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Operation: Organization {Week 5} Organizing Personal Information

Let's face it: life comes with paperwork.  And lots of it!

Even with plenty of opportunities to "go paperless", it seems that it is near impossible to live a truly paperless life.  And really, it isn't necessary to rid our world of all paper.  I mean, sure, it's nice to cut down on it because I will be the first to admit that I waste more paper than I care to admit.  But, there is something to be said for paper planners, books, and magazines, right?

{Via}

So, what's a paper loving girl to do with all that paper clutter that tends to accumulate?

Glad you asked...

For the next 8 weeks {including this week}, we're diving head first into the sea of paper that tends to take over our home.  And trust me, this kind of sea doesn't come with sand and surf!

Don't panic though...

We're going to break it down into baby steps so that no one becomes overwhelmed...

Deep breath...

Here we go:

I know that technically we don't come into this world with anything, but it sure seems like we do.  Those of you with children can probably remember being at the hospital and getting a ton of paperwork to take home, along with your little bundle of joy.  Plus, you were given a birth certificate and social security card for "junior" that you had to guard with your life.

If you were asked to locate your birth certificate or social security card, could you?

Could you locate your license plate number if your car was stolen?

Would you be able to get a hold of your bank account number in the event your wallet was stolen?

These are things that we just assume that we either have memorized or that we can easily get our hands on. Problem is, though, when an emergency occurs, you may often forget where you put that all-important piece of paper.  Especially if you don't have a proper storage system in place.

With that being said, your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to:

My personal recommendation is to scan those documents into your computer and back them up.  Then, place the originals in a fireproof safety deposit box - either purchase your own or rent one at your local bank.  Then, keep a list of where those documents are, either on your phone or in your household notebook.

Note: this series is based on the book: Organize Now!: A Week By Week Guide To Simplify Your Space And Your Life (Spiral-bound).  In the book {pages 42-43}, Jennifer Ford Berry provides some suggestions as to what papers you should have handy, as well as which ones should be kept in a safety deposit box.

Do you have any tips for organizing personal information?


Linked To:
Organizing and DIY Linking Party at Organizing with Sandy
Better Mom Mondays at The Better Mom

Titus 2sdays at Time Warp Wife

Teach Me Tuesdays at Growing Home

Anti-procrastination Tuesdays at New Nostalgia

Rock 'N Share Wednesdays at The Shady Porch

Women Living Well Wednesdays at Women Living Well Ministries

Works for Me Wednesdays at We Are THAT Family

Homemaking Link Up at Raising Homemakers

Operation: Organization 2012 {Week 4} Establishing Priorities

This week marks a full month that we've been tackling our Operation: Organization 2012 Challenge.  In case you're just now joining in, let me recap what we have done so far:

Here's the introduction and here's the free daily to-do printable calendar to go along with our challenge.

Week 1 - Dealing with Mental Clutter

Week 2 - Using your Time Wisely

Week 3 - Creating an Effective Cleaning Schedule

If you can catch up with us, great!  If not, don't worry.  You can always start at the beginning and go at your own pace, or you can jump right in with this week's challenge and go back to the previous weeks at your convenience.  After all, this challenge isn't meant to stress you out, rather it's designed to improve your quality of life.

This week is all about determining your priorities and then making decisions based on them.  We've already talked about this briefly when I shared how to create your own intentions, so it's really no secret that I'm all about some intentional living.  But what does it mean to live intentionally?

"Intentional living" is simply modern terminology for living with purpose.  In other words, not merely going with the flow, but identifying your values and beliefs, then living you life based on them.  Your purpose is your "why".

You don't have to go too deep with this {ex: trying to discover the meaning of life},  you just simply need to identify what's most important to you.  Those things that are most important to you are your priorities.  For example, I would say that most {if not, all} of you would say that your family is important to you.  Therefore, they are one of your top priorities.  Now that you know that, you can eliminate activities and commitments that do not keep your family as a top priority.

For the Christian, our priorities should be determined by something far greater than "this is important to me".  The Bible tells us in 1 Corinthians 10:31 that whatever we do should be done to the glory of God.  Colossians 3:17, says that everything we do should be done in the name of the Lord.  Therefore, as a Christian, my priorities should line up with God's priorities.  As a woman, I am commanded to keep my husband, children, and home as a priority.  Again, this doesn't mean that I am required to stay home full time, but it does mean that I should be careful not to let anything take away from my responsibilities to my family and my household.

