My World Tuesday~ November 2, 2010

We can lick gravity, but sometimes the paperwork is overwhelming.
Wernher von Braun

The sweetest joy, the wildest woe is love. What the world really needs is more love and less paperwork.
Pearl Bailey

I hate paperwork.  I know my blog is supposed to be about things that give me joy but I am sorry to say this is one task I take no pleasure in.  It is only after the paperwork is sorted and discarded, or put away in an easily accessible place, that I feel joyful. 

Over the years I've purchased many books and tools for dealing with out of control paperwork and I've also tried many systems. In honesty, I've never found one that really works for me. When I was working I simply had not enough time to deal with paperwork as my hours were horrendous.  Now that I am disabled and dealing with chronic illness, I prefer to avoid dealing with paperwork.  I do try to make sure I am more or less on top of deadlines and bills but I admit that sometimes the deadlines do pass by. Some organizational buffs might well ask why I don't automate bill payments. I guess I am old fashioned. Additionally, I like knowing exactly what I have to pay and exactly what I have in the account when I do pay the bills. If any of you have faced this problem yourselves and you've found a way to ensure you are never late with bill payments, please do let me know some of your tips.

On the top of my desk right now I have this pile of back logged paperwork. I've been collecting bills and sorting them into their various categories and so there are many months worth of bills in the pile. Once I have my financial plans set for 2011, I will be discarding as much of this paper as possible.  All the bills in the pile have been paid but I need more time to determine what I need to keep and how to file it, what to shred and what to action. At the top of the pile are the receipts I have to submit for reimbursement to my extended health care plan. There is a deadline of one year within which to file and it is getting close to that for some of them so I have prepared the package for the post.  I have oodles of paper in suitcases, boxes and bags that are more or less sorted but need a good going over before decluttering takes effect also.

My desk only has two drawers. The top drawer is for all my office supplies, including the stapler which is invaluable for my paperwork. I have a larger shelf/drawer below it which is where I keep my printer/scanner both of which are invaluable.

After the fire well we had over a year ago now, I resolved to get rid of clutter, including needless paperwork. I have a long way to go on this as I have been dealing with mom's health and long term care needs for most of each month in addition to my own health needs. When she is safely settled, I can resume my own paperwork actions. In the meantime though I make sure the bills are paid and the medical receipts are submitted.

My goals for 2010 included paying down debts and getting my financial house in order. I have made substantial progress on this as the year draws to a close and I feel much more in control of things. Part of my financial action plan now will be to ensure that I have systems set up for dealing with all future bills and paying down any smaller debts. In addition, I need a cash flow statement and a portion set aside for my monthly savings and monthly giving.

Did you set any financial goals for 2010?

Did you have success in meeting them? 

   Even small steps toward achieving your goals are better than no progress at all.  

If you persevere you will eventually meet your goals. 

Blessings.

Join others here for My World Tuesday.

Spring Greetings

Greetings from Vancouver to you my lovely readers!

 

I want to say thank you to my blogging friends for their faithful support. I also want to especially welcome the new readers. Thank you for following me. In turn, I will be reading the blogs of long-time followers and new followers alike. 

Many of you know how I love to post my comments :-) though with an ever increasing list of blogs I love to follow, I may not comment as often as I would like.  I will not be posting every day as I once did but will likely post 4 times a week on average.  This is so that you busy readers can read in a more leisurely fashion.  I know how hard it is for people to make time to read and comment on blogs as well as write their own blogs, especially when they have busy jobs and families also.   Please feel free to comment on any blog, including those in the archives (see the archives of old posts in the side bar to the right). Whenever someone comments, I am notified.

 This blog is primarily one where I get to share the many photos I snap. But it is also a place to share some of the happenings in my life as well as address some of the issues my readers have asked about. I haven't forgotten ;-), nor have I begun to run out of ideas for blogging.  It is just a question of time before I am able to post on some of the things I've been wanting to share for awhile. I also have items to post from the ideas some readers were kind enough to offer up, not so very long ago.

With that I wish all of you in the Northern Hemisphere a wonderful Spring.  To others from further afield, enjoy the season whatever it is where you are. There is something beautiful to behold in all the seasons and passages of time.  See you again soon :-)