As we move into 2017, why not make up your mind to organize your life? Do something for your family and for yourself.

Being “organized” isn’t just about cleaning up your closet clutter. It’s about everyday life. Being organized is a way of life. It is a “choice” of life.

People can walk through life aimlessly. Go from one crisis to another without a plan. Or they can have a “life plan” and know what they want and how they are going to achieve it.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s not always easy. Even if you have a “plan”, the road can be very bumpy, if not impossible.

But without a plan, a course of action, you will never get there or achieve your goals.

It is like building a house. You have to decide what “type” of house you want to build. What style? How do you want it to look? How many rooms? Where are you going to put the windows and doors? What type of soil? Who is going to build it? Who will do the electricity and plumbing?

Many questions. And you need to have answers. The house will not be built without your comments and responses. And after making the decisions, you have to live with the consequences.

So if you haven’t thought things through, you could end up with a window in your closet but no door to enter. Or the kitchen isn’t big enough for the sub-zero refrigerator you wanted.

If you know your end goal and have a plan for what you need to do to get there, you can mark each step as you go.

But if you go all the way, without a plan, you may be very disappointed in the end result. Even with a plan, you will need to be flexible and have “alternative” options. Because if you don’t and life throws you a curve ball, you might get too nervous to continue the game.

Life is a challenge. And sometimes you will have to ask for directions.

To be prepared. Have a map. And a compass.

Start by organizing your life and all your important papers. Yes, you must have a will and a living will. Everyone should have one. It is not just for “older” people. If you have family or possessions, you must protect yourself. Let your fingers walk and find an attorney to help you with all those important details.

But more importantly, there are those hundreds of details that seem to go unnoticed by most people.

Do you know where all your important documents are? Does your spouse or partner know where they are?

Do you have an available list of all your financial accounts? Do you have the contact information for your financial advisers, bankers, attorneys, and others all on one easy-to-grasp sheet of paper (or computer file)?

Do you have a list of all your assets?

Do you have a list of all your insurance providers? Health, vehicle, life, owners?

Do you have a list of all your healthcare providers and their medical information?

Do you have a list of … something?

What would happen in an emergency if you couldn’t tell your spouse / partner where to find all of this information? Panic seized me. Everyone would rush to search the entire house to find it. And in the event of the death of a loved one, the added stress would be overwhelming.

Take a few hours and organize your life, for the good of your family.

A professional organizer can help you collect all of your documents and put them together in an easy-to-follow format that you can grab and carry in an emergency. Everything at your fingertips.

As a Professional Organizer, I have worked with Executors to help them clean up a family member’s estate, find vital documents, pack and ship personal items to other family members, work with realtors, landscapers, auction houses, and sales centers. donation to clean a house and prepare it to sell. A professional organizer has a lot of hats!

For a great workbook to help you organize your life, I recommend:
Exit Stage Right, LLC – Workbooks to organize your life. Tell Jeanne Montana sent you!

Now go and start your way to a more organized life!