Having said all that, your mission this week is to write down your top ten priorities.  For me, this includes my relationship with God, ministering to others, reaching out to non-Christians, eating right, exercising, my husband, my child, my home, my extended family, and my friends.  Your priorities will be unique to you, so please don't just copy mine.

Next, I want you to take out your planner and see if you current activities and obligations line up with your priorities.  If they all line up, then great!  If not, you may need to seriously consider eliminating them or figuring out a way to still do it without compromising on your priorities.

Once you have tweaked your schedule, take it one step further and purposefully schedule things that will contribute to your priorities.  Remember, being purposeful in the way you live your life is as much about what you do do as it is what you don't do.  For example, if your marriage is a priority and you don't yet do date nights with your spouse, schedule them.  If your child{ren} is/are a priority, schedule special activities or outings with them.  If getting out of debt is a priority, schedule a weekly or monthly meeting with your spouse to evaluate where you stand financially.

Once you have done this, rest in knowing that you are not going to be easily swayed by every opportunity that comes a-knocking.  You'll be able to make wise decisions when it comes to how you spend your time.

So, I wanna know:

What's your top ten list?

Did you have to eliminate something?

Did you add anything?

Linked To:

Anti-procrastination Tuesdays at New Nostalgia

Titus 2sdays at Time Warp Wife

Teach Me Tuesdays at Growing Home

Organizing Tips for Work-from-Home Ladies!

 
{Via}

I've already shared some organizing tips for those of you who are full-time homemakers by encouraging you to treat what you do as a real job because IT IS!  However, I know that many of you also work from home, in addition to juggling the diaper changes, meal preparation, and laundry.  So, today I thought I'd share some organizing tips just for you!

Working from home is often seen as the best-of-both-worlds by thousands of mothers all over the world.  As someone who is hoping to start a business from her home soon, I would have to agree.  However, choosing to work from home, as wonderful as it may be, can also prove to be a challenge.  Especially when it comes to keeping to clutter under control, as well as balancing the your work and home life.  Here's what I recommend:

Keep your Work Space Organized

I cannot stress how important it is to keep your home office {desk, corner...whatever you're working with} organized.  More than likely, the reason you are working from home is because you wanted the flexibility of spending more time with your family.  This means that every moment you spend working needs to COUNT.  Am I right?  Looking for a missing paper, phone number, or other piece of information is not time well spent!  

When your work space is organized, you're productive.  When you're productive, you get more done in less time.  When you work less hours, you get more time to play and that's the reason you're working from home to begin with.  Right?

Here are something practical things you can do:

• In any home office, paper clutter is usually the biggest challenge.  In order to keep things under control, you'll need to set up a paper filing system that works for you.  As you categorize your paperwork, label them according to how your mind works.  In other words, say you need a folder for your rental lease or home deed.  Would you find it better if it were labeled "RENT" or "MORTGAGE" or would it make more sense to you to label it "HOME"?  Figure out how your mind labels things and then transfer those labels to folders.

  Better yet, go paperless.  I know some people are hesitant to do this, but it really does free up the amount of time you spend dealing with paper.  Going paperless for both home and business can save you time and money in the long run.  Not only will you be able to locate information easier, you'll also avoid late charges due to misplacing a bill.
• Keep office supplies stocked.  There's nothing more frustrating than running out of ink or computer paper in the middle of an important project.  Not to mention, it can often halt a project entirely; at least until you run by the store to put more supplies.  Set aside  a drawer or shelf for your most used supplies to ensure you're always prepared.

{Via}

Parenting while Working

Because you probably work from home out of a desire to be more available to your family, chances are you have kids at home with you {I have to raise my hand on this one!}  For the younger kiddos, set up a toy corner for them to play with while you work or, if at all possible, make it a point to work early in the morning, while they nap, or after they go to bed.  If you have older children, ask them to watch the younger ones or enlist the help of someone else: hire a mommy's helper or ask a fellow stay-at-home-mom to watch them while you get your work done.  

Should you choose to work when the children are sleeping or hire help, make every minute count.  Don't waste countless hours on email or Pinterest *ahem*, when you should be drafting a report or typing up an invoice.  Better yet, schedule your time.  If you know that your mommy's  helper comes on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 10 am - 2 pm, schedule those 4 hours in 15 minute increments {check email - 15 minutes; write blog post - 30 minutes; etc. until all the time is assigned to a task}.

For older kids, set up a daily schedule that can be followed with minimal help from you during your "business-hours".  If you homeschool, your work hours are the perfect time for them to do individual work.  When you finish your "payroll job" you can switch to your "teacher role" so you can check their work or answer questions. 

