Category: Motivation

Monetary Motivation: The Price of Procrastination

Do you like money?  I do, I will admit.  I don’t love it, but it certainly makes life easier.  What I don’t like is wasting money.  And I bet you don’t either.  And yet we regularly and purposefully defeat our own plans and end up wasting money.  How? Procrastination.

A few weeks ago, I gave you the definition of Procrastination: “To indefinitely postpone or avoid performing a task out of anxiety, rather than time constraints or logic.  Unfocused wandering, killing time.”(Julie Morgenstern, Never Check Your Email in the Morning).

     Motivation for procrastination and also for action differ from person to person.  Just look at your family or co-workers.  Regardless of your motivation for procrastinating, recognize and use monetary motivation this week for action, if that helps, to break through procrastination and save or make some money!

Actual Costs of Procrastination:

  • Penalties charged for late filing or payment of your taxes this week
  • ATM fees when you have to use the closest ATM instead of planning ahead and using your bank ATM
  • Late fees from the library (my 7 year old’s contribution) or the RedBox (!)
  • Credit card interest fees for incomplete or late payment
  • Late fees when you don’t pay your bills on time.  A client said our time working together paid for itself the first month she paid all her bills on time!
  • Paying higher rates for airline tickets, and expedited passport fees
  • Paying for costly repairs instead of maintaining what you own, like your car, or paying for car rental during repair time
  • Expedited shipping, postage or delivery fees when we procrastinate in shopping
  • Paying for overnight shipping or delivery when we are sending items and are now too close to the deadline to use regular shipping methods. 
  • Are you seeing dollar signs in your head yet?  Are you motivated to act?  What about the….

Indirect Costs of Procrastination, or losing out on money-saving opportunities: 

  • Not receiving interest on your money, if you don’t file taxes early
  • Not receiving reimbursement payments until long after your money is spent, or not at all
  • Not cashing or requesting checks:  A client needed to request a duplicate check for an insurance payment (the first one was damaged), and waited too long, the insurance company said No. 
  • Not taking advantage of sales and discounts, or savings like early bird registrations
  • Voiding warranties on big-ticket items like your car by delaying maintenance
  • I own my own business, so if I procrastinate, I can lose clients or money from lost sales.
  • And don’t forget about the….

Intangible Costs of Procrastination:

  • Increased stress
  • Loss of credibility or sympathy:  a friend is a college professor.  Imagine two students come to her in one week asking for an extension on a project.  One always misses classes, turns in late assignments or misses them all together, and one shows up to class and usually turns stuff in on time.  Who is more likely to get the extension?
  • If you have certification or professional papers to submit, what about being lumped all together with the others, or even tagged as a procrastinator?  Ouch.

My goal in blogging is to educate and motivate.  My challenge to you this week is to re-read the above list, and determine if there is a task or two you are avoiding for no good reason – and “I don’t want to” or “I don’t feel like it” are NOT good reasons.  Once you identify the task, be the adult and get the task done. Or at least started, if it is a multi-step task.  A great weight will lift from your shoulders, trust me, and maybe next time you start to procrastinate, the dollar signs will flash in your head and you’ll get the job done instead!

Spring Sports Survival Secrets

     A week ago, I posted this to Facebook from the baseball field: “It has begun. Spring sports season. Three sons, 1 time, 1 soccer game, 2 baseball practices, three locations. Bring it on!”

     I am not whining (much). I asked for this. I signed the boys up, wrote the checks. I love that my boys are involved in activities. I could limit the activities, I’m the mom and that’s within my rights and power.

     But I like the busy schedule. April is especially tough, though, schedule-wise. School activities are wrapping up, with honor band and choir, and lots of concerts and events. Then we add sports to the mix, with practices and games. So while I am not whining (at least not at the moment), I must plan and strategize to maintain a normal household and business during the busy times.

     I am calling this the Spring Sports Survival Secrets, but it can be used any time you need to get back to basics or live portable-y!!

