Week 1 (2014)- Planning & Paperwork

[aggy]

Thanks for starting this Ejagno. Things been a little hectic with me this past weekend.

I'm glad I started a little early last week because I couldn't get anything thing done on the plan that I wanted to do over the weekend.

So far I've
-decluttered paperwork
-cleaned desk area and bookcase where I keep my books, cards, etc.
-printed new sheets for my holiday notebook
-started my gift and master shopping lists

Still to do
-tidy filing system (I need to purchase a small file cabinet)
-complete values exercise
-establish budget

Mel I too like to keep a small notebook in my purse. It really does come in handy.

 

[nursemomtothree]

Great Job everyone! You've inspired me.

Ellen, I've thought about getting the Idiot's book, but really just thought is was the same as HouseWorks, just packaged differently. Since there are some dated ideas, maybe I should reconsider.

Michelle, how are the meals in a jor coming along? I also have a daughter in college and that sound interesting for her. I'll have to look it up.

Confession time. I find myself wanting to slip in the "all plan, no maintenance" mode. The plan is so much fun! And I'll have time for my routines later. Before I know it, the sink is full of dishes, no clothes are washed for school and the mail hasn't been gone through in 4 days. I have got to stop this right now!

Well, the week is nearing an end. I work tomorrow and Friday. (12) hour shifts. Let's see what I need to complete.

*****Finish going through the piles of paper in my bedroom floor (yes, it's the bedroom, but it's paperwork and planning)
*****Start the master gift list
*****start stashing away money
*****Talk to DH about budget

I would like to say that if we keep this plan going, we will reap the benefits. As a nurse, I have to keep up with continuing education for a certification and licensure in 3 different states. In filing some paperwork, I've discovered the files I set up last year. Wow! It was so easy to get into the file box and find exactly what I need! My organization last year has helped me this year. Now, if I can just keep up with the rest of the plan!

 

[ejagno]

Rebecca my friend, you've just given a perfect example of why this works but we do have to maintain.

Mary, I regret not getting the book sooner regardless of the title. Sounds like your doing great on your Paperwork & Planning. I spent days writing out my values years ago and each year I look over them to see if my values have changed or if something else has become very important to me and so far my solid values have remained the same so I move my laminated sheet to the new Christmas binder.

Adrienne, I read something today that just touched me to the core. I've often sat back while looking at the overwhelming tasks involved in keeping a home and wondered what difference will the file cabinet make or the wrapping center and this morning as I left my house I was so proud of myself because I did just as Annie had suggested and started with little piles, little stacks, little areas and the overwhelming job became so manageable. It made a difference.

The Starfish Story​

A young man is walking along the ocean and sees a beach on which thousands and thousands of starfish have washed ashore. Further along he sees an old man walking slowly and stooping often picking up one starfish after another and tossing each one gently into the ocean.

"Why are you throwing starfish into the ocean?, he asks.

"Because the sun is up and the tide is going out and if they don't throw them further in they will die."

"But, old man, don't you realize there are miles and miles of beach and starfish all along it! you can't possibly save them all, you can't even save one-tenth of them. In fact, even if you work all day, your efforts won't make any difference at all."

The old man listened calmly and then bent down to pick up another starfish and threw it into the sea. "It made a difference to that one."

So the moral of sharing this story is that I don't want any of you to get discouraged if you can't get everything done. Do know that for everything you are able to accomplish IT DOES MAKE A DIFFERENCE! You might not see it today or even next week but like in Rebecca's case almost a year later she appreciated the work she'd put into filing her paperwork properly.

 

[kringle]

Thank you for that story, Ellen. It was really timely for me. I have been feeling discouraged this morning as I look around and see all I have yet to do.

I have made progress but the filing for my mom is crazy. Things are tucked in boxes and bags and there are so many calls to make and things to fax to get this all caught up. Plus my own issues that must be dealt with such as a jury duty summons, school tuition, dr appts, etc. And my daughter has entered a contest to win photography for her upcoming wedding and it's stalled out at the halfway point on likes on the facebook pic so I've been trying to help her get likes. That sounds so silly as I read it back. But, seriously, it's a $2500 prize and wedding costs being what they are.....well, you know. On that note, if anyone would like to cast their vote, just let me know! =)

And none of this is made easier with all the help I'm getting from the two littlest littles. The two year old got up early and spread ice cream from one end of the house to the other so we've been having some unexpected clean up today.

Okay, enough whining. I can do this! We all can, and every bit helps. Thanks guys, for being so inspirational. I'm off to empty another bag!

Chris

 

[ejagno]

kringle, we all have walked the path your walking and we know exactly what you are feeling. One bag, one box, one corner at a time is all it takes. Don't worry if you aren't completely finished with each task at the end of the week because there will be other weeks tasks that will only take a day or so and you can spend the extra days conquering more on these problem areas. Keep up the great work.

I now have 2 year old grandchildren and I had to hang up suddenly with my son earlier because he said, "Mom, I gotta go! Shelby (2 year old granddaughter) is throwing all of our possessions in the toilet." LOL I can laugh because he's done the same thing to me more than once. Karma!

 

[Cindylouwho]

Checking in. What a busy week! DD is in a new school which starts earlier (smack in the middle of what is normally my coffee and MHH time!)

Kringle ~ I feel your pain on the paperwork. Going through all the medical and caregiver paperwork for my father. Staggering how many trees it must have taken to generate all that. And this is after making as much of it as possible "digital". And I've been gone most of the summer so it has really stacked up.

*Breathe*

Been wrangling the housework, getting back into FlyLady and getting back on this plan. Need to log back into the declutter group also.

