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 The world from a short person's POV - not Australia or New Zealand. |
Random thoughts, pointed comments, and whatever else crosses my mind 
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| "When we clear the physical clutter from our lives, we literally make way for inspiration and 'good, orderly direction' to enter." Julia Cameron I am a very visual person, so my environment is important to me. If my environment is messy, I can't think clearly. I don't like clutter. A clear desk is a clear mind for me. Clutter makes me anxious, unsettled. I can't work on a project until my space is organized and functional. I have worked with people and currently live with someone for whom this statement is not true. They can be highly creative in a very cluttered environment, but not me. So this post is for those of you who are more like me than the others.  Here are some very good reasons to get all those papers under control: Pay bills on time. Stop wasting money on late fees and finance charges. Regain the use of space meant for other purposes like the dining room table. Save time and eliminate stress searching for misplaced papers and documents. The likelihood is that you have papers piled in various locations around the house. The best strategy is to start organizing a designated space that will act as command central then you can incorporate other papers into the system. Use your creativity to utilize found space in your home, especially if you do not have a room that functions only as an office. Closets can be turned into very functional paperwork zones with a little effort and some organizing tools. You might want to check out the DIY or home goods stores for inspiration. You might be able to make a guest room serve a dual purpose by including a desk/files that can be locked when not in use. We are fortunate to have a large sunroom located on the back of our house that functions as an additional sitting/reading/plant room and my command central. The sunroom is one of the main reasons we selected this house over others with the same primary floorplan because we knew we would need the extra space. Since there are only three of us living in this home now, my husband took the third bedroom as his "creative writing" space. However, I confiscated the closet for out of season clothing storage. It's important to make your space work for your lifestyle. Here are some ideas to help you get control of all the paper clutter: Set up a paper processing center by creating an "In Box" file. This is where all the incoming paper lands - mail, receipts, school papers, flyers, etc. For each asks yourself, "what is the next action that needs to happen and when". Next, establish an "Action Box". Go through your "In Box" daily to separate items that need immediate attention from those that simply require filing away or those that you can address at a later time. This "Action Box" should have three separate areas: Do Now, Do Later (by date), Pending. If you need visual reminders, use clear stacking trays. If you are a filer, use a desktop file box with labeled folders. Keep a shredder, recycling bin and trash can in reach so you can dispose of unwanted papers as soon as they enter the house before they hit the "In Box". "Do Now" includes anything you need to act on in the next week, example: bills to pay, permission slips, party invites with RSVP. "Do Later includes items that you need to act on in the next 3 months, for example, vacation flyers, refinance offer from the bank, a catalog containing something you plan to buy. "Pending includes anything you are awaiting a reply, for example, a receipt for something that has not arrived. Anything else is likely something to be filed away, for example, warranties, instructions, reference materials. Every day or two sort papers from your "In Box" into the "Action Box". Act on the most time-sensitive items like bills with upcoming due dates, permission slips that need to be turned in by the end of the week. Look at party invites that require gifts and schedule in time to shop in your daily routine. Once a week look at your "Do Later" file and take whatever actions you can, moving items to other files or the recycling bin. Look at "Pending" and follow up as needed. As items resolve themselves recycle or put in long term storage. Don't let miscellaneous papers clog your "In Box". Use files that can be labeled for inspiration and reference papers from magazines. Categorize them by subject such as decorating, writing ideas, vacation ideas, etc. Use a coupon/receipt folder with dividers that can be kept in the car. This way you won't get caught finding something you wanted to get without the coupon you saved for that item. For your children's schoolwork and art use a lidded box and keep on a handy shelf so it is easy to reach. Collect the papers daily, then plan a time quarterly when you can review them and decide whether or not they are keepers (grade cards, awards, art). When you review either archive or toss. Be decisive, ask yourself if this is something you or your child will consider important a year from now. For instruction booklets and warranties, either keep them in the same room as the item connected to them (manual for kitchen appliances in the kitchen) or in your file cabinet or box. Staple receipts and warranty cards to the cover of instruction books. I came across a great idea for a command central binder from Simplify 101 (online). This is an inexpensive way to keep important papers you will need to have handy from time to time. Use a 3 ring binder that includes folders for business cards (plumber, electrician, doctor, dentist, bank, restaurants or wineries you want to visit, etc.); important phone numbers of family and friends; protective folders for birth certificates, marriage license, insurance certificates, vaccination records; plans for home/garden projects; list of online sites you visit or want to visit later. You can add to this binder as you identify items you need to reference frequently. It is easy to make it your own. Let your family know where you keep the binder so that they can access it if needed. A big help in organizing and getting control of clutter is to keep a calendar in your control central location and make it accessible to everyone in the family. Make sure the blocks for each day are large enough to include all activities for that date. You can color code items by the person responsible for the activity, for example, green for your items, blue for husband/partner, pink for daughter, yellow for son. Be creative and make it your own. Use the calendar to plan your schedule and try to stick to it. Schedules are vital in keeping your life organized when you are trying to juggle home, family, work, and time for self-renewal. This may all sound like a lot of work that you think you don't have time for but if you make organizing and decluttering a priority, you will find that you will actually free up time to spend on projects, do fun activities with family and friends all with less stress . *hart* These ideas should keep you busy for a while. Next on the agenda is tackling the closets. |
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Fire dancers!!! Wow! What fun! You really are in Paradise! So happy you for you! 
But I wish I loved it. That would be SO HANDY! So, I've been working on positive self-talk regarding cleaning. I smile when I say these things and I say them out loud if I'm alone or in my head if I'm not. I say things like, "I love to clean. Cleaning is fun. Cleaning makes me happy. I enjoy a tidy space." Blah, blah, blah...
Sure, it's dumb, but if it works, it doesn't matter. 
). 
I'm the prime example of someone who needed her own advice over 40 years ago. 