1.  Clean out your Car for spring.

  • Grab a sheet, lay it on the ground. Take everything that is not nailed down out of your car and lay it on the sheet, then use Julie Morgenstern’s SPACE method.
  • SORT what you have. Categories could include necessary electronics (GPS, phone charger); car maintenance; emergency items like jumper cables; first aid kit, etc., you name it.
  • PURGE what can go (old mail, food wrappers, homework, single gloves, old receipts, etc.)
  • TAKE A BREAK, and Wash your car, either at a car wash or by hand, and vacuum it.
  • ASSIGN a home to the items that will go back in your car, and CONTAINERIZE them.
  • Do you know what a projectile is? In an accident, it is anything not strapped down in your car.  Bundle all the car maintenance or emergency items into a clear tote, and secure it safely.  I use Ziploc zippered totes.
  • EQUALIZE means maintenance. Clean out your car every day or at least once a week. Maintenance is quicker and easier than doing major cleanings

2. Review the basics: Clothing / Shelter / Food

  • Laundry basics:  laundry goes in the hamper immediately, or the uniform will not be clean for tomorrow.
  • Buy extras of always-used things, for example we have lots of baseball pants and socks from past seasons, so our new uniforms can be saved for games.
  • Start a load every morning or every night to stay on top of things.
  • Re-pack the sports bags as soon as you get home from games or practice. Very often we go to practice right after school, so having the bag packed and back in the car is invaluable to getting to practice on time!
  • Shelter: Home Management:  Invest time in maintenance every day. The last thing you and your kids may feel like doing at 9 pm after 2 baseball games is tidying up or putting stuff away, but you will thank yourselves the next morning.

3. Food: Menu Planning is so important it deserves it’s own space. I no longer remember how to NOT menu plan, because we’ve been doing it so long, and I find it so valuable.

  • Click here for a past blog on the topic, http://colleencpo.wordpress.com/2011/12/06/how-can-you-not-menu-plan/
  • Write the next 7 days on a piece of paper, look at what is in the cabinets and freezer, and write down your dinner plan for each day.  Suggestions include:
  • Cook twice as much food on some days, to have planned leftovers the next day (for example, extra grilled chicken can go in a soup or salad the next day) 
  • This also works with meatloaf, casseroles, chilis or soups, cook two and freeze one for next week
  • Make dinner at 7 am, or 2 pm, or whatever time you have. I have been known to make rice or mashed potatoes while getting ready in the morning, to warm up at dinner time.
  • I assemble two or three dinners on an easy scheduled day or Sunday night, and tuck them back in the fridge for later in the week (lasagna, enchilada or taco casserole, etc.)
  • Make your own convenience food. We make ahead bags of salad, hardboiled eggs, diced carrots and celery and other veggies for quick meals.

4. Stock the Mom Bag to keep in the car. My Mom Bag includes: clipboard and homework essentials (for long rides to soccer games), long sleeve shirts and hoodies for me and the boys, baseball cap for me, folding chairs, a blanket or 2, first aid kit, tissues and antibacterial wipes (porta johns, anyone?), water bottles (though we try to bring re-usable ones as much as possible), granola bars, nuts / trail mix, a magazine or book for me, and a soccer ball for the 7-year-old for waiting time.

5. Go to bed. Seriously. You and the kids. Everyone lives better with good sleep.

     So try a tip or even two this week, and enjoy the sport season!  See you at the baseball game!

Time Clutter Has Got To Go!

Week Six in the Lenten Organizing Challenge.  This week we look at the Spirituality of Time Clutter.  Remember, Clutter Is anything we don’t need, use or love.  And that means time clutter, too.  How we use our time can be a very spiritual choice.  Our time is the only thing we truly own, and it is important that we use it well and wisely. 

I read a book a few years ago called “There Must Be More Than This” by Judith Wright.  In this book, Wright talks about how small, minor habits that we have every day can actually cause us a lot of harm.  She defines these habits as “Soft Addictions”, “habitual activities or moods that numb our feelings, sap our life force, and lock us into a limbo of muted experience”.  These addictions keep us from feeling deeply and experiencing fulfillment.  We “guide our lives by old, unconscious, unexamined, limiting beliefs”.  These addictions are broken down into 4 sub-headings: 

  1. Activities –  media – TV and movies, email / social media, buying / shopping , personal maintenance, physical mannerisms, sexual, risk taking, social diversions
  2. Moods / Ways of Being:  being sarcastic, being cranky or irritable, always on, jokester, perfectionist, fanaticism, moping, acting cool, blaming others
  3. Avoidances:  procrastinating, playing dumb, playing the victim, acting helpless, being too busy, over-sleeping or napping, being late
  4. Things – edible and consumable, overeating or excessive drinking, having too much or too many of any thing

There are more specific lists of these 4 types in her book and on her website, http://judithwright.com/ .  I would recommend reading this book, check it out at your local library, or you can borrow my copy!

