide, or a compliment you’d like to give please feel free to contact me at KimChell.

Most Sincerely,
KimChell Haskell

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