Over fifty years ago, food manufacturers were among the first to recognize the value of selling these two items, starting with TV dinners, cake mixes and a few other items. Now you can walk into a grocery store and buy virtually anything your heart desires, take it home and have it on the table in thirty minutes or less.

“Deliveries” are another way we buy time and expertise. Not too long ago the main thing most of us had delivered to our front door was pizza. Now, virtually any item you can think of is deliverable with no more than a phone call or web search and a credit card. Even laundry, which we mostly think of being done in our own homes, can be picked up, washed and folded, and delivered back to you in a matter of days. No time to take clothes to the dry cleaner? Some local cleaners will pick up and deliver for you. Just put items in a specially marked bag, hang them outside and a few days later they will be returned to you fresh, clean and ready to wear.

So with all this easy availability and direct deliveries how do Concierge Services fit into the picture? In several ways, actually. Some people are so busy that they don’t even have time to order the pizza or run by the store to grab the already prepared dinner, or to navigate through the grocery store’s website to order groceries. So, they hire a concierge service to do even these chores. In other instances they may be looking for someone else to do chores for a parent, friend or other relative.

Clients interested in lifestyle management are another part of the picture. For them, it is not a matter of time; they hire a concierge to do the things they don’t want to do themselves no matter how much time they might have. Typically, clients who start working with a concierge often choose to have more and more chores and projects taken over as they experience the pleasure of their increased free time. They find that their quality of life improves by having the mundane and everyday handled by a trusted “concierge” who takes the initiative and get things taken care of for them.

Finally, there are clients who are not able to do certain things for themselves. “Snowbirds” with summer and winter homes often turn to concierge services to take care of their homes while they are gone. People who have physical limitations because of health or age are another growing segment of the population who use concierge services. Doing so allows them to maintain an independent lifestyle and offers peace of mind to their families and children.

The services provided by any one particular concierge company will vary. Some companies mostly run errands while others offer a large range of services such as making travel arrangements, event planning, organizing, downsizing and moving assistance. For instance, imagine moving into your new home with boxes are piled in every room waiting for you to unpack them. Then imagine coming home from work the next day and everything is unpacked, the stereo and computer are hooked up and working, your kitchen is all put together and your clothes are all in the closets and drawers with nary a box or piece of packing paper in sight. A concierge service can make it seem as if someone waved a magic wand and gave you your life back with nary a packing box in sight.

If any of the above sounds like you died and went to heaven you are ready for The Concierge Lifestyle.

So how do you get started?

Easy–just contact Elyse Coleman at Life/Time CEO. We schedule an appointment to discuss how we may best serve you.

For more information about services in Pennsylvania or New Jersey, phone us at 215-539-2720, email us at Questions@LifeTimeCEO.com or visit us at http://www.LifeTimeCEO.com. For help in other areas of the country, information is available on concierge service providers at http://www.ICEAweb.org.<

Mail

Credit Card Offers: The U.S. Postal Service delivers 206 billion pieces of mail are each year and more than 3 billion of them are credit-card solicitations. If you are like most of us, rarely a day goes by without an offer for a new credit card showing up in your mailbox.

Many consider these offers a nuisance, and beyond that they are a tempting target for identity theft. To reduce the number of these offers, write Equifax Options, Post Office Box 740123, Atlanta, GA 20374 or call the Consumer Credit Reporting Industry at 1-888-567-8688 and put your name on the Opt Out List with the credit reporting bureaus. You will be asked to provide your name, social security number and address. Doing this will not completely shut off the tap, but you will get many fewer offers in the mail.

The Direct Marketing Association (DMA) offers an opt-out service called DMAChoice, which helps consumers reduce the amount of unwanted mail they receive at their homes.  You can register with this service by visiting www.DMAChoice.org and clicking on “Get Started.”  Or you can mail in your request to the address below.  (Please note, there is a $1 processing fee to register by mail.)  To register by mail, please send your name and address with a check or money order for $1 dollar made out to “DMA” to:
DMAChoice

Direct Marketing Association

P. O. Box 643

Carmel, NY 10512

In addition to the general Opt Out services they offer the DMA also has tailored programs for specific needs such as those with deceased family or friends and those who provide caretaker assistance.