To-Do this week:
*FlyLady -- Living Room, Kitchen
*Calendars - Family calendars updated and synced.
*"The Notebook" ~ Mine will again be digital and not all in one spot. Someone was asking about OneNote. If you have that, use it. It is awesome. I used to have it, but now I have a Mac and have committed to being all-in on Evernote.
*Christmas List -- Set up in Excel. DONE. (But it is an ongoing project really).
*Office -- Find the desk. (The Starfish inspired me. I am SO happy I did the files I did last year. Another pass at it this year will be all the better).
*Copy an edited version of the entire HHP to-do list (all weeks) into my Phone Notepad so I can check the list at random and delete items as I go.

I would like to add more but in reality, this is where I need to focus. Anything else will need to go on the list for next week.

As for my notebook, right now I use a combo of:

*Evernote -- I have a Christmas Notebook in there. In that Notebook I have "Notes" or pages, for different categories like HHP Week 1, HHP Week 2, Decor, Tree Ornament notes, Camera settings for awesome Christmas Tree Photo etc.
*A Christmas Folder on my laptop (Excel & Word docs) - I have these in case Evernote blows up (or vice versa)
*Pinterest - for the creative ideas. I will Evernote it if I actually do them.

I use Evernote a LOT for the rest of my life (cuz I can access it easily from my iPhone). My only regret about Evernote is that is is hard to make it look creative - like OneNote does. Evernote is rather... sterile. Maybe I'll have to look at more of their plug-ins and get it to look a bit more...festive.

 

[hollybow]

I´m in aswell and I started... at least all current things (let´s say last 1/2 year) papers are sorted and filed... and I put down an organizer to put in things during the week and monday evening I file it properly...bills are paid soon as they come in... and paperwork that needs further handling is done (like claiming back bills at the insurance company) also immediately.. and the envelop is going onto the outgoing mail, so I really only have things in the organizer that are done and need to be filed.
now tackling the archives

 

[luludou]

I, like Hollybow, go throught the current stuff... However I need to tackle the archives and to refile what I put away in the cabinet near my bed (was done not long ago so not too much work there).
I am up to date on my Christmas lists.

I do not follow the plan week per week but I do try to do 'extra' stuff than just maintenance every week so that I won't have too much left to do until Christmas. I can say that with the ongoing decluttering I have been doing for the last year and a half it is starting to show... if just that it is less compacted in the closets and cabinets and that stuff is finally placed in it's appropriate place.

I need to look over my room-by-room list of the changes I wanted to do and see how I've been doing and if I need to add things to it.

I did tell dh that as soon as it gets cooler we are going up in the attic! Stuff got tossed there years back when kids were small and nothing has been taken out. We think very carefully now before putting stuff up there.

 

[happy2bme]

I went to the dollar store and found a great notebook for my purse. It even has a zipper pocket in the front for receipts.

Very cool.

 

[ejagno]

Mel, that is a great find. I will have to see if ours carry's the same thing. What size is it?

 

[Cindylouwho]

Monkey-wrench in the plan this week. DS home sick yesterday. He's better today and I'm off to run as many errands as I can.

Happy2bMe - Love the Dollar Store. The receipt holding notebook you mention reminds me I never went back to last year and put those receipts into Excel. I see my little Christmas receipt folder over on my table. Calling me. I keep promising myself I will do that. Maybe I can tag that on to my to-dos. I did this with our travels this summer and it was very eye-opening and really didn't take that long. I can't keep a written notebook for gifts (my kids would find the list too fast -- I'm amazed they haven't figured out what is in the receipt folder yet!).

I will be spending my weekend scrambling to finish my to-do list so I'm on track for next week. First week of school for the kids is always so busy!

Ellen ~ I keep thinking about that Starfish and it really helps -- such a great one!

 

[aggy]

Well I got my budget done. Still need to do the exercise. I don't know why I'm putting off completing it but I will make it a priorty to have done before the end of the weekend.

It's so freaking hot here. I think summer finally came albeit late. All summer long we have had nice weather. I hope this heat doesn't ruin the changing of the leaves this fall.

 

[happy2bme]

Ellen,

The notebook is about 5x8. A little bit bigger than I would normally use, but the front zipper pocket really sold me on it.

 

[happy2bme]

How is everyone doing with their tasks as Week One comes to a close?

 

[happy2bme]

The last thing I need to do is my Christmas budget.

What is it about that word that I hate so much??

 

[ejagno]

I am letting the last coat of paint dry on my office shelves as I type. This office was built for me a year ago and life really got in the way of me getting the rest of this office painted. I've also moved all of the acrylic paints, fiber crafts (knit & crochet) and well as wrapping and other craft stuff to another location so that I actually had room to breathe in here. Now it's paint and powder to pretty things up.

I was adamant about getting my big file cabinet back from the restaurant. By the time I finished purging files I don't need it. A simple file box will be more than sufficient now. Yippee!!!

Right now my goal is to get my supplies put up in an orderly fashion.

Budget, done
Notebook, a perpetual work in progress
Values, hasn't changed from last year
Files, done

You are all such a great inspiration. Thank you!

 

[luludou]

Haven't accomplished a thing... well not true got my big batch of spaghetti sauce canned in mason jars.

 

[happy2bme]

The budget is done!!

My tasks for this week are complete!!

 

[MinnieCo]

Sorta got some things done, but I knew this week and next would be limited, so I tried to do alot of stuff in advance. Once I get the kid off to Idaho and I get back, I'll be set to go!

 

[Doodlebug]

Wow ladies you have inspired me!! So I am joining in. I lost this week, but I will catch up as someone mentioned. So here is my list of things that I will need to do
[ ] order the Idiot book mentioned
[ ] clean desk top
[ ] work on files
[x] buy planner for 2015
[ ] add birthdays etc to 2015 planner
[ ] organize books and magazines
[ ] use daily planner

Again thanks ladies