Whenever I review this book, I challenge myself to look at how I spend my time.  I have good habits most days, but like many of us, my good habits and intentions slip, so I need reminders and re-commitment regularly.  To improve my life, there are things I can pare down, eliminate or replace with good habits:  watching TV, obsessively checking my email or Facebbok, late night snacking and thinking crabby thoughts are the first things that come to mind, and that was in 10 seconds, I’m sure I could think of more!

My major weaknesses are in Moods / Ways of Being.  I need to break free of perfectionism some days, and my inner voice needs to be less cranky and judgmental.  Spending more time being positive and loving would certainly help me live better (and those around me!!).  The Moods / Ways of Being category is tough, though, since negative moods can slide into our behaviors without notice.  So this week, I am noticing!!   

I also need to cut back on my TV consumption.  I have quite a backlog of recorded shows on my DVR from our week on vacation, and looking at the list, I realized there were shows I really don’t need to watch at all.  I have a very busy week this week, and I am choosing to not spend my hours sitting on my couch watching TV.  The shows don’t seem worth the hour I would need to spend to watch them.  So I deleted them, and will choose more meaningful endeavors like time with my family, reading, or prayer and ministry for Holy Week. 

My challenge to you is to take a long look at how you spend your time.  If you kept a diary for a week, what would it look like?  Ask yourself what behaviors or habits that you have that hold you back from leading a better life.  What are some soft addictions you could pare down or part with, now and forever?  Purge Time Clutter this week and live better. 

Four Reasons to Conquer Closet Clutter

Fifth in the Lenten Clutter Challenge.  This time of March brings us Clutter Awareness Week and Clean Out Your Closet Week, so today we look at the spirituality of clothing clutter in our closets. 

     I was packing  for vacation last week.  Packing for travel is a great opportunity to realize which items are my favorites, and conversely, which items I can probably let go of.    

     Why are there things in our closet that we will never wear? Clutter is anything you Don’t Need, Use or Love.   Here are some reasons Why We Keep clutter, and What To Do About It.

We keep our clothing clutter because of a skewed sense of frugality:  “I spent money on that item!”  or “That item is worth money!”

  1. Yes, that item is worth money, perhaps a lot!  But is it worth enough to keep it around even when it is no longer useful, becomes a nuisance, wastes our mental energy, or causes negative feelings or disruption?
  2. The biggest waste of your money is the storage, upkeep and maintenance of Clutter.
  3. Do not move clutter around your closet perpetually, just because you spent money on it once.
  4. Sometimes clothes are Just Wrong.  Wrong fit, feel, smell or color.  These characteristic will not change, Let the clutter GO!
  5. What is Peace of Mind worth?  Put a value, a dollar amount on being organized.  Eliminate clutter and stress, increase the appeal and enjoyment of your home.   

We keep clutter because we are Sentimental, or would feel guilty getting rid of something. 

  1. Perhaps our stuff represents a loved one or a certain time in our life.  But what if our closet is full of such items?
  2. What if we get frustrated because there are too many sentimental items, and our attachment to them decreases because of sheer numbers?
  3. I have things that I treasure, but I have lots of people in my life that I treasure even more.  We can let go of an item that has become Clutter without letting the loved one or their memories go.  Honest.  It’s okay.
  4. Treat your treasure as treasure.  If you are keeping clothing items from your old life, with no intention of wearing them again, they are now keepsakes, not clothing.  And they do not belong in your closet.  Box up a few to keep, or frame them on the wall, then let the rest go and get on with living your life. 

We Should-a, We Could-a, We Would-a….  Our clutter represents opportunities, taken or missed.  So we don’t want to let go of the opportunity, the possibility the item represents. 

  1. Someday:  My hubby bought a t-shirt on vacation.  It reads “Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday.  See?  There is no SomeDay”.
  2. Wouldn’t you rather live better today, this day, than save things for SomeDay that ruin today and get in the way?
  3. Did you stumble over things that you keep for SomeDay as you tried to get ready for work/class today?  Let the clutter GO!

We keep things for Just In Case, but there are Opportunity Costs from Just in case.  Any time we choose to buy or keep something, it eliminates the opportunity for something else.