The link to remove deceased individuals from marketing lists Deceased Do No Contact Registration. The link for the Do Not Contact for Caregivers list is Do Not Contact Caregivers which all DMA members are required to honor is available to companies and nonprofit organizations for the sole purpose of removing names and addresses from their marketing lists.

All DMA members are required to eliminate these individuals from their prospecting campaigns. The service is also available to non-members of DMA so that all marketers may take advantage of this service to eliminate names. A new, updated file is distributed at least once every three months. Therefore the number of commercial contacts from DMA members should begin to decrease within three months.

Information that is submitted to the Deceased Do Not Contact List is NOT added to DMAChoice, the Telephone Preference Service, or the Email Preference Service.  The Deceased Do Not Contact List is a stand alone suppression file for deceased individuals.

When you register a person as deceased, the person’s name, address, phone number and e-mail address is NOT placed on DMA’s Mail, Telephone and Email Preference Service Lists. All DMA members are required to eliminate these individuals from their prospecting campaigns. The service is also available to non-members of DMA so that all marketers may take advantage of this service to eliminate names. A new, updated file is distributed at least once every three months. Therefore the number of commercial contacts from DMA members should begin to decrease within three months.

Remember, these opt outs are not a magic bullet. You are putting your name on a list, not removing it from any lists. Reputable businesses check their mailing lists against registered names and purge those on the DMA registry. However, not all businesses do so, which is one reason that you can only slow down the tide of junk mail, not completely cut it off. Also, be aware that registering with the Direct Marketing Service is not one of those “set it and forget it” things; you will need to re-register every 5 years.

Catalogs: Unfortunately there is no one place to register to turn this flood into a trickle. There are basically two ways to go. One way is to handle opt out requests on your own catalog by catalog. Another way is with help through a third party such as the Direct Marketing Association. If you prefer not to contact companies directly, DMAchoice™allows you to either opt out of selected catalogs or opt to receive no catalogs at all.  But as they will also tell you, the fastest way to inform companies of your choices is to contact them directly. Some companies may even have options for receiving less mail or email only. That way, you can reduce the amount of mail you get—but you’ll still have access to the products you enjoy. If you do decide to opt out directly many companies have automated this process as a part of their incoming voice mail system, which makes it pretty quick and painless to do.

If you don’t have time to make a call immediately, tear off and set aside the back page, which has your account information and their toll-free phone number, toss the rest of the catalog and make the call later. Never fear tossing the catalog thinking you might “need” it later. Virtually all companies have web sites where you can shop online without a catalog. If you really need or prefer a hard copy catalog you can always call the company–they will be happy to send one right out. The Direct Marketing Association can also help if you continue to receive unwanted mailings after asking to be taken off a company’s list.

Ways to Reduce Clutter in Your House

Don’t take it into the house:

Go through the mail standing next to your trash or recycle bin.Toss as much junk mail as possible before you do anything else with our mail. Celebrate the days when all you have left is one or two envelopes rather than a whole armload of mail.

CAUTION: DO NOT toss credit card offers directly into the recycle bin. A crosscut shredder is the most secure way to dispose of these of them. Staples has come out with a shredder small enough to sit on a countertop that is designed to shred whole, unopened envelopes. Staples M5 Mailmate Shredder - $89.99 but sometimes sold with a $20 rebate) With one of these sitting on your counter you can shred junk mail in a matter of seconds.

If you don’t have easy access to such a shredder you don’t need to shred everything in the envelope; just the application form or whatever has any of your personal information on it. Tear the form into small pieces and toss it into your regular garbage–the messier, the better. Identity thieves will move on to easier targets rather than paw through rotten tomatoes or dirty diapers.

Toss Promptly:

Throw newspapers away daily. Toss weekly magazines weekly and monthly magazines monthly. Saving them to “read later” is a too-seductive trap.  Neither is “need to know” information reason to save them. It is rare information that cannot be retrieved from on-line sources. See the article Conquer Clutter for further information.

