Organization Makes My Heart Sing

Each day I check my tickle file. It holds items that have been tucked away for my attention on a specific date in the future.

I've known about tickle files for years, and several times I've tried to get a system up and started, only to lose papers to a neglected stack of files. Last year I read a blog post about David Allen's Getting Things Done. I devoured the book in a few days and immediately set a day aside to get my inbox to zero.

It takes a bit of effort to keep the new habits in place, and I have to get right back on track as soon as I see disorder nudging close again. However, I'm learning that staying organized is a lot easier than getting organized The biggest reward is the peace of mind that being organized brings. I can only keep so much in this 50+ noggin, and I much prefer to let my tickle file handle the not-right-now storage space.

Oh, yes! I'm singing the organizational melodies today!

Hats This Momma Wears

Tonight is Crazy Hat Night at the kids' AWANA meeting. David was busy pulling out his viking hat this morning, and Shannon will wear a silly blue and black "Cat in the Hat" type of hat for the event. I'm not sure yet what the boys will come up with.

It just it occurred to me I wear many hats every day! As the mom in the family, the list of tasks and duties I have to accomplish seems overwhelming all too often. On top of it all, I also run a home business. I thought it might be fun to start chronicling the different jobs I juggle.

Today I'm starting at the top--alphabetically, not in priority order.

A is for Accountant

While the kids are at choir practice, I'm off in a little room of the church with my computer, calculator, and a file folder full of all the receipts that need to be entered into Quicken, our money management program. Since I have to handle all the accounting for LITHBTH on an almost daily basis, it only makes sense that I would also help out in this way with the family finances. When we sit down each year to do our taxes, I'm so thankful for the way that we keep all the records on the computer throughout the year. Preparing income taxes takes me about one hour. However, as you can see, keeping up with the books takes endless hours throughout the year. If only I could learn to do this on a more regular basis. Some of these receipts date back to pre-Christmas! Yikes!!

Okay, back to work . . .