After I am Gone File

Okay, before I even begin today’s post I want to preface it by saying… I know this is not a fun topic to think about. I understand that for many of us, including myself we would rather spend the day at the dentist than planning for life after we or a loved one is gone. However, having said that, I also want to tell you that while it may be depressing and a little sad to think about… it is very important to think about.


It has been more than a year ago since I received a phone call from a woman who needed the services of my company. She shared with me on the phone that her husband had died in a car accident more than five years ago and she had no idea where anything was in her home office. Needless to say, my heart went out to her and as we scheduled her appointment for a week from that day. I was unsure what kind of situation I would be walking into… but I was not prepared for the impact it had on me both personally and professionally.

When I walked into that office it was as if time had stood still and the only thing that had changed was the amount of mail that had been piled up over the years. This poor woman was lost in many ways because she had no idea how to get into much of the stuff in the office. Her husband’s briefcase lay on the floor next to the desk because she did not have the combination to it. The computer was rarely used because she did not know all of the passwords for their online banking, websites, and filter settings.

Filing was out of the question and she trouble understanding the system that he had put into place which made it hard for her to retrieve a document in a timely fashion. In many ways she had shut down because she did not know where to begin. She was stressed out beyond belief and was feeling a great deal of pressure from family and friends to finally address this room once and for all. She shared with me that it was not because she did not want to deal with it all… she just did not know where to start.

As we worked for days and weeks to transform the piles into files and make some order out of the chaos she opened up and shared parts of her story with me. The one thing that I feel is safe to share with our readers is this one resounding statement, “We were not prepared for this… we were in our thirties. We had not discussed funeral plans, where things were in case something happened… I was lost having to figure it all out myself on top of dealing with the loss of him.”

My heart ached for her and an idea began to form in my head- each of us needs to be aware of the wishes, wants, and whereabouts of our loved ones things after they are gone. As I said earlier, I know it is not happy dinner conversation but it is one that is important to have so that if heaven forbid you ever find yourself in a similar place as this woman… you will not be dealing with these issues on top of your grief.

For months I wondered what the best way to help people have this conversation would be and then one day the idea occurred to me to create a worksheet. It is a simple three page worksheet that you can purchase from our website by clicking here, and it takes you step by step through all of the questions, information, and arrangements that are good to discuss before it is too late. Some examples of the questions on the worksheet are:

Personal information, Social Security Numbers, Location of your Birth, etc…

Contact information for people that someone may need to contact about insurance, transcripts, etc…

Military Service Information

Funeral Arrangement details

Passwords and logins.

And much more…

I challenge each of reading this to download this packet (the best $0.99 you will ever spend) and save it to your computer. Print out a copy for you, your spouse, etc… and fill them out.  Have this hard converstation now!  Then save your completed worksheets in a file labeled “After I am Gone”. You can keep this file in your filing cabinet, a lock box, safety deposit box, etc... Just be sure that you let a few important people know that it is there and ensure they have access to it.


Along with death can come many emotions, your prior preperation and courage to have these hard conversations can help to smooth the way after you are gone.  Families have endurded anger on top of heartache at these times simply because they did not agree on how to best honor the friend or family member that had passed.  Take some of this oppertunity for arguements and hurt feelings away by being specfic in your wishes. 

Not only that but I also challenge you to Tweet, Facebook, and email this post to friends and family members so that we can spread the word about how important it is to plan ahead!  Such a simple act now can make the weeks, months, and years, after you are gone less stressful and more organized for those that are left behind.

Be sure to leave me a comment with your thoughts on this important issue and how you are helping us spread the word on this important issue.

The Light bulb File

Okay, raise your hand if you have ever had a great idea or saw on somewhere that you did not want to forget.  Now raise your hand if you jotted that idea down or tore it out of a magazine only to loose it later and wonder what you did with it. 

I was afraid of that...

So many of us have great intentions but because we do not have good systems we end up with lackluster follow through of intentions and ideas. 

A few years ago I started subscribing to a magazine that was so full of great ideas that I was terrified to throw them away.  I would mark pages, dog ear ideas and then stack them; however, when the time came to find one of those great ideas again... I would have to dig through each magazine or try to remember what issue it was in.  This dilemma inspired me to create my "Light bulb File", curious?  Let me explain how it works and how you can set one up for yourself so you never again are victim of another lost idea.

The Light bulb File

Step One: Purchase a three ring binder that is 1" wide or larger.

Step Two: Purchase a set of tabbed dividers and label them for the different type of ideas, inspiration, clippings, etc... Anything that make your "light bulb" go off when you see it or thing of it. It is that idea that makes you say... "I would love to do this!"

For me some of my categories were: birthday party themes, games with the kids, crafts with the kids, household decor ideas, organizing ideas, etc...

