Let’s Get Organized

How many of you have made it your New Year’s Resolution to get organized? I see you nodding, some of you probably wanted to raise your hand when I asked that question. I find that this is the one resolution that I make every year, with very good intentions, however by the end of the year I find that I’m so unorganized that I can’t stand it.

I wanted to share a few tips with you all on getting organized and STAYING organized throughout the year. If we can just stick with it, we can do this!

1.) Get the trash can out and start pitching things. I know this may be hard to do, but this will not only help you get the house organized, but it will also make you feel like you have less stress. I don’t know about you, but a clean house makes me happy and improves my mood.

2.) Get a filing cabinet, maybe a label maker and a good shredder. Spend a little time making file folders for things that you really must keep and put them in their designated spots in your filing cabinet. This will help so much when tax time comes around if you are running a business. If you are not running a business it will still help with your sanity. 🙂

3.) Now that you have cleared out your house and filed things away, let’s clean out our email inbox. That’s right, if you are like me you cringe every time you log onto your computer. Go ahead, schedule some time to go through that crazy inbox of yours. I promise, you will feel so much better once you have.

4.) Get a planner. If you are anything like me you really need to write things down in order to get anything accomplished, so start the year off on the right foot by investing in a planner. I keep mine in my purse and I write all appointments and obligations in my planner. My life has become so much better since my planner came into it. 🙂

5.) Try to stick to a nice routine. I find that with my kids routines work best. When we get out of our routine life can be a bit hectic. It can be the same with a business or even just with life in general. Sit down and plan how you are going to spend your time and get into a daily routine—life will run so much smoother.

6.) Budget. That’s right, I said it! I know that no one really wants to talk about finances and budgeting right now, but we really must–even if we have no money to speak of. I recommend starting with a sheet of paper. On the top of the paper write BILLS, AMOUNT DUE, DATE DUE, PAID

Now, write in your bills, the amount due, date due and then once they are paid you can put a check mark or x in the paid spot. It’s simple and will be an easy way to get started. Now this isn’t necessarily a budget as it is more of a way to keep track of your bills. Once you are in the habit of keeping track of your bills and knowing how much is going out every month, you can start your budget. Start planning how much you have to spend each month and what you will be spending it on. Sticking with a budget can be really hard, but it is always very rewarding.

Good Luck! I hope you have a very organized year!