  1. Space dedicated to clutter can not be dedicated to something else. 
  2. Someone else is not benefiting from the stuff that is weighing us down.
  3. Be honest.  Often a client will cling to old or grungy clothing items by calling them workout clothes or cleaning clothes, saving them for just-in-case.  When there are 20 grungy t-shirts in a drawer for “working out”, you are deluding your self.  Keep 5, toss the rest.  Then use your now cleaned-out drawer for something else that you use every day. 
  4. Don’t let Just In Case get in the way of Today.

So, as you read these 4 reasons, which one strikes a chord in you?  Which description do you read with a wince, because you know there are things in your closet that fall into that category, and that you just need to let go of?  Here is the permission you’ve waited for, I give you permission to get rid of that closet clutter.  Feel Better?  Great!  Now go clean that closet!!

Here are some other blogs I have written about Closet Organizing:

It Really Is Easy Being Green

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This article first ran in the Lenten Organizing Challenge and The Spirituality of Clutter.

The idea is to elevate little eco-friendly changes you can make in your day – to – day life, to make a big and positive impact on our world.

Let me start with the Bottom Line On Top:  Make good choices, even if you just take little steps.  Many little steps in the right direction will still get you where you need to go.

So here is the rest of the article….

We are a (pretty) Green family.  We reduce, we reuse, we recycle, we re-purpose.  We have been Green for a long time, so that the kids know what to do to be Green, and why it is important.

I have four trash receptacles in my kitchen.  Under the sink, we have a garbage can on one side, and glass and plastic recycling on the other.  Under the desk there is a paper bag for paper recycling.  Then there is the Magic Little Basket on the top of my refrigerator.

Ok, so the basket doesn’t actually have magical properties.  It’s rather boring, 10 inches square, lined with a jaunty fabric and it matches the one next to it that holds reusable lunch bags.  But it does make Being Green really easy.

The Magic Little Basket holds 2 recycled plastic canisters, and some freezer bags.  One canister holds used household batteries, and the other holds used prescription medication bottles. One bag holds burnt-out light bulbs, another has small, used (and broken or obsolete) electronics like old cell phones and static-y earphones.   The third baggy has old eyeglasses in it. What do all of these items have in common, other than living together in a basket in my kitchen?   A couple of things, actually.

These are sort of things my clients and I come across in kitchen junk drawers, bathroom medicine cabinets, desk cubbies and workrooms.  One client calls them Detritus.  I call them dregs, or minutiae.  None of these words are very positive.  They all mean approximately “the unwanted particulates that settle to the bottom”.

Why do these things accumulate?  First, they are small and inconsequential.  Second, they had value once, so it is difficult to just toss them away.  Finally, my clients realize they probably shouldn’t just toss them into the trash.  Maybe they have heard that the CFL light bulbs contain mercury, or about the new law making it illegal to through electronic waste in the regular garbage.

The other thing they have in common?  They are all recyclable.

So, make your own Magic Basket (or bag or box or whatever), and make a regular habit of taking care of recycling.

For example, I dropped off the household batteries at the Walgreen’s camera counter.  There is also a drop box at our local library.  The medications go to my local police department, many now have permanent collection sites, to keep prescription pain medication off the streets.  The light bulbs go to Home Depot, or other home goods stores.  The broken electronics can go to my kid’s school, we make money from regular recycling drives.  What can’t go to the school drive can go to our local E-Waste recycling site.  Many towns now have these E-Waste sites available to their residents.   The eyeglasses go to my dad, who works with his local Lion’s Club, and if you don’t happen to know my Dad, the Lion’s Club is a national organization with drop boxes in public places like libraries and pharmacies.

The important thing to realize is that all of these errand stops are right in your neighborhood, and dropping things off regularly won’t take a lot of time. But these little stops can make a really big difference.  These little changes keep mercury, acids and other toxins out of the ground and water table.  Recycling gives money to schools, and sight to people who need glasses. It is the right thing to do, which is what makes my Little Basket so Magic, and it really is Easy Being Green.

Make good choices, even if you just take little steps.  Many little steps in the right direction will still get you where you need to go.

Do You Control Clutter, or Does It Control You?