Everyone's light bulb has a different trigger so everyone’s labels will be different!

Step Three: Either use a clear plastic page protectors or a three-hole punch to slip clippings and papers into the appropriate categories. Also have blank paper in each category so that you can quickly jot down ideas that you think of or mount pictures that you take for inspiration.

The light bulb file is very simplistic by design... but it's true "wattage" or power lies in the hands of the user. I love the quote that says "Thinking is easy, acting is difficult, and to put one's thoughts into action is the most difficult thing in the world." (Johann Wolfgang von Goethe) So much truth in that statement... it is easy to have or find a great idea... the next step is doing something about it.

I challenge each of you to make an idea file... your "light bulb" file if you will... and use it not as a safe keeping place where thoughts get trapped and not released into great action... but as a springboard to take you to new places in your homes, families, and businesses!

Organize your Job search to Get Ahead

According to the most recent numbers from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics in October, 2009 the unemployment rate jumped up to 10.2 percent, which is the highest number since April of 1983. If you are one of the 558,000 Americans currently out of work, seeking to land a job in an increasingly unpredictable market, consider giving yourself the advantage of getting more organized. Your time management and organizational skills could not only help you land a job but also the edge you need to keep it.

In a recent New York Times article it was stated that, “the unemployed spend 19.7 months, on average, seeking work, the longest stretch in nearly 20 years.” With such a lengthy job hunt an individual can accumulate an avalanche of applications, a collection of contacts, and more than a few follow ups all of which need to be organized and managed to ensure that your next job does not fall through the cracks. A few essential items are mandatory to organize your job hunt so a job seeker can track every opportunity that he or she encounters.
A Calendar

Never be without your calendar during a job hunt, an unexpected request for a meeting or phone call could come your way at any moment. It is essential that a job seeker is able to quickly schedule an appointment without hesitation or fear of double booking oneself. Remember that this initial request for a meeting is a job seekers chance to make a strong first impression. With a calendar ready at all times, a job seeker can be ensured that a potential employer will be left with an organized and efficient first impression.

Organized and efficient individuals leave more than a strong first impression, they are also more desirable to potential employers. Virginia Tech’s Career Services department gives this advice to students preparing to attend job fairs or interviews, “Carry a pad folio to hold your resumes so you look organized. Employers would rather hire organized people than unorganized people, so look like you're the right type.”

Your calendar is also a great way to schedule follow up contact after initially applying for a job. According to Quintessential Careers.com, ”Always make time to follow-up all job leads, no matter how busy you are. Follow-up in a timely fashion --usually a week to 10 days for conventional job-searching, sooner for online applications.” Once a job seeker has submitted an initial application they should immediately be scheduling a follow up reminder on their calendar so they can stay fresh in each employers mind.

A Filing System
As a Professional Organizer, I encourage job seekers to create a filing system so they are able to properly track all communications, paperwork and results of each job opportunity. Have a file box dedicated to your job search and a file folder inside for each job that you apply for. Consider creating a document on your home computer so you can print off a copy for each folder and track important information. When putting your document together be sure to include:

• the title of the job you applied for,
• date you applied
• name of employer
• name of contacts you have spoken to
• a place to jot notes about contact you have with the company or recruiter
• Place to note the date and type of follow up that you conduct
• A place to record any feedback that you received from this company

Other information that is good to keep in your job search file box is:
• Copies of your resumes
• Job search website logins, passwords, and user agreements
• Networking information that you have gained throughout your job hunt.

CNN.com reports that “Being organized is critical to job search success. It can mean the difference between a long, unsuccessful job search and one that nets better, quicker results.” Taking the extra effort to organize your job search information into a filing system can help your hunt be shorter than the national average thus getting a regular paycheck back into your checking account faster.

Once you have established a system to organize your job hunt the next step is to use it. Being organized is a daily choice to follow the systems that you have created to move you in the direction that you want to be headed, so work your job hunt as hard as you would your full time job.

Consider this an investment in your future as an employee also because being organized will not only set you apart in your initial job search but it will continue to differentiate you from other employees. According to a 2006 survey of employees, "Forty-three percent of the Americans surveyed described themselves as disorganized, and 21 percent have missed crucial work deadlines. Nearly half say disorganization causes them to work late at least two to three times a week."

If you can show that you are an organized individual in the job search process and you can carry that through your employment than you are a step above twenty-seven percent of the workforce who identify themselves as disorganized according to the National Association Of Professional Organizers 2009 survey.

A job seeker recently shared that, “…organization is definitely at the top of the list of desired work skills. You can have tons of knowledge and a great personality but at the end of the day what matters most is that the work is done on time - without forgetting anything!”

