“How long do I keep paper?” is one of the questions I get asked the most. Many people are afraid to throw papers out. To help, I compiled this list from several sources including the IRS, for which there is a direct link to their recordkeeping document at the bottom.

These recommendations are for residential recordkeeping. Business recordkeeping varies, please check with your accountant.

Save for 1 month

• Credit-card receipts
• Sales receipts for minor purchases
• Withdrawal and deposit slips. (Shred after checking against your monthly bank statement.)

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Laura Ray has been named President of the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO) – Georgia Chapter, effective December 9, 2013. Laura, who was in her second term as Vice President of the NAPO-Georgia Board 2013-14, and in her third year on the Board, was voted in after the current President resigned.

The Organizing Authority(R), the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO), is the premier association dedicated to the field of organizing. Since forming in 1985, NAPO has been dedicated to serving its members through education, networking, industry resources, and promoting the profession to the public.

If you love your family…take the time to read and act on this article from Health Central.com. Grieving is hard enough without an estate left in chaos.

http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/cf/slideshows/how-to-die-organized-ten-tips/update-your-will/?ap=825

Rainbow -- From a friend's window

I love learning from my clients. One client, an artist, already had a stellar system of daily to-do folders when I met her. She has 7 folders, one for each day of the week. What colors did she choose that would be easy to remember?

Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo and Violet. For all you color fans out there, it’s the old stand-by, ROY G. BIV! That’s the mnemonic to help remember the sequence of hues in the visible spectrum and in rainbows. (Thanks to Wikipedia for the definition.)

Face the day with peace of mind and confidence by organizing these daily-use spaces in your home.

1) Kitchen — It’s the heart of the home and usually where everything lands when it comes in the door. If the kitchen is in chaos due to mail, school bags and recent purchases, it can add stress to your day and be a barrier to family meal time.

2) Home Office — Win the battle against paper and develop systems for handling paperwork and mail. If you have a home-based business, you want an orderly, professional-looking office so that you can focus on your business. Being organized in this space means an easy-to-use filing system and a space that you enjoy being in.  Read more...

They say the size of your trash can is directly related to how much you are willing to throw out. Go bigger. If you have an itty, bitty trash can by your desk, get a bigger one. And, if you handle your mail in other rooms, like the family room, keep a trash can in there, too!

When reviewing papers, write the next action for that paper in the top right hand corner (eg. call, check online, file). This will save you time since the decision has been made and it’s now clear what to do with the paper when you see it again.