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“That which you cannot give away, you do not possess. It possesses you.” (Ivern Ball)

Clutter is:

  • “Anything you do not need, use or love, and doesn’t love you back” (fellow organizers, tell me who said this and I would be happy to give credit!) 
  • “Unmade decisions” (Barbara Hemphill).

Why is it hard to let go of clutter?  Especially when we know we Don’t Need / Use or Love it?  Because sometimes…

  • Stuff signifies Unfulfilled Expectations, Unfinished Business, or Some Day. 
  • We feel guilty parting with an item someone gave us or that represents something. 
  • Stuff evokes strong emotions, even negative ones. 
  • We forget the Law of Diminishing Returns.  We need some stuff to live, but there comes a tipping point when more stuff is too much, won’t help you and will actually make life more difficult. 
  • Empty space makes us nervous.
  • We lack faith in the generosity of God, our family, our communities or loved ones, and we cling to things for “Just In Case”.
  • We forget the opportunity costs of clutter.  Choosing to fill a drawer or room with clutter means we cannot use that space for anything else.  Spending an hour fussing with our clutter – AGAIN – instead of clearing it once and for all keeps us from spending that hour some other way.

Why should we Let Go Of Clutter?

  • Clutter gets in the way of living our life and being happy.  Clutter builds real or emotional walls and keep us from creating and sustaining healthy relationships.
  • Clutter causes mental and emotional problems by contributing to unhappiness, feelings of isolation, anxiety, depression, insomnia, etc.
  • Clutter causes actual harm in extreme and not-so-extreme cases, by harboring allergens, carcinogens, dust, mold and germs, and creating safety and mobility hazards. 
  • Happiness comes from within, from choosing to be happy, from our relationships. Really happy people are satisfied and grateful for their lives and their relationships, regardless of the stuff they have and where they live.  Happiness does not come from stuff.
  • The February, 2012 issue of Family Circle mentioned a recent study, reporting “Couples who say material possessions are unimportant to them are more satisfied with their relationships, according to a new study.  They find happiness in each other, not their belongings”. Click for info on the study author, Jason Carroll, PhD.)

So, now that we know what we know, what do we do about it? 

  • Look at your Big Picture, appreciate the people your life and realize how blessed you really are.  Next time you feel like acquiring more stuff or getting lazy maintaining a clutter-free room or office, look at stuff more objectively and people more lovingly.
  • Change really does come from within.  Act differently this moment, even if it just having more positive thoughts. 
  • Build your Clutter Clearing Muscle.  Perhaps today you recognize why you have kept something that is clutter, and you let go of that piece of clutter instead of piling it up.  Letting go of clutter gets easier with practice.
  • Exercise your memory muscles, too.  Use your memory intentionally and purposefully. 
    • Respect the memory of a person by celebrating and honoring the life, not clinging to stuff.  Letting go of clutter does not mean you are letting go of loved ones.
    • Keep a memory journal and photos, of course.  With just a few words or small tokens, you can remember what you want to remember, instead of keeping piles of clutter.
    • A recent Faithful Organizer devotion read “Jesus left his people with little more than memories.  Yet Jesus did give his people something tangible to remember him by: the Last Supper. This was a ritual of communion based on his words “Every time you eat this bread and drink this wine, remember me.” (Luke 22:19) He gave them a beautiful parting memory that they could touch and taste and feel.”  Remember this the next time you struggle with keeping stuff because you’re afraid of “losing the memory.”
    • Attach good memories to rituals and actions.  For example, I have tangible keepsakes from my grandparents, but actions hold stronger memories for me.  Every time I play euchre, make deviled eggs, smell Palmolive dish soap or eat paczkis on Paczki Day (Fat Tuesday), I remember fondly those who have gone before me.

Remember that life is not about the stuff, it’s about the People in your life. Take control of your clutter, and live a better life!

Procrastination: Why? and How to Stop?

This is the first in a series I am writing for the Lenten Season, exploring the Spiritual Side of Getting Organized.  If you don’t observe Lent, consider it a 6 week Spring Training challenge!

Procrastination: “To indefinitely postpone or avoid performing a task out of anxiety, rather than time constraints or logic.  Unfocused wandering, killing time.”(Julie Morgenstern, Never Check Your Email in the Morning).  You know procrastinators, maybe you are one, I know I am sometimes.

Procrastination is widespread and can really complicate your life.  Here are reasons why we procrastinate, and how to stop!

