We are starting a new decade and I cannot believe it! I want you all to have the best year for your family, friends and your careers! I always talk to my clients about how to start a project and the MINDSET you need to be in when you want to get things done. I have a few ideas/guidelines to think about when you start a project.

One important thought I would like for you to consider when you are starting an organizing project is what is the PURPOSE you are trying to achieve here with your space? Are you trying to make space so new items can be organized and fit in that space? Are you finally ready to get rid of old paperwork that is weighing you down and taking over the dining room table? The question you need to ask yourself is what is your GOAL you are trying to achieve here. Once you figure out the purpose and the goal for the space that you want to get organized, the process of sorting, purging and organizing will be easier to work on.

The second important thought I would like you to think about is what are the CONSEQUENCES if you do not have that specific piece of paper? Or what would happen if you recycled your kids old school papers from 4 years ago? This is the question that you need to ask yourself when you are looking at sorting and purging paperwork in your home or even your office. What is the consequence if you got rid of the papers? Do you need to keep the papers for your accountant, lawyer or your medical history for your doctor? If you can not think of any reason to keep the papers or there are no true consequences that you can think of, then it is ok to let it go! If you are truly in doubt then keep the paperwork but plan on reviewing the papers in about 6 months or 1 year when it may be easier for you to get rid of the paperwork.

Most of the time my clients are overwhelmed at the start of the project and do not know where to start. The best way to handle this is to take 1 CATEGORY at a time and only work on that. For example, if you are working in your bedroom, only address the clothes in your room or your closet. If you are working with your papers on your desk area, only look at papers that you know are 100% recyclable and you can get rid of them. And if you are in your garage area, just look at for example your gardening items or just the tools to sort and organize. Most people get overwhelmed and look at the picture as a whole but if you just take a small category to work on, then it is manageable for you and you get the project completed!

Please try using these techniques when you are starting a project and I know they will be very helpful for you so you can start and finish the task at hand! If you have any questions about my service or would like some clarification on some points I have addressed here, please let me know and I would be happy to help you out. You can reach me at beth@organizedtoperfection.com or my business line at 630-668-0993. Thank you and have a great start to 2020!

This is the question that everyone asks me to talk about and help them with – the dreaded paperwork! I know if I even say the word paperwork, people shudder and want to run and hide. But I am here to say you do not need to be afraid! The following information will help you with organizing your paperwork.

As many of you have heard me say before, there are 3 CATEGORIES that papers fall into: Action items – File/Reference – Recycle. That is all! Every piece of paper that comes into your life falls into one of these 3 categories. To help you through this process, here are the questions that you need to ask yourself first.

What is this piece of paper? What is the purpose of this piece of paper? And most important, what is the consequence if you do not have this piece of paper?

THE FIRST DECISION: Is this piece of paper an action item? For example, do you have to pay the bill, make a phone call or write an email to complete this paperwork? Do you have to write it on your calendar for an event coming up, or the paper is for a special project that you are working on? Once you know this is an action piece, then you need to have a place, a tray, bin or basket, to sort it out to deal with between today, this week or next month. You must take care of this action item in the time allotted or the paperwork will get out of hand. If you tend to neglect taking care of the paperwork in a timely manner, you need to ask yourself, do you really want to do this task or can you file the paperwork or just recycle it?

NEXT DECISION is to file the piece of paper. Most people file papers away as a reference and reminder that they did something which is fine, but remember the filing rule: 80% of what we file away, we only need to retrieve 20% of that information. When you file papers, they should be in file folders that are
easily labeled. For example “Homeowners Insurance 2019”, “Tax Donations 2019”, Tom’s Medical Bills 2019”. If you are not sure if you should file or recycle a piece of paper, this is where the question comes
in – what is the consequence if you do not have this piece of paper? For example, do you need it for tax purposes, does it relate to household expenses and you need to refer back to it? But if you do file things away, please take time out to purge your files either every year or every couple of years and do a big purge!

And the LAST STEP OR DECISION you need to ask yourself with paper: Can I just recycle it? Try to do this process when you get your mail. Go through and discard the selected junk mail right away, which can be done most of the time. If you have papers you want to shred, you can take them to an OfficeMax store where they can shred your documents for a small fee depending on the amount of paperwork. Or watch for free Shred-A-Thon events at your local bank or community centers.

Once you put your papers in these 3 categories, you will never have a problem deciphering their usefulness again!

Good luck and if you need any help with working through the 3 paperwork categories, please let me know and I would be happy to help!