Reviewing The Past Helps You To Organize The Future

Organization is a constant work in progress.

Jean Marie Herron is a professional organizer and the owner of POSSE, as well as one of the founding members of ReadyStageMove™. She can be reached at JM@POSSEpartnersllc.com or at 201-406-9643. For further organizing information, please visit www.POSSEpartnersllc.com.

To learn more about Jean Marie and POSSE, connect on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest!

Thanks so much Jean Marie for sharing your insights with us! Read on to become inspired!

One of the things I like to do at least twice a year is to go through my filing cabinets. I find that when I review my personal and professional files it helps me do more than de-clutter my papers, it also decreases my stress because I know where my documents are and it really gets my creative juices flowing.

Looking over my files is like a quarterly review but I swear the process of clearing the old is a great way to develop what you might like to do for your future. As I physically pull out each file and my fingers go through the papers, I’m visually and mentally reminded of the past and I DECIDE if these papers are still useful and important. If they are not, it’s off to the recycling bin or shredder and if they are they remain in a properly labeled hanging file folder.

This task is a trip down memory lane and an opportunity to reflect on time passing; an important part of life that many people are not partaking in these days. It gives our minds a chance to think, bring things to closure and move on, often creating new thoughts about the future in terms of things we want to get done or wish to do.

[Tweet “This trip down memory lane will help you create new thoughts about your future. #organize”]

In the below chart, I have given some examples of (both personal and professional) how reviewing our files can “tickle” us into getting organized for the future:

PERSONAL

Medical Files

As I review my family’s medical files I might be reminded that I need to set up an appointment at the orthodontist for my son or call our primary care physicians since we have changed insurance companies.

Report Card Files

As I review my children’s report card file I am reminded of their strengths and weaknesses. So if my son is supposed to read more, I will set some dates up to go to the library and also to utilize his Barnes & Noble gift cards. Additionally, if my daughter is supposed to write more, I will ask her to write out invitations to her birthday party, the menu for the party and thoughtful notes of appreciation afterwards since her birthday is this month.

Communion File

As I review the Communion file, I will only save the information that I think I will need for the future relative to my children’s Confirmation.

PROFESSIONAL

Client Files

As I review my client files I will think of people I want to reach out and touch again so I will jot a note in my planner to follow up with them.

Presentation Files

As I review all the courses I presented, I may think of classes I’d like to run again or new places and/or topics I’d like to teach. I will then write these thoughts down in my planner and assign a time to develop them.

Expense File

As I look over my QuickBooks reports, I am reminded to call my accountant to create some new chart of accounts that I hadn’t needed before. Again, I decide when I am going to do this assignment and write it in my planner.

Why people procrastinate on filing tasks

Maybe people procrastinate on filing because we realize that this isn’t simply a piece of paper that needs to be filed, but the un-filed paper indicates the postponed action that was not yet taken…??

Most people don’t have the time at the moment to complete their thought and become overwhelmed with the time consumption of getting things done. In reality, if you break the tasks down into manageable steps and “schedule the unscheduled”, things do get done and by spreading them out you’ll feel more in control of your time management.

This process just goes to show you that organization is a constant work in progress. Once we get our files and life “in order”, Father Time is going to take us places we don’t know about yet and we will have to constantly readjust our organizing strategies to stay on top of it all.

Your Sanity Assignment This Week

Which of these tips will you apply this week to help you stay organized this year?

Clear out your files and take your own trip down memory lane and see what the future has in store for you!

Please share your comments and thoughts by scrolling to the comments below!

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Thank you so much Jean Marie!

Organizing files is definitely one way us Mompreneurs can stay on top of our yearly goals! Find out more about Jean Marie and how she can get you organized (especially for an upcoming move) here – www.POSSEpartnersllc.com.