Your Life . . .
SM
Organized
“Organizing You to a Fresh Start” January 2009
The new year always gets me so excited. By this time I have developed my yearly business goals and yearly personal goals and am excited to start implementing them. The new year feels like a fresh start on life... like anything is possible. It’s also a time when my filing system gets a fresh start.
I grab a cup of coffee, bring all of my papers together in front of morning tv and organize, sort, re-file, purge, pull for taxes and so forth all of my papers. I enjoy doing it. And as sick as it may sound I actually look forward to it.
Had I known that the year 2008 would be the last time I took part in my little paper ceremony I would have relished in the moments a little bit longer.
permanent, replaceable or rotating so you never have to clean out your files again.
And sure enough, as I sit here and stare at my beautiful and functional files, I dream of ways I will spend the second Monday of January 2009. Anyone up for skiing?
Happy New Year,
Tiffany Engler
My final farewell to my paper organizing ceremony.
Quick Tips to Organize Your Children
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If they are old enough, let them help you sort their toys into like piles. Some of the categories might be: wheels; animals; action people; legos; polly pockets; dolls; doll clothes
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Use small bins, like the one pictured below, to keep the categories separate.
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Label every container/bin. If your child can’t read yet, cut out pictures from a magazine.
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Teach them that picking up their toys before bed will keep everything organized.
Quote of the Month
“Cheers to a New Year and another
chance for us to get it right.”
- Oprah Winfrey
Bible Verse of the Month
Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a
future and a hope.”
How to Keep Your
New Years Resolution
STATISTIC OF THE MONTH: Only 12% of those who make New Years Resolutions achieve them, according to Wikipedia.
First know that a resolution is really a dream and it doesn’t become a goal until you write it down. So don’t just think it. Ink it.
Now look at your resolution and make sure it is specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely. In other words, make sure it is S.M.A.R.T. Let me explain...
Specific: Write down what actions you will take to achieve your resolution.
Wrong: I will pay off my debt.
Right: I will put $100 towards my highest interest rate credit card bill a month until it’s paid off.
Wrong: I will get organized.
Right: I will organize one area of my home every week.
Measurable: How will you know when you have accomplished your goal? How will you measure your success?
Wrong: I will take a vacation to Hawaii.
Right: I will take a vacation to Hawaii by the end of August.
Wrong: I want to write a book.
Right: I will write in my book 2 times a week up until my Birthday.
Attainable: Don’t make your resolution so far out of reach that you give up. Set yourself up for success by making it attainable.
Wrong: Get a new job by the end of the week.
Right: Get a new job within 8 months.
Wrong: Eat nothing but fruits and vegetables for 30 days.
Right: Add a piece of fruit or some vegetables to every meal.
Realistic: Don’t confuse this word with easy. Your resolution may push your comfort level, but it can’t be impossible.
Wrong: Lose 20 pounds in one week.
Right: Lose one pound in one week.
Wrong: Save 50% of every pay check.
Right: Save 5% of every paycheck.
Timely: Give yourself a deadline and write it on the calendar. If there is no deadline we will naturally procrastinate. But make sure it is measurable, attainable and realistic.
Wrong: Go back to school.
Right: Go back to school in the fall.
Wrong: Volunteer to help others.
Right: Sign up to volunteer by the end of the month.
If you follow these S.M.A.R.T. goals, I know you will accomplish your New Years Resolution. Now go get started and have fun!
New Year
New Room
Contest
AFTER
BEFORE
So what happens to the other 88%? It’s simple - they didn’t have a plan on HOW they were going to accomplish their resolution. This year, I want you to be a part of that 12% and I’ll show you how.
About 6 months ago, I switched from my current filing system to a filing system called Freedom Filer. FreedomFiler is a simple color-coding system that tells you how long papers are kept and where. All files are either
For the past 10 years, I have spent the second Monday of January doing the same thing: organizing my paperwork in preparation for the new year.
What is your New Years Resolution?
Share it with me below and I will post the results in next
month’s newsletter.
© Your Life Organized 2009. All rights reserved.