TAMING THE PAPERWORK JUNGLE

            It is the beginning of a new and exciting year!! As this is January, and the weather is most likely cold, we are going to begin with the paperwork jungle. Papers, documents, receipts, recipes, bills, magazines, books, and so on are all inherent in living in a home.  Paperwork is a stressor in just about  any home.  Due to the magnitude, paperwork could be overwhelming and even disastrous if not managed correctly.  We are beginning with the paperwork due to the importance of timely bill paying, accurate record keeping and finding and storing critical documents in your home.  The other reason is that it is never too early to work toward making tax-time more organized and therefore (hopefully) more financially productive. By the end of this month, you will have tamed your paperwork jungle and be ready to file taxes earlier as opposed to later. That is our goal: to spend the month of January organizing papers and becoming efficient at managing our paperwork to improve our credit, reduce our stress and make our home happier,  For  this first part of our Transformational Journey, I have created a framework for keeping your documents and paperwork organized so you can maintain this organization throughout the year.

I cannot emphasize how important it is to organize your household documents. The benefits to having organized files are: to find important tax information during the usually stressful tax time, find necessary papers for rebates, warranties, and repairs when needed.  You will also notice that having organized files will help to reduce clutter and stress from your home and office work as well as aid in making payments on time which will save you money in the form of late fees and improve your credit rating. We are beginning with the paperwork first so that we can begin to improve our financial health and happiness. This seems overwhelming at first, but we are going to accomplish this in the same manner as we do all of our tasks.  We are going to tackle just one pile at a time.

In addition to organizing and enhancing one space in your home, you have begun to take control of some aspects of your life.  You are leaning one of the vital secrets of goal attainment which is that of small incremental steps.   By participating in this process, you have made a conscious decision to gain power over your circumstances. You have empowered yourself to make meaningful changes in your life.  After you have completed this program, these skills will transfer to other areas of your life that you aspire to improve.  You will make other choices to change and what’s more, you will have the time and energy to do it.

If you have collected piles of paperwork, don’t despair. You can sort through one stack at a time.  While you are addressing the paper work piles, put on one of your favorite movies or music.  You will even look forward to tackling your paperwork when you combine this activity with one that you enjoy.  Just a suggestion for you:  if you have any birthdays or special events to recognize this month, now is the time to get cards and packages ready.  One of the benefits of being organized is that you have routines for recognizing special events.  A person who remembers and celebrates special events in others’ lives is a cherished friend.  Through this process, you will become cherished by those around you.

January 1: Today  you will just gather all of the things that you will need to organize your paperwork as well as your current bills.  Gather the following materials. You may need to purchase or improvise these things to sort, separate, and file your paperwork. January is a great time to purchase these items as many office items are put on clearance at this time.  Please see the list below for things that you will need.

Necessary Items:

File folders (several colors)

If you use your files frequently, you may need to purchase file folders that are laminated. They are more durable and therefore last longer. They are also available in a variety of colors for organization.

• File boxes or cabinets (something dedicated to paperwork)
• Labels and/or labelmaker
• Index files
• Accordian Files
• Baskets for sorting:

Many office supply stores have plastic boxes for storage.  These can be used to lay papers flat or to house file folders.

• Large envelopes
• Binders
• Folders with pockets
• Page protectors
• Waterproof/Fireproof safe
• Permanent markers
• Highlighters
• Sticky notes
• CDs/Scanner/Printer
• Shredder: Crosscut is preferred

Reminder: Grab your healthy beverage!

Once you have gathered all the items that you will need, gather all of the bills that you have and lay them out on the table.  Current bills need a designated spot in the house.  A basket or letter file will serve nicely.  My suggestion is to use something that does not stack these items on top of one another.  Stacking them on top of one another makes it more difficult to find them and too much work to get them out.  This will create an avoidance factor.  Once you begin to avoid this area and your bills may begin to be late.  Make it easier by arranging them vertically. Check your office supply store for some letter organizers that are decorative and beautiful.  You will save yourself much time, money and anxiety when you know when your bills are due and pay them on time. The improvement in your credit score will benefit you by lower interest rates and eligibility for loans.  Keep bills sorted according to due date and write on the return envelope (where the stamp goes) the date it needs to be sent to arrive on time.  Put these in a prominent place.  Make sure that you have stamps on hand to send them when needed.  Bills that are no longer current can be filed into appropriate files. That is it for today.

Beauty Routine:

It is time for that pedicure/manicure.  Get out that kit and pamper!!

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