Even if you consistently call and take your name off catalog company mailing lists as we recommend, catalogs will still show up in your mail. Toss them immediately. Doing so will not only cut down on clutter but most likely save you money as well as. Whether or not you need what they are selling, marketers and advertisers spend big bucks to produce ads carefully crafted to convince you to buy. If you don’t look at their catalogs, you won’t buy from them—which means both money saved and less clutter.

Knowing What To Keep:

Tossing on a regular schedule goes a long way to cutting down on clutter. That being said, we all have paperwork that is valuable and even essential to keep. Knowing what does need to be kept, for how long and where to store it is vital to staying on top of clutter. That information is available from a number of places; one that we like is Bankrate.com. Here is a link to a chart of what to keep, for how long and why.

Want help in cutting your clutter down to size?

To learn more about our services, phone us at 215-539-2720 (PA) or 609-945-0732 (NJ) email us at Elyse@WeCreateTime.com or visit us at Our Web Site. For help in other areas of the country, information is available on organizers at http://www.NAPO.net and concierge service providers at http://www.ICEAweb.org.

Have you wished one of those TV organizing teams would sweep down and work their magic on your home? That sort of help is most likely available in your own area, but there are also very effective things you can easily on your own. The following suggestions are neither hard nor complicated.

Toss

Magazines and Newspapers

As regularly as publications come in, toss them out. In other words, toss weekly magazines weekly, monthly magazines monthly and newspapers daily. This does not mean you can’t keep a few back issues. It does mean that instead of continually making decisions about when to toss each item, you make just one decision–how many back issues you will keep (three is the recommended number) and then toss the rest. For example, when the April issue of a monthly magazine arrives, you toss the January issue.

This especially applies to (gasp) National Geographic Magazine. How many times have you seen whole bookcases or boxes upon boxes of them taking up huge amounts of space? Many of us have been conditioned to believe they are so special that they can’t be tossed. They can be. They aren’t sacred. In fact they are so common that many libraries will not accept further donations of them.

Catalogs

Good: Toss them after you look through them

Better: If you don’t have a specific need, toss them when they arrive–WITHOUT reading them

Best: UNSUBSCRIBE (see below)

Unsubscribe

Do you actually read all the magazines you get? If not unsubscribe. If there is a particular publication you enjoy but don’t read every issue, cancel your subscription and buy just the particular issues that catch your eye. The fewer magazines coming in–the fewer to toss out.

Fund raising efforts may account for a number of the magazines in your home. The next time a neighbor or school child knocks at your door selling subscriptions, consider making a monetary donation to the organization rather than subscribing to magazines. That way you are still supporting the organization and don’t feeling guilty for saying “no” to a worthy effort or end up with magazines you don’t need or want. (This also works equally as well when girl scouts come knocking on your door selling cookies.)

Catalogs can be “unsubscribed” to as well. While sorting your mail, tear off the back page with the 800 number and your personal information on it and toss the rest of the catalog. Then, as soon as you have time, call and request to have your name removed from their mailing list. Don’t worry about not having a catalog when you “need” one. If the need arises you can always call and have one sent to you. If you use the Internet, you may find company’s websites may work as well or better for you than paper catalogs. You can also try a service like Pro Quo.

Want help with conquering your clutter?

For more information about services in Pennsylvania or New Jersey, contact Elyse Coleman at 215-539-2720 or Questions@LifeTimeCEO.com or visit us at http://www.LifeTimeCEO.com. For help in other areas of the country, information is available on organizers at http://www.NAPO.net and concierge service providers at http://www.ICEAweb.org.

Some suggestions on setting up a system

1. Design and set up a specific spot to put, sort, and distribute the mail.
2. Make sure mail goes to it’s new home. Where you put incoming mail is a habit. If you design a new space, then you are forming a new habit and it will take a little self-discipline to follow through and put the mail in this new place.
3. Agree with others in your home where to put their mail. Two suggestions are individual in-boxes or a plastic filing crate with hanging file folders; one tray or file per person labeled with their name or initials.
4. Include a trash or recycle bin for all the mail that you toss. (See our article “Conquering Clutter” for further information)
5. Ideally this area should handle both incoming and outgoing mail. Include in it a place to store stamps, address labels, etc. for outgoing mail and a tray or slot for items to be mailed.