Perfectionism:

  1. Perfectionism and Procrastination often go together.  Perfectionism is “Refusal to accept any standard short of perfection.”  Just seeing it stated makes me realize how ludicrous it is.
  2. Many of my clients are organized but also challenged with perfectionism. They resist starting organizing projects until the situation is perfect.  Since the perfect situation never occurs, neither does organizing.
  3. “I am careful not to confuse excellence with perfection. Excellence, I can reach for; perfection is God’s business.” (Michael J. Fox)
  4. Abandon perfectionism.  I challenge you to live better, and try harder.
  5. Ignorance isn’t really bliss.  Perhaps we believe that if we don’t try, we won’t fail, so we can go on believing in perfect.  “To prolong doubt is to prolong hope.”  (Jane Eyre, Charlotte Bronte)  Reality, though, friends, is always better than guessing.
  6. We are often afraid of doing the wrong thing, so we do nothing.  My dad often said “Do something, even if it is wrong.”  Any action at all is better than complete in-action.  To progress, we have to move, but we also we need to do the right things. Or else we’re guilty of  ….

Confusing busy work for real work:

  1. Recently read “Don’t confuse busy work with real work”  By Harold Taylor.  Here is an excerpt: “Mark Forster, in his book Do it tomorrow, points out that real work advances your business or job while busywork it is what you do to avoid real work.” Taylor suggests we look at results, not just movement.  “Real work includes things such as planning, goal setting, creative thinking, problem solving and decision-making. There is little visible activity with this type of work – consequently busywork looks more like real work that real work does. … We should judge others by their actual results, not by their physical activity.”

Un-Realistic Time Estimates:

  1. It’s surprising how we distort the actual time tasks take to accomplish.  We over-inflate the time for undesirable tasks, and under-inflate the estimates for things we like to do.  I don’t like balancing my checkbook, so it always feels like a big deal, though it takes 10 minutes once I sit down and do it.  I like to rehearse choir music, so I can spend an hour or 2 singing and playing, if I don’t watch the clock.
  2. Open-ended tasks make me nervous.  Something like “Re-do my website and blog” intimidates me because it could take weeks.  And because I can’t see the end, I don’t begin.
  3. How to beat the habit:
  • Keep a log of your time for two weeks to determine true time estimates.
  • Set a timer or your alarm clock and do all you can within your time boundaries.
  • Recognize that all projects are made up of a series of steps, and do as many as you can in a certain amount of time.  Using the blog / website idea, I will 1.  start with finding complimentary themes, 2. edit my current content, 3.  decide what is outdated and what I need to add, change one page at a time until it’s done.  Whew!  I feel better with a plan!

Seeing only the Little Picture.

  1. I am typically very sympathetic, but not when a person’s choice of procrastination over action causes drama.
  2. Procrastinators get mired in, or are oblivious to all but their own Little Picture instead of seeing the Big Picture.  They forget we all co-exist.  A college friend waited until the last minute to complete projects, to create a challenge and some excitement.  He did not see how his drama affected the others in his life.
  3. Procrastinators forget that emergencies happen, and that sometimes the answer is “No”.
  4. What to do about it?
  • Tough love here, but Grow up and see the big picture.  Learn to be more considerate of other people’s time as well as your own.
  • Find some other healthy outlet for your adrenaline rush, and ditch the drama.
  • Recognize that procrastination is a form of narcissism, and rise above.
  • Let experience win out over optimism.  If you often leave things undone until the last minute and occasionally get burned, start sooner next time!

Perhaps you just don’t know where to begin.  I understand.  Here are a couple of suggestions:

  1. Pick a spot and begin.  Move left-to-right, or right-to-left around your project area, just choose a path.
  2. Also, spend your time in one area today.   Whether you have 20 minutes or 4 hours, focusing on just one project area will bring you better results.
  3. If you have more than one project to tackle, and need to choose which one comes first, begin with the one that will bring you the most relief or with the one that is causing the most pain right now.

Start living better today.  If any of these reasons for procrastination feels really familiar, making positive choices this week to work better is a great place to start!

Ready or Not, Here Comes Tax Time!

      Whether you prepare your taxes or take them to an accountant or professional preparer, there are steps you can take to make the process easy and painless, or at least easier, for all involved.  I am a truly lucky woman.  The really great man I married is a CPA, so I have not had to worry about the paperwork of filing taxes since we got married.  That same great guy also agreed to answer my questions this week about organizing tax papers for my blog (he is a giver like that!).

