I admit it. I have a major problem with paper. My husband and I really don’t have that much “stuff”; our issue stems from the newspapers, magazines, bills, cards, invitations, FedEx shipping slips, receipts, lists and random notes that multiply quickly and end up all over nearly every flat surface in the house. I detest what this does to the environment in my home and to my state-of-mind.
So, we find ourselves at the start of a New Year. There’s no better opportunity to make a clean break with clutter and declare publically my resolve to eliminate it forever. My long-term objective for 2010 is to feel prepared to welcome friends and family into our house at a moment’s notice, instead of freaking out at the thought that someone might drop by and see the disaster in which we typically live. Like all of our bloggers this week, I’m using S.M.A.R.T. goals to achieve the short-term ends that will secure my long-term objective. Here’s how my S.M.A.R.T. goal will work. It's:
Specific – I will keep surfaces in my home clear and clutter-free.
Measurable – I will set aside a few minutes every day to find or make a place for everything so that everything stays in its place.
Attainable – Can I do what it takes to have a well-ordered house? Absolutely.
Realistic – Is it realistic for me to devote 5-15 minutes every day to preserving my sanity? Do I have the time and skills necessary to do this? Yes!
Time-Oriented – This goal officially kicks off as soon as the renovations work in my house is finished (estimated completion date: 12/31/09). I’ll measure progress daily.
Google “S.M.A.R.T. goals” yourself and you’ll notice the acronym applies almost universally, from finances to fitness. Devote just a few minutes to plotting out your S.M.A.R.T. goal and there your road map to success will be! Are you ready to decide what you want this year and how you’ll go about getting it?
Good Luck. You can do it, if you put your mind to it. Also, you will have to ask for help from everyone living in your house. Kids, husband, etc. This will help you to keep organized without having to pull out your hair every time you turn around and someone put something out of place. I work hard to keep my house clean and in order. But, no one every drops by to see it. Just a FYI.
You need to break your goals down more specifically, such as:
“Have all the bills sent via email (or Payment Manager)”
“Discard newspapers/cards/invitations after X days”
“Get a white board on the fridge for temp notes”
We have a filing cabinet for everything from medical forms to appliance manuals. It’s a must have.
I can’t stand mail piling up on the counter. I make it a habit to look through all my mail daily and discard the mailings I don’t need. I am very detailed about receipts. I keep all of my receipts in a small plastic filing folder. A lot of places won’t give you full value for your item without a receipt or they limit you to a store credit, so that is why I make sure I keep all of my receipts. Once the receipts are about 3 months past their return policy date, I will place them in the trash.