Keeping orderly records for tax-filing purposes is perhaps just as important as making sure you claim the appropriate tax credits, deductions or filing status. Without the right paperwork, you could miss out on important money-saving benefits for the 2017 tax season such as tax benefits for businesses.
 
Step 1: Designate a place for all your tax documents
Disorganized rooms, desks and filing drawers can be distracting and lead to lost documents and wasted time looking for them. (The shoe box method is inadequate and your accountant probably charges you extra to sort it out for you).

Step 2: Sort, file, save
For each potential tax record, ask yourself the following questions:

• Do I need to keep this? Yes, if it is tax related or a business deduction.
• If I need to keep it, where would its home be? A Special folder or file box would do.
• Retention Guide:  For the IRS description of what documents to keep and for how long go to:
  https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/what-kind-of-records-should-i-kee

Step 3: Categorize your records for tax purposes

• Be sure to keep records and a separate file for papers you‘ll need for your tax return. Don’t miss out on claiming expenses and deductions because you misplaced them or don’t have a copy of a key invoice.
• Sort your paid bills by subject, such as office expenses, home improvements, Health expenses, donations, credit cards, investments, etc. (See Schedules A and C for a more complete list of allowed deductions that apply to you).

 
Step 4: Assemble your records for this year's return
With your files in order, it’s much easier to gather what you need for your 2017 return - whether you are preparing the return yourself, or sending your documents to a tax preparer. Use the worksheet your preparer provides.
 
Step 5: Schedule time to stay organized for future tax seasons
The best way to get and stay organized is to schedule a regular time and day each month or one hour a week to sort through new documents and organize your record keeping. (Using prepared software such as Quicken or Quick-books makes it even easier once you have it set up properly).

Step 6: Hire a Professional Organizer: 
A professional organizer can help you create a file system and help you keep it organized so that your tax records are ready to be filed.

So if you are still struggling with this year's tax, lets make sure your 2018 taxes are ready to file.
Happy organizing!                        

How to keep your New Year's Resolution. Get organized!
According to the  https://www.statisticbrain.com/new-years-resolution-statistics/  41% of Americans make New Years Resolutions and it is interesting to know that people who explicitly make resolutions are 10 times more likely to attain their goals than people who don't explicitly make resolutions. 

For most people, to “Get Organized” usually comes in the top 10 of their New Year's resolution list. So what better way to start, than by organizing our thoughts. The New Year is a time to regroup, and make new goals for the coming year. It is a time to reinvent ourselves for the better. With the busyness of the Holidays, our home, our nerves and our bank account reflects it. So what better time to breathe, reflect and give ourselves a fresh start! 

Whether your goal is to be losing weight, or being more organized, be realistic about what you reach for and start small. Don’t bite off more than you can chew. Make little changes to your routines instead of big ones. Like don’t make resolutions that say I’m going to get my home and office so organized and I’ll never misplace anything again. This is not only unrealistic but it might take you so long that you’ll probably give up before you see any results. Don’t set yourself up for failure. Set goals that are manageable and possible to attain. Break down your projects in small chunks that are possible to finish. Like; nightstand to organize, do one laundry load on Monday nights, or sit down to coordinate calendars on Sundays.  Don't try to be an overachiever but instead be consistent in your efforts. Also don't stop because you messed up a couple of times but start over and keep trying.

Use one calendar for everything. Whether you choose a paper calendar or a digital one make sure it includes reminders, tasks, vacations, and anything that helps you remember. It needs to be portable so you can add things as they come. Create daily, weekly, monthly routines. Make sure that even things around the house gets done by adding them to your calendar. Pay your bills, clean out your car. Whatever task you feel you want to do more regularly add to your calendar.

Stop wasting time and money! Have a home for everything and put everything in its place. One of the biggest problem I see my clients do is that they have not created a specific place for their things and when they look for it and can’t find it, they buy more of the same which they don't put away because they don't know where. As a general rule, don’t buy anything unless you know where you’re going to put it. Make sure to always put things together, like all the batteries in the same place and put things away as soon as you can. My rule is: if it takes less than 30 seconds to do it, do it NOW!

Have a designated spot in your home for a donation box like your garage or your closet. Don’t keep the clothes you haven’t worn in 10 years or toys you kids haven’t touched in 5 years. Any decorations you didn’t use this year? Maybe you can donate. Don’t bring something in without taking something out. Declutter! De-cluttering is an ongoing process and the more you do it and work at it