     If you’ve filed your 2011 taxes already, pat yourself on the back, then skip to #4 and #5 to see how completing your tax return next year can be even easier.

1.  Start with last year’s return.  Look at the order of last year’s return, then collect and organize your information in the same order. This is not a complete list, but it should get you started.

  • W-2s, 1099s  and K-1s
  • Cost basis information for investments sold
  • Student loan info
  • Real Estate Taxes
  • Mortgage Interest
  • Charitable Contributions
  • Union Dues
  • Unreimbursed Work Expenses
  • Childcare Expenses
  • Last pay stub of the year
  • Receipts for items if you plan to itemize
  • Also, bring information for any new life situation, like birth certificates and social security numbers for children born in the tax year. 
  • If you have made any major purchases or sales this year, like buying or selling a home, major investment or business, collect the pertinent paper work for your use or to take to your accountant appointment. 
  • You are responsible for this process.  If your taxes are professionally prepared, your preparer is responsible for asking thorough questions, but you supply the answers and the information.
  1. Get ready, Get set, Go!  You can start your forms even if you are still missing one or two pieces of information.  Start with the information you have, even if you are waiting for a final number or detail, and then complete your return when you receive that last detail.  This avoids panic mode at April 15th looms closer, and it also gives you at least an estimate of what your taxes may be, and if you will owe money or receive a refund.  An incomplete picture is better than no picture at all.  
  2. Don’t delay, period.  Perfectionism and Procrastination are not your friends.  Do yourself and your preparer (and their family) a favor.  Delaying the process makes it more difficult, just Do It. 
  3. Give your papers a home, to make next year even easier:
    1. Have a hanging folder called “Relevant Tax Info, 2011” or 2012, etc).  Keep it close at hand.  I prefer hanging folders because they are easy to drop information into.  
    2. Within the larger hanging folder, have 3 or more manila file folders.  Title them something like:
      1. Items I Know Are for Taxes for charitable donation receipts, sale and purchase information, taxable transaction information, etc.
      2. Items I Need to Ask About for items you want to ask your accountant or preparer about that may impact your taxes
      3. Receipts for Purchases you can claim, like business expenses.
    3. Add relevant tax information to this holder throughout the year, as it occurs. 
  4. Buy A Shredder.  Once your taxes are filed for 2011, you can go back (with your preparer’s blessing) and shred tax returns that are more than 4-7 years old (again, ask your professional for suggestions).  Shredding is the only safe way to dispose of those old, unnecessary tax returns.

You can do this, friends, and you’ll feel great when your taxes are filed!  A big breath of relief, then move on to something else!

Organize Your Wellness! Love Yourself!

     Hearts are everywhere this time of year!  Love and Valentine’s day, of course, but also Go Red for The American Heart Association, and health and wellness in general.  Spend some time this week organizing your schedule and home around your Health and Wellness, and take care of you and the ones you love.   

  1. Make wellness part of your routine, making time for exercise, healthy eating, medications and supplements.  Attach something that needs to happen to something that already works.  For example, perhaps you pick your kids up from school every day.  Attach a 30 minute walk on the way to pick-up, to ensure your exercise will happen.  Or if you check your email every morning, like me, leave your vitamins and supplements next to your computer as a reminder!
  2. Save yourself some time and stress, and assign a home to important things.  For example, put your car keys and cell phone the same place every time you come in the door.  Then stick with it.  Every time. 
  3. Plan time – actually make a note in your calendar – every week for exercise and self-care.   Writing things down make them more likely to occur.  I always respect my standing appointment for my tennis lesson!
  4. Make and keep those health care appointments!  Group appointments on one or two days off, and take care of them all at once.  Set aside a day to set all your appointments, too.  Maybe Valentine’s Day or your birthday, or the first day of the month?  And of course, keep a portable folder for notes on health care issues and questions to ask your providers.  I also sweetened my recent appointment day with a massage in the morning, Rita at A Relaxed You in Mt. Greenwood is my favorite!
  5. Use down-time, like waiting for an appointment or for the kids to finish soccer practice for some deep breathing exercises, relaxing visualizations or a brisk walk around the park.  I have some great apps for my smart phone like “Long Deep Breathing”, “Relax Sleep Well” and “White Noise”.  Of course, I also have Sudoku and Word Jumble Apps, so I can relax and distract when I have a minute! 
  6. Make family time wellness time, with family hikes or biking, ice-skating, snowball fights – use your imagination!
  7. Occasionally take the day off from routine tasks.  Try a non-laundry day or a guest chef (my kids!) day, to make things more fun and less stressful.
  8. Remind yourself that you do not have to fix every problem every day.  Focus on just a few tasks, and do them well.
  9. Have a back-up plan for everything – babysitter, outfit, transportation options, backdoor key
    (hidden but accessible), quick and easy dinner plan.  Save yourself the scramble when your schedule changes or you are feeling under the weather!
  10. Save Your Back (or in my case, my shoulder.  Did I mention a massage?!?):  Only carry what you need.  Keep your backpacks handbags and briefcases filled with essentials for today, and don’t lug around stuff you don’t need.