Magazines and bills merit particular attention

Bills

Put in a specifically designated place. This does not have to be something fancy; in fact, simpler is usually better. Answer these questions to help you decide where to store them until they are paid.

1. How often do I pay them? (monthly, on pay day, when they come in)
2. Where do I pay them? (while watching TV, at a desk, in the car while waiting to pick up kids, while commuting on the train)
3. What do I need to pay them? (check book, computer, access to previous bills?)
4. How do I pay them? (all online, all by check, mixture of both)

Answering these questions will point to put where to store your bills. If you always pay them sitting at your desk, an inbox or hanging folder may be the best place. If you pay them while waiting for the kids or on the train, a large envelope stored where you sort mail may be the most practical place. Slotting them into a 1-31 sorter might be called for if you want a reminder when to pay bills multiple times during the month and/or share that task with someone else. The important thing is that once they have an “official” place, put them in that place each time one comes in.

Magazines

1. Store them where you read them. That puts them at hand when you’re ready to read them.
2. Have a “Toss Schedule” and stick to it. A “Toss Schedule” is just that. You decide how many back issues you want to keep and toss back issues regularly so you don’t end up with boxes, piles and shelves full of them.
3. Don’t keep a whole magazine for one article. Tear out the article and toss the magazine. (See our article “Conquering Clutter” for further information)

Want help with your organizing?

For more information about services in Pennsylvania or New Jersey, contact Elyse Coleman at 215-539-2720 or Questions@LifeTimeCEO.com or visit us at http://www.LifeTimeCEO.com. For help in other areas of the country, information is available on organizers at http://www.NAPO.net and concierge service providers at http://www.ICEAweb.org.
]]> http://www.wecreatetime.com/articles/clutter-managing-your-mail/feed/ http://www.wecreatetime.com/articles/organization-get-specific/ http://www.wecreatetime.com/articles/organization-get-specific/#comments Sun, 17 Aug 2008 14:10:50 +0000 Elyse Coleman http://www.lifetimeceo.com/site/?p=21 Is “Get Organized” high on your To-Do List?

Getting organized is right up there with losing weight and paying off credit cards on many written or mental To-Do lists. For many of us, putting it on the list is about as far as we get. Our intentions are good but getting started can be hard.

Being neat means you are organized, right?

The starting point may seem to be a matter of buying folders and then getting all those piles of accumulated papers into them. Often our vision of what to do stops there. Is effective organization really only a matter of folders and bins? What does it entail? It is easy to confuse being organized and being neat–that is getting everything into bins, drawers or folders. In reality, being one by no means guarantees the other.

The First Step

Getting organized isn’t a specific enough goal. Ending up with results that really make a difference takes time and a little homework before you begin the physical process.

Here is your assignment. Sit down over a cup of coffee or tea and vividly imagine what your life will be like when you finally do get organized. What will be different? What will you be able to do, or find, or file or–whatever? Be specific. For example, “Each month I will be able to pay my bills and file all the related paperwork in just two 45-minute sessions.” Or, ” When I need to find something that I have previously filed I will be able to go directly to it.”

Crucial Information

Doing this exercise before choosing products and starting the processes is crucial. If you don’t have a detailed picture of what “getting organized” entails for you, you won’t be able to come up with a roadmap to get the results you want. Without a clear picture of what success is for you, you have no idea what you need to achieve that success. Whether you plan to do all the organizing by yourself or get professional help, the answers to these questions are crucial to your success. An organizing professional will begin with such questions and work with you to put in place solutions based on your answers.