Allow Your Worlds to Collide...Sometimes 

Again, you chose to work from home for the flexibility.  So, it's perfectly acceptable to work in your jammies on a particularly lazy day {as long as the work DOES get done} or switch out a load of clothes during a "break".  You can even pack up the kid{s} and visit the park if you find your eyes crossing from looking at the computer screen a bit too long.  

What's the point?  Flexibility is a wonderful thing but you have to remember: there is a fine line between procrastination and too structured {read: all work, no play}.  As cliche as it sounds, it really is all about balance.

Each type of homemaker has her own set of difficulties.  The bottom line is that we all have to find a way to streamline our responsibilities, delegate some tasks to family members {or outsource them all together}, and simply find a way to "work smarter, not harder".

For those of you who work from home, 

what your best tip for "doing it all"?

Linked To:

Anti-procrastination Tuesdays at New Nostalgia

Titus 2sdays at Time Warp Wife

Teach Me Tuesdays at Growing Home

Operation: Organization 2012 {Week 3} Create an Effective Cleaning Schedule

I hope you have benefited from the Operation: Organization 2012 Challenge.

If you're just now joining us, it's not too late to catch up.  Read Week 1, Week 2, and then print your free daily task calendar.

Pretty soon, it might be too difficult to catch up.  No worries, though, because you can always jump right in where we are and then backtrack at your leisure.

  We've already talked about mental clutter and time management but luckily, this week is all about the cleaning schedule.  Now, the topic of "cleaning" isn't a new one for HOME: MADE.  In the past, I've shared tips on establishing and sticking to a cleaning routine, as well as my "magical" three and personal cleaning routine.  

I have to be honest though, I haven't been sticking to my cleaning schedule lately.  Why?  I don't know.  It's just that ever since Christmas, I've been in a domestic funk.  I've gotten embarrassingly behind on laundry.  I've allowed the dishes to slowly create a pile in the sink.  Honestly, I just haven't felt like doing much of anything.  Needless to say, it's about time I get back in the game!

So, now that I've made that confession, let me ask:

Do you have a cleaning schedule?

If so, do you stick to it?

Either way, this is the week we're all going to focus more on creating a schedule to keep our home in decent order.

For those who don't have a cleaning schedule:

Really, all you have to do is write down every single task that needs to be done in your home.  Some examples might include: laundry, dishes, vacuuming, mopping, wiping down surfaces, cleaning the showers... etc. etc. etc.

Once you list everything, determine how frequently that task should be accomplished.  Really, this is all going to depend on your tolerance for dirt and dust.  Some people can't stand the sight of either while others don't mind as much.  It's all based on personal preference, so I'm not even going to attempt to tell you how often to do what.  Usually, though, tasks are divided into the following categories: daily, weekly, monthly, seasonally {or quarterly}, and annually.

  

After you've listed out all your tasks and you've determined how often they should be done, now all you have to do is create a checklist for each category and/or schedule the tasks on your calendar/in your planner.  Need to change the air filter once a month?  Go ahead and schedule it for the first of each month.  NOTE: Maybe you could also make a note on the 20th of each month to check and make sure you have a filter to replace the old one.  That way, if you don't, you've got plenty of time to buy one.

For those who do have a cleaning schedule:

The best advice I can offer is this: USE IT!  

If you haven't been using yours, don't feel bad.  Remember, I've fallen off the wagon myself.  Together, let's reevaluate our schedules to make sure things are getting done efficiently.

Regardless of which category you fall under, here's some inspiration that can help you get the ball rolling:

Hannah's System 101 from Sherbet Blossom
Weekly Cleaning Checklist from Denim and Dandelions
Cleaning Checklist from IHeart Organizing
Deep Cleaning Monthly Schedule from Two Things in Common
Weekly Cleaning Calendar from Evelyn Kate Designs

Of course, there are tons more out there.  Just google "Cleaning Schedule".  Better yet, use that term to search Pinterest.  {Yes, I give you permission to pin.  You can always claim that it's "research"!}

For a more in-depth how-to, check out this book from Christine of I Dream of Clean:

It is a step-by-step guide to creating YOUR perfect cleaning schedule {not someone else's perfect cleaning schedule!}.  She also gives you a master list of tasks, many of which you may have never thought of.  Interested?  If so, click here to visit I Dream of Clean.

Already written a post about your cleaning schedule?

LINK UP!

