Are You Visual? Try This Calendar...

I recently purchased one of these large calendars and I love it!  Many people have it on their desktop, which is a fine way to use it, but I hung mine on the wall right next to my desk and chair.  I use my iPhone calendar for when I'm out and about, and to keep track of personal and business obligations, and this has been very effective for me.  I love the large wall calendar since I can see the whole month at once--I didn't realize how valuable that would be until I actually experienced the convenience!  If you don't have one and you find yourself struggling to keep up with and remember appointments, or if you are a visual person and would like to see what your whole month ahead looks like in order to more effectively plan, I say go get one now!  Bonus: since it's already March, they're on sale!

Update Your Organizing Systems

Once you're "organized", it's an ongoing process that takes minimal daily maintenance.  However, if you find that some of the systems you've set up are not really helping you in your organizing endeavors, then you may need to make some adjustments.  This is fine!  I have to do this myself, and I find that as life gets busier I need to fine-tune things in my office occasionally. 
Over the weekend I did this.  I moved my filing cabinet from one corner to another (I can still reach it from my office chair), I removed everything from my desktop and put back only the items I really need on it, and I moved my whiteboard and large calendar to a more accessible place on the wall close to my desk.  Now I won't forget to write things down, darnit!  I also hung up some pretty pictures to inspire me...don't forget to include the little things that make a huge difference. 

Organize For Tax Time

It's possible you know someone who highly dreads this time of year.  Tax time.  Even though, like Christmas, it happens at the same time every year, some of us are usually still caught off guard.  What--I have to gather my receipts, update my mileage log, balance months of bank statements...already? Again?  Crap.  (Kinda like I am around the holidays--already? Again? Crap.)

Anyway, if your filing system for tax documents consists of a pile of papers stacked somewhere in your office, here are a few tips to make this year's tax time a little less painful.  Hopefully next year's, too.

• Systematically go through the papers and receipts and sort into relevant piles.  Different categories will emerge, so put like with like.
• Create a folder for each category: Income, Expenses, Receipts, Records (or use words that make sense to you so you'll know what goes in the folders and you'll use them)
• I suggest paper clipping together each month's papers inside of each folder--this way, if you need to find info for a certain month, you can do so quickly without having to rifle through the folder
• If you have an accountant that you'll be giving your info to, go ahead and add up the items in each category.  He/she will double-check your numbers anyway, but this can be a time saver for them.
• Throughout the year, use these folders!!  Don't make your life harder by procrastinating on this one. 

 You'll thank yourself next year at tax time, and you'll wonder why you waited so long to organize your tax documents!