Next Steps

Want help with your organizing? For more information about services in Pennsylvania or New Jersey, contact Elyse Coleman at 215-539-2720 or Questions@LifeTimeCEO.com or visit us at http://www.LifeTimeCEO.com. For help in other areas of the country, information is available on organizers at http://www.NAPO.net and concierge service providers at http://www.ICEAweb.org.
]]> http://www.wecreatetime.com/articles/organization-get-specific/feed/ http://www.wecreatetime.com/articles/organization-keep-it-simple/ http://www.wecreatetime.com/articles/organization-keep-it-simple/#comments Sun, 17 Aug 2008 14:00:00 +0000 Elyse Coleman http://www.lifetimeceo.com/site/?p=18 When you think of getting organized, visions of file folders, tabs, and hanging files may be what comes to mind. Some people do require more complex filing systems, but before you start in on a new one for yourself, consider these ideas. You may find a simple system will serve you better than the more complex one you were imagining.

Use Fewer Categories

The approach many of us take is to put each bill in a separate folder every month. That usually means extensive filing, or procrastination and an ever-increasing stack of paperwork “to be filed” that reproaches us every time we look at it. If you seldom refer to the saved paperwork, accumulating it chronologically in one folder, drawer or filing box into which you put everything may be all that you need. At the end of the year pull out any tax related information, file items that need to be kept longer than one year and toss the rest. See ur article How To Reduce Clutter for more information on what to keep, where to keep it and for how long.

Another uncomplicated approach is a January through December accordion style file folder. As you pay your bills, put all supporting paperwork in the folder according to the month in which you paid the bill. As you come to a new month that has last year’s paperwork in it–sort it, toss most of it and file the few items you need to keep.

With either of these methods, finding anything you need should be simple. First, there is just one place for you to look–the folder, file or box you are using, not multiple hanging files. Paperwork will accumulate chronologically and be easy to retrieve even if you have accumulated a large number of papers. Most of us can remember the month or at least the season when we paid a bill and that will indicate where in the file to start looking for it.

File Fewer Items

Much of what you are currently filing may not need to be filed at all. What should be saved depends on your personal circumstances, but you may be able to toss some bills as soon as you pay them. Take a look at what you are storing and ask yourself what you would do if you did not have that information. Can you get another copy if you needed it? If so, you may not need to store it yourself.

Next Steps

Want help with your organizing? For more information about services in Pennsylvania or New Jersey, contact Elyse Coleman at 215-539-2720 or Questions@LifeTimeCEO.com or visit us at http://www.LifeTimeCEO.com. For help in other areas of the country, information is available on organizers at http://www.NAPO.net and concierge service providers at http://www.ICEAweb.org.
]]> http://www.wecreatetime.com/articles/organization-keep-it-simple/feed/ http://www.wecreatetime.com/articles/help-for-aging-parents/ http://www.wecreatetime.com/articles/help-for-aging-parents/#comments Sun, 17 Aug 2008 13:57:26 +0000 Elyse Coleman http://www.lifetimeceo.com/site/?p=16 Time not only takes away our hair, our flexibility and quick energy; it often brings to us a slower pace, a much shorter attention span and a diminished sense of energy. We may see these things in our parents and want to help them but have difficulty knowing where to turn. We know they could “use some help,” but are just not quite sure exactly what kind or where to find what they need. They are not having problems, per se, yet we have a sense that we could somehow add to their quality of life.

A Concierge Service may not be your first thought when it comes to getting help for your parents, but it may be just what you are looking for. Here are some suggestions for help based on the assistance our concierge service provides for our clients.

