This Year, I Will Do Better - Sooner

I delivered a baby girl on December 30, 2006. I had thought my New Year's Resolution would be related to her, such as being a wonderful mother, etc. However, I just realized my biggest problem is procrastination. The first obvious evidence: I am only writing down my New Year's Resolution now, after January is almost over.

I consider myself a very organized person. No, seriously, I am. Everything has a dedicated place where they belong in my house, and I put things back after each usage. If someone asks me for something, I can immediately point out where it should be. I have separate folders for each of the major items, such as bank statements, credit card statements, mortgage, IRAs, car maintenance, legal papers, etc. I even have certain ways to arrange my silverware, dishes, and cooking spices.

The system is wonderful, but the problem is that I often override the system. Ideally, every time after I perform a bank transaction, I should record it in the register. Every time after I receive a credit card statement, I should compare the receipts to ensure all charges are correct. Every time after I obtain the Sunday paper coupons, I should clip the useful ones and file them in my coupon pouch. Everyday after I sort the mail, I should put them in their respective folders. And so on.

Well, I haven't done a good job for the last 4 years. After I performed a bank transaction, I put the ATM receipt in a pile next to my desk. I put all my purchase receipts (groceries, gas, and everything else) in the same pile too. After I received a credit card statement, I set up the online payment and put the statement in the same pile. I put all the coupons and miscellaneous correspondences, well guess what, in the same pile too.

Towards the end of the year, the "pile" has grown into 4 or 5 tall stacks of paper, containing everything that should have been filed separately. I should sincerely thank the IRS, because filing my taxes is the one motivation for me to clean up a year's worth of mess. Needless to say, it requires a huge effort to sort through them, to put things back to where they belong, and to catch up with a year's worth of reconciling and recording the financial items.

So far, I am making good progress clearing up the stacks from 2006. However, I am finding myself starting the new pile for 2007 already. That is not going to work! This has got to stop! So this year, I shall resolve to abide by my organizing system - not a year later, but on a daily basis.