LINKED TO:

Organizing + DIY Link Up at Organize with Sandy

Better Mom Mondays at The Better Mom
Anti-procrastination Tuesdays at New Nostalgia
Titus 2sdays at Time Warp Wife
Teach Me Tuesdays at Growing Home

{I'm Featured} 2 Bills 2 Blow at Nikki's Nacs

I'm so excited to tell you all that I have been featured over at Nikki's Nacs today as a part of her 2 Bills 2 Blow series.  The way it works is that I pretend to have $200 and can spend it on anything related to home decor.  

Wanna see what I did with my faux Benjamins?  

Click HERE.

Operation: Organization 2012 {Week 2} Using Time Wisely

New to the Operation: Organization 2012 Challenge?  No worries!

Simply read week one's post and check out the corresponding link up party to catch up.

Also, be sure to print out your FREE Daily Tasks Calendar.

Ever heard this saying: "When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, 'I used everything you gave me.'" {Erma Louise Bombeck}?  I have seen this quote numerous times floating around the world wide web.  For me, it reminds me that I should do more than just use up all the talent God has given me; I should use it all for His glory.  However, when my life is over and I stand before my Heavenly Father, I would hope that I could say, "I wisely used every second of the time you gave me on earth to somehow glorify You".  More than using up our talent, I believe God wants us to be good stewards of our time.

In the book Organize Now!: A Week By Week Guide To Simplify Your Space And Your Life (Spiral-bound) {affiliate link}, week two focuses on organizing your schedule.  But, more than getting your schedule organized, I want us each to ponder how our lives would improve if we began to intentionally use our time wisely versus doing tasks just to cross them off our list.  What would happen if we chose to do those things which were based on our priorities rather than doing something because we just assume it needs to be done?

Let's pretend for a moment that I gave you $86,400.  I imagine most of us would not have too difficult a time figuring out how we would use it.  For some of us, paying off outstanding bills would take precedence, while others would hop in the car and drive as fast as they could to the mall.  I also like to think that most of us would use some or all of the money to improve the lives of others, such as donating to charity, going on a mission trip, or adopting an orphan {or two}.

Thinking about this large numbers in terms of money is fairly easy.  However, consider this: you have 86,400 seconds in each day.  That's 1440 minutes.  Sounds like a lot of time doesn't it?  Yet, our days seem to fly by at record speed.  Why?  Maybe, just maybe, it's because we're not using our time wisely.

This week's assignment isn't even in the book, but I still want you to do it.  Remember how I equated that large number {86,400} to money?  What I want you to do this week is to create a time budget.  What exactly is a time budget?  Well, just as you could probably divide the money up into categories by writing down how you'd spend it all, writing down how you do/would spend your time is equally as effective.

Here's the thing though, I don't want you to use the seconds number {86,400}.  After all, who plans their days to the second?  What I do want you to do is use the 24 hours/day to calculate how you need to/would like to spend your week.

Here's an example of a time budget:

This isn't my exact time budget because I'm going to be doing this task WITH you this week, 

but I did want to give you an example.  

My prayer is that this assignment will all make us think a little harder about how we spend our time.  Consistently reevaluating what we chose to give our time is a great thing to practice. In fact, a weekly time out session is the perfect time to do so.

From your time budget, create a schedule that works for you.  Here is how Jennifer Ford Berry, author of Organize Now!: A Week By Week Guide To Simplify Your Space And Your Life (Spiral-bound) {affiliate link}, creates a schedule:

#1 - Hold a Family Meeting to Plan the Week Ahead

#2 - Gather all Random Notes and Paper Scraps where You've Quickly Jotted Down Something To-Do or Remember.

#3 - Create One Large To-Do List and Categorize Tasks According to Priority Level.

{Label all top priority items with "A"; all Important but not urgent items with "B", and items you'd like to do with "C"}

****************************************************************************************

Our life's purpose is to bring glory to God.  Does your schedule reflect that?  If so, wonderful.  If not, I'd encourage you to prayerfully create a time budget and use it much like the envelope system that Dave Ramsey made famous.  The idea behind the envelope system is that you divide your funds into the appropriate envelope {labeled "Groceries", "Gas", "Entertainment", etc.}, and then when the money is gone, it's gone.  You just have to make do until you get paid again.

Same thing with time.  If you are dedicating only 5 hours a week to blogging, stick to that.  If you decide that you'll only spend 7 hours a week cleaning, don't go over.  The whole idea is that you're leaving more room for what's most important: Loving God and loving people.  So, it kind of goes without saying that your husband and children are allowed to get more than the allotted time. ;)  {Just as long as you're not using them to procrastinate on something else}.

Do you have a schedule that works for you?

How can you spend your time more wisely this week?

Linked To:

Better Mom Mondays at The Better Mom

Organizing and DIY Link Up at Organize with Sandy