1. Set up a regularly scheduled visit even if there is no particular task or project. For the first several visits, have the concierge meet and visit with your parents, get to know them and perhaps offer to take out the trash, do a quick straighten or even presort the mail into personal and non-personal. As the concierge becomes a regular visitor, small jobs and projects will come up. By having someone visit on a regular basis, the concierge can begin to see a myriad of ways to help that may have never crossed your mind.
2. If your parents are still tentative around technology such as cell phones or OnStar, the concierge can help them with ongoing “reminders” or lessons on how to use the item and making sure it gets charged. If they find the technology of these items to complex, very simplified instructions of how to call you or 911 can be put on a label and attached to the back of the phone or stored in the car.
3. Have the concierge bring “treats” with them such as fresh fruit or healthy snacks to enhance their diet.
4. Arrange for a new houseplant or fresh flowers every once in a while. A five dollar plant or bunch of flowers from the grocery store may give them as much pleasure as something ordered from a florist, particularly if either you or they have concerns about the money spent on such items.
5. Forms and letters they receive in the mail may be quite confusing. Navigating through a voice mail system to ask questions or obtain needed information is something you can have the concierge do for your parents.
6. When the weather is nice, someone else to suggest and then go with them for a ride or a walk may well get your parents out when they would not otherwise go out by themselves.
7. If your parents still do some meal preparation, even if it is only breakfast and lunch, someone else doing grocery shopping for them on a regular basis can be a big boost. In addition to the shopping, the concierge can also put away groceries, wash and prep fruit and vegetables, keep an eye on the refrigerator and toss out old food as a part of this same process.

As you can see, this list could be endless and would be driven by your parents’ needs and personalities. However, by scheduling someone to be a regular part of their lives, you add immeasurably to their quality of life.

Want help for your parents or other elders?

For more information about services in Pennsylvania or New Jersey, contact Elyse Coleman at 215-539-2720 or Questions@LifeTimeCEO.com or visit us at http://www.LifeTimeCEO.com.
For help in other areas of the country, information is available on concierge service providers at http://www.ICEAweb.org.

Automobile records (titles, registration, repairs) – as long as you own the vehicle(s).

Appointment books – 1 to 10 years, according to your comfort level and for your tax needs.

ATM slips – maximum of six years if needed for tax purposes.

Bank Statements – maximum of six years if needed for tax purposes.

Credit card statements – maximum of six years if needed for tax purposes, otherwise one year, until company issues annual interest statement.

Catalogs & magazines – until the next issue. Home appraisal – as long as current.

Home inventory – as long as current.

Insurance policies (auto, home, renters, life) – as long as statute of limitations in the event of a late claim.

Investments (purchase records) – as long as you own.

Mortgage – as long as you own, or six years after discharge.

Pet vaccination records – as long as current.

Property bill of purchase – as long as you own the property.

Resume – as long as it is current.

Safety deposit box inventory & key – as long as it is current.

Tax records:
current year, plus prior 6 years. (Records might include: bank statements and cancelled checks, certificates of deposit, contracts,charitable contributions, credit statements, income tax returns, lease and loan agreements, loan payment books, pension plan records, pay stubs)

Utility statements:
current year, unless needed for tax purposes, then six years. Vital records – permanently. (Records might include: adoption papers, birth & death certificates, citizenship papers, copyrights/patents, marriage certificate, divorce decree, letter of “last instructions” to executor or heirs, medical illness and vaccination records, passports, power of attorney, Social Security records, wills)

Warranties and instructions:
keep for the life of the item, or life of the warranty, whichever is longer. Stick a label with the warranty expiration date and service repair number on the bottom of the appliance. If something breaks down, you’ve got an easy way to check if the item’s still covered without even having to go to your file drawer! (Over for information on receipts)

Receipts:

Appliances – as long as you own the item.
Art, antiques, collectibles – as long as you own the item. Clothing – for the length of the return period, unless you are tracking clothing as a household budget item.
Credit card slips – until the statement arrives and you can verify the purchases.
Furniture – as long as you own the item. Home improvements – as long as you own your home, or six years after the sale of your home.
Household repairs – for life of the warranty or longer to track reliability of service people and their rates.
Major purchases – for the life of the item.

Medical and tax-related – maximum of six years.
Rent – cancelled check is sufficient. If you don’t get your cancelled checks, you can request a copy of a specific check if needed.

Tips\How Long to Retain Household Information.doc www.eliminatechaos.com 425.670.2551 laura@eliminatechaos.com © 2003-2006 Eliminate Chaos, LLC

Please Note:It is important that you check with your accountant and/or lawyer before throwing out any legal or financial papers because they will know the laws that govern your situation.

