Small Steps to Get Organized
Organize Your Financial records
- Record your transactions in your check register as soon as possible. Remember to include any debit card fees that may apply. Then store your receipts safely in one place in case you need them later.
- Keep your checkbook up to date. Know your current bank account balance before you use a debit card. Don't forget to subtract checks and debits that have not yet cleared your account.
- Get
your
family’s
records
in order. Set up a home “office” for
bill
paying and record-keeping.
A corner
in the kitchen or a desk
in the
guest room is fine—as
long
as you
have
everything
you need
to pay
bills,
track
tax-deductible
expenses,
and manage
investments.
- Gather
in one
place information about
all of your investments,
whether in IRAs,
brokerage accounts, savings
accounts, or life insurance.
Create
a “master list” of
all of your accounts,
what they are invested
in (stocks, bonds,
cash)
and the approximate
amount
in each. You
can then
create
a picture of
your
present allocation
and decide
if you
need to make any
changes.
- Keep track of papers
that are important to your
life. Visit your safe deposit
box and make a list of
everything inside the box,
and store that list in
your home or office in
case of emergency. You’ll
stop that nagging worry—what
the heck is in that box
anyway? If there’s
nothing you need to keep
in there, close the box
and put the money you
save to better use.
- Create
a list of all of your
accounts, account numbers,
and approximate balances.
Make copies and store
them in your safe deposit
box and your house files.
Gathering this information
in one place will save
time and keep you from
wasting your life energy
searching for what you
already have.
- Spend
15 minutes sorting and
dealing with the money
papers that worry you.
- Write a quick list of 20 things you would take with you if you had to evacuate your home in an emergency. Dollars to donuts, the things on your list are not the most expensive things you own, but the things that are the most meaningful to you.
Unclutter Your Life
- Go
through your house and choose
15 items to donate to charity.
Gather the items in a box,
drive to the charity drop-off
center, and get your
donation receipt.
Yay! A cleaner house, and
a tax deduction!
- Tackle
some small organizational
task you have been putting
off—whether
it’s a junk
drawer, a closet,
or a file folder,
Start the project
and then (gasp!)
complete it.
- Sort the bills in your
wallet. Put small
bills in front for easy access,
and large bills
behind for security. At the
same time, dump
loose change into a jar
for savings. Every time
you touch money,
you should feel a sense
of security, not
disorganization
- Spend 15 minutes clearing
off your desk, and organizing
the clutter of papers.
Rearrange, refresh, clean
up, and toss.
- As you get your mail today,
don’t toss
it onto the pile of
papers you already have.
Immediately sort, do the
actions that need to be done,
and toss what you don’t
need to keep. Half
the trick in getting
clutter-free is not
adding to the clutter
you already have!
- Donate your unneeded
clothes to charity.
Get rid of everything that
doesn’t fit,
is worn out, or that
you haven’t
worn in two years.
If you don’t
need it or love it,
or it doesn’t
fit any more, get rid
of it!
- Spend 15 minutes
thinking of ways
you could cut down on stuff
and have an easier
and more fulfilling life.
What could you
do to make your life simpler?
- Take a quick look around
the house. Do you have any
rental videos or library
books that are overdue? If
so, scoop them up and drive
right down to there to return
them! Don’t
say “I’ll
do it later!”
- Make a clean sweep of your purse. Dump everything out on the kitchen table and start fresh. Clean out old pieces of paper, half-eaten mints, keys to nothing, and other junk you don’t need. Sort your credit cards in a sensible way. Put things in compartments where they are easy to access. Your purse is the gateway to your financial life, and it should be a well-organized portal, not your junkyard.
Managing your time
- Ask
yourself the
following question throughout
the day: What is the best
use of my time right now?
This technique is used
by some of the most successful
business people to
keep themselves on track.
Sometimes you’ll
find yourself doing an
activity that makes you
feel busy but is not productive.
By simply asking yourself
this question, it will
keep you moving forward
with today’s
tasks.
- Let your phone go
to voice mail or the
answering machine for an
hour each day. Use this time
to catch up on things you
find most important, and
to recognize that your time
is your own and your life
is not at anyone’s
beck and call.
- Practice being
on time for everything
this week. Experience the
calm of not trying to pack
more into one day than can
actually fit.
- Take 15 minutes
to plan this week. Review
your appointment schedule,
make sure you have everything
you need, and make
a list of goals for the
week. In 15 minutes, you
can gain peace of mind
for the whole week.
- For 15
minutes, practice really
listening to someone important
to your money life. It could
be your boss, assistant,
best client, or business
advisor. Be entirely silent
while they speak their mind,
and focus only on what they
are saying—don’t
multitask! Then, ask
a question that will help
you understand more
deeply what the person is
saying.
- Make a list of the financial questions you want to discuss with your advisors—attorney, financial advisor, tax preparer, insurance agent, mortgage broker, etc. Leave space to jot down the answers. In the meeting, be deliberate and articulate. When the meeting is over, be sure that all of your questions and concerns have been discussed.
