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.

Progress at Last on Goals for 2010

My decluttering project has been in the works now for a very long time. I have a lot of personal items and years of paperwork to sort through. It has been waiting for me to get at it since we moved back in after the fire in September 2009.  But I have so little time at home because I travel out of town every month to assist my ailing mother and I'm gone for a good two weeks each month.

For the first time in 16 months, I am home for the entire month. In the one week I've been alone, I'm making progress so I just have to journal about it here and have a marker of what has been accomplished on the road to where I'm headed. I've also been resting an awful lot.

What have I done this week?

Financial Goals

- Filed my taxes.
- Collected all bills and paid them.
- Added to my snowflake jar.
- Made some difficult financial decisions to live within means.

Health & Lifestyle

- Found a "home" for the exercise ball and weights in one corner of the living room.

- Lifted some weights to remind myself what it is like,lol. It has been so LONG since I've lifted a weight.

 - Bought a Pilates machine. It was just delivered last night. Now I need to figure out how to assemble it.  While it looks assembled I've learned there are many screws and pieces that need to be attached to this and that.

- Getting lots of rest. At the same time, I'm trying not to fritter away the time or work myself so hard that I detest the journey.  I've been setting my timer once in awhile when I really can't get motivated on the tasks at hand. It helps if you know you only have to work until the timer goes off.
- Eating more vegetables and started eating more fruits again. I even made a modest start on juicing.  Bought a good condition book on juicing. It only cost 25 cents.
- Made some bread and cooked all meals.
- Eating much lighter for dinner as my roomie is gone right now.
- Researched knitting classes and decided on private lessons. I start next week.
- Researched easy knitting patterns on line so I can make sure I have the right knitting needles and wool for the pattern. I've decided on a modest project of making a dishcloth as I really need to learn and practice the basics. I'm hoping I can use this new skill once learned for charitable projects and the odd personal project.

 Creating an Edible Garden

- Collected all the coffee grinds and fruit and vegetable scraps for the garden compost.
- Contacted a community garden and put my name on a waiting list for an allotment.
- Purchased some potting soil.
- Planted some kitchen herbs.

Decluttering & Organizing

- Located and untangled all my needed electronic plug items...and charged everything up.
- Investigated my web cam. It is no longer compatible with my software. Need a new one but this is not top priority.
- Machine shredded and hand shredded one box of confidential documents. This job has been staring at me everyday. I tried to pay my brother to shred all my documents but he hasn't gotten to it either so finally one box is gone. I still have two tubs and smaller bags to go as well as 4 drawers of my filing cabinet. Much of these materials isn't confidential but I will need to shred all the identifying information and personal numbers for banking, etc.
- Put up about 5 pictures on the walls, moved a lamp into my room and a small table into the corner of the living room.  My nephew gifted me with the picture below for Christmas. I had it in my bedroom but have moved it to the living room for now.
- Thoroughly cleaned the guest bathroom.
- Laundered the sofa and arm chair slip covers and removed the pills/nubby bits from the sofa fabric.
I now have to repair the sofa slip cover as it has ripped in the corner that is used most often.
- Cleared the dining room table (yet again). I use the dining room table to sort out the items which need paying and shredding or putting away. I need to clear it so I can repair the sofa slip cover.
- Cleared the top of my desk in the bedroom (again).
- Cleared the top of my dresser (again)
- Emptied my suitcase and put it away.
- Reorganized the clothing on my closet shelves and found a place for all the clothing, Identified a few items for giveaway and found a place to store the extra linen.
- I've done countless loads of laundry this week and am deciding whether to give away all my work out items that don't fit. I hesitate to do so because they are so costly if I need to buy a smaller size again soon. I know we're not supposed to keep things that are too small and for the most part, I don't. In this case, I might make an exception.
- Started one new fictional book and made small progress on another. The photo below is a cover shot of the new book.

- Re-organized a place in living room for my bible study area to make this a conducive study area for daily use.  I have a nice cosy chair next to the table and the window behind me will give good, natural lighting.

- Made mental notes of clothing and other items that need repair (e.g. reading lamp in bedroom).
- Cancelled mailing address and got a new one. Following up with all businesses for mail redirection instructions.

Family & Friends

- Mom was in hospital for a few days due to heart issues. I called her each day and prayed with her.
She is home now and I keep in touch and pray daily.
- I organized a surprise for my niece and she loved it.
- Reconnected with several friends. Had tea with one and made some plans with two others.
- Lost one friend in the Kenyan village due to sickness. Praying for her teenage daughters left behind with no adult to care for them. Would you join me in prayer for these dear girls?

Spiritual

I'm failing in this area. My time alone with God is hampered by my stress level right now. I know I can't use this as an excuse but God knows what I mean. I am seeking His rest and also the prayers of friends and loved ones. Thank God they hold me in prayer.

Therefore confess your sins 
to each other and pray for each other 
so that you may be healed. 

The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.

James 5:16