Here are traps to avoid

Over Organizing: A totally clean desk may be what you need, but then again it may not, particularly if you are an “out of sight, out of mind person.” Depending on how you process and retain information, you may do better with folders stacked on your desk or inserted into a vertical file rack rather than filed away in a drawer. If that is the case, the most important decisions about your organization may be the categories you use and how you label them, rather than where and how you store things.

Too Many Categories: Contrary to what you might assume, too many categories can make it more difficult to finding things. Basically, the simplest system that you can function with is the easiest one in which to find things. A good indication you need to reduce the number of your categories would be 50 files with ten or fewer items in each one. For example,you may have thought you need a separate folder labelled by subject for saved newspaper articles. In reality, unless you have hundreds of articles or refer to them quite frequenly a folder labelled “newspaper articles” will serve you better. The more files you have, the more you have to search for misfiled or lost items. An exception to this would be a system that you know will grow considerably. In that case, you will probably have at least some folders with just a few items in them.

Too Few Categories: Fat, messy files make it difficult to find things, are tedious to go through and may indicate you need to add more categories. When confronted with a fat file, it is all too human to speed through it and consequently miss the desired item even though it is actually in the folder. If your files are fat and messy, purge them first before deciding you need more categories. If purging does not whittle them down enough, then add the categories suited to your needs.

Deciding Which System To Use

So how do you decide how to proceed? Think back over the filing and retrieving you have done for the last month. Once something actually gets filed, how likely is it that you will retrieve it? If you rarely need to retrieve items once they are filed and you don’t have a large volume of papers to file, a month-based system may be the most effective one for you. If you frequently need to retrieve a large number of items, a subject-based category system may be best for you.

Month-based System: (Low volume, infrequent retrieval)

All paperwork gets filed in an accordion file or folders labeled with the twelve months. Items are filed under the current month when you are filing them. How easy it that! One place to put all of your filing all month long. When you do need to retrieve an item, even if you can’t remember exactly where it is, you probably remember at least the season of the year when you filed it. (Was there snow on the ground, was it hot outside, etc.) If it was hot outside you check July, June, August, etc. In most cases you will look in no more than three months before you find what you need. Even if you have not a clue as to when you filed it, there are at most twelve places to look before you find it.

Subject-based System: (High volume, frequent retrieval)

Successfully implementing a more complex subject-based system takes a lot of focus and discipline and some homework before you start. (See our article Get Organized) It is a good idea to enlist help with this process as most of us will benefit from a second brain, pair of eyes and set of hands. Once you have decided the categories you will be using, remove existing files (or at least a file drawer full at a time) and spread them out on a flat surface. Then regroup and re-label according to your revised categories. Label the files with stickies as you sort and re-categorize them since you will probably make at least a few changes. Once you have everything as you want it, make and attach the permanent labels and tabs.

Finding What You Filed

Coordinated labels: If you use manila folders inside hanging folders, make sure the manila and hanging folders have matching or coordinating labels. For example, the coordinating hanging folder for an Acme Bank Checking Account manila folder should be labeled Acme Bank Checking Account or Bank Records or Acme Bank or Checking Accounts. The exact label will depend on whether you have more than one manila folder in the hanging folder, whether you have accounts at more than one bank or more than one kind of account at the same bank. Some systems have letter/number designators as well as subject headings, which improves filing accuracy and speeds refilling.

Color Coding: Another way to add accuracy and speed to your system is to group your categories into three or four broad, general areas and assign a color to each area. (blue labels for personal categories, green labels for financial categories, etc.) Color-code labels and tabs based on the area in which the file belongs and misfiles will be readily apparent.

Index: An index, whether as a digital file or in hardcopy, is another real lifesaver. If you can’t remember where you put something, just check the index. Filing system indexes that include coordinating numbers as well as category names are very helpful for accurate and speedy refilling of paper files.

Want Help With Your Organizing?

For more information about our services in Pennsylvania or New Jersey contact Elyse Coleman at 215-539-2720 or at Questions@LifeTimeCEO.com

Information is available on organizers and concierge service providers in other areas of the country at http://www.NAPO.net and http://www.ICEAweb.org.