If you find yourself in a job hunt now or in the future, take a hard look at your organizational abilities and consider this an opportunity to sharpen one of the most desired skills by employers. Take time to find the perfect calendar for you and create the perfect filing and tracking system for your job search to set you apart from the rest of the job searching pack.

Five great ways to display kid's artwork

As many of you know I have three wonderful children... all of whom are very artistic! We can have crayon masterpieces all over our home on any given day. I am sure that many of you out there can relate to this problem: You want to find a great way to display and encourage your child's art... without having it take over every inch of wall space in your home!

Here are five great products that can help you do just that:

1. I love Dynamic Frames!!!!! They are by far my favorite way to store kids artwork! Check them out by clicking on this link:
http://www.dynamicframes.com/store/c/159-Kids-Art-Frame.aspx

2. Add Ledges to your home-look for a convenient place to hang your ledges. A kitchen, play room or family room wall might work well, or perhaps a wall that encloses then you can set pictures in cheap frames and change often without holes in the wall.

Here is a great shelf ledge by bed bath and beyond
http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?order_num=-1&SKU=13830339

3. Clips are a great way to display kids artwork without many wall holes. This is a great string of clips from Land of Nod
http://www.landofnod.com/search.aspx?query=art+clips

You can also make your own clips by gluing clothes pins onto a board and painting.

4. This product is great to display many pictures at once
http://www.thepresentfinder.co.uk/tpf/1306/p/d/childrens+art+picture+pockets+%96+display+your+kids+artwork+holds+18+a4+pages/pid/31821317

5. Another ideas is to create a gallery in your home with coordinating frames to display artwork and then change it as often as you want.

Document Retention Guidelines

I have been doing a lot of work with clients in their home offices over the last few weeks. One of the most common questions that I get when we are working in this area is, "how long do I need to keep this?" As a client hands me a document, a receipt, or an old bill.

I know that it is not just my clients who are wondering this about pieces of papers clogging up their files and littering the tops of their desks. I have put this list together for you to bookmark and refer to when you are purging your files.

A great way to help you keep track of when you are safe to get rid of a document is to write an expiration date on it so that when you clear out files you can throw away all documents that have passed their expiration dates.

• Copies of Tax Returns: 7 Years
  The IRS has 6 years to challenge your return if you under reported your income. They can challenge anytime if they thing you committed fraud.
• Warranties: Length of the product
  Reference use.
• Quarterly Retirement and Savings Plan info: At least one year
  Keep the quarterly statements until your annual report comes for tax time.
• Annual Report on Retirement and Savings: Indefinitely
  You should hang on to these documents until you close the accounts or retire.
• Pay Stubs: One Year
  To check against your W2 at the end of the year. If it the information matches you can throw out your stubs.
• Copies of Paid Bills: One year
  To dispute any arguments and show proof of payment.
• Legal Papers (Divorce Papers, Marriage Certificates, Death Certificates, etc…): Forever
  You will need to show proof of at anytime.
• IRA contributions: Forever
  You will need these to show that you paid tax on the contributions when it is time to withdraw your money.
• Audit Reports: Forever
• Bank Deposit Slips : 5 years
• Bank Statements: 5 years
• Brokerage Statements: Keep until you sell the security
  You will need them to show gains or losses at tax time.
• Credit Card Receipts : Till the end of the month
  When you get your monthly statement check the receipts against the statement and if all matches up you can throw receipts away.
• Credit Card Statements: 7 years
  If Tax related expenses are recorded.
• Current Contracts and Leases: Life of the contract plus three additional years.
• Housing Records: As long as you own the home plus 6 years.
  Anything documenting purchase price, cost of permanent improvements, remodeling, installations, expenses you incur in selling and buying property like legal fees, real estate commission. Keep to help lower your gains tax.
• Insurance Records: Life of the policy plus 10 years
• Investment Records: 6 years after the sale of the investment
  You can keep only annual statements
• Personal health records: Names and contact info of doctors, medication lists, your medical history and family history: Indefinitely
  This complete information can save you time and energy in the future.
• Medical Records: 7 years or until the condition is gone.
  If you deduct medical expenses keep for 7 years.
• Medical Insurance Documents: 5 years from the date the service was received.
  Premium statements, doctor bills, copies of prescriptions, hospital bills
• Home Insurance: 5-10 years
  The burden of proof will fall on you and not the insurance company.
• ATM receipts: A month until you check against bank statement.
• Utility Bills: If not using for tax purposes than 3 months
  If using for tax purposes 7 years.
  To show proof of residency.
• Mortgage Statements: Length that you own the property plus 7 years
• Documentation of donations to charities: 7 years
  To claim on taxes.
• Child Care Expenses: 7 years
  To claim on taxes
• Education Expenses: 7 years
  To claim on taxes
• Gambling winning or Loses: 7 years
  Date and location you were at, people with you, amount you won or lost, type of activity