Focus on wellness this week, and love yourself and those who count on you!  Happy Valentines Day!

Less Truly Is More!

 Less Truly Is More.  Less grocery shopping this week gives you more money in your pocket, more space, more room to move, more storage possibilities.  Your challenge this week is to clear kitchen clutter with Pantry Shopping.

I’ve organized several kitchens and client menu plans (link to other posts) lately.  Clients often ask what they can do to get ready for our organizing appointments.  “Don’t Buy Anything New!  Use What You Have!” is the answer!  This practice is also known as Pantry Shopping (per Mary Hunt at www.debtproofliving.com).  Why Pantry Shop?  I have been in homes where there are literally hundreds of cans of food, and dozens of boxes of cereal or cake mixes or pasta.  All those cans and boxes are clutter and are costing you money if unused.  You will be amazed at how much food you actually have on hand.

Go through your cabinets using  Julie Morgenstern’s S.P.A.C.E. method of Organizing.

S: Sort your food.  Group canned goods together, further sorted by veggies or fruits, canned meats, soups, etc.  Put spices and baking supplies together, cereal items, sauces, pasta and side dishes (rice and potato items), etc.

P: Purge items that need to go.

  • Expiration dates make purging kitchen stuff easy.  Expired food needs to go.  I know you spent money on it, and that it might still be safe and flavorful to eat, but ask yourself – is it worth the risk?  No, it’s not.  Possible food poisoning in exchange for a few bucks saved at the grocery?  Do the math.
  • There are also items that have been open in your cabinet for an undetermined amount of time.  Open cereal or saltines may not have expired, but they might not taste good anymore. 
  • There may be food that has expired to you and your lifestyle.  Baby foods, items your family has decided they don’t like, foods you bought for a recipe but never used (and don’t plan to), or impulse buys.  Donate these items to your local food pantry or hand them off to a friend, but get rid of things that won’t be used before they expire. 

A and C: Assign A Home / Container-ize:

  • Decide where to store food that you keep.  We consider who uses an item when we pick storage spots.  My youngest likes to get his own cereal in the morning, so cereals and the bin of after-school snacks are in a bottom cabinet within his reach.
  • In that same low cabinet are foods in glass jars like pickles and spaghetti sauces because I am a terrible klutz and storing things low to the ground means I break less!
  • The other benefit of Assigning a Home for specific types of food comes when it’s time to make a grocery list.  By looking at the space where the cereal or pasta or soup belongs, I can tell at a glance if I need to add it to my grocery list. 
  • Decide what is a reasonable amount to have on hand for specific items. I have 2 half shelves in one cabinet dedicated to canned goods.  The lower shelf is for stuff I use all the time and is double stacked, and the top shelf is for the items I rarely use.  If the shelves are full, I do not buy canned goods.  It’s as simple as that.
  • Corral small items like dip or seasoning packets, breakfast bars or spices into handy containers so the items are less likely to get lost and instead will get used up!

 E: Equalize (Maintenance)

  • Rotate the stock:  Check your expiration dates, and put the closest expiration dates up front, so you use those food items first.
  • Incorporate your Pantry Food into your meal plan for the next few weeks, to use up your excess food.  Do this at least a couple of times a year, to keep things moving. 
  • Don’t buy items if they are not on the menu for the next couple of weeks.  Break out of your typical shopping habits, and instead only buy what you really need.

Learn to live with less this week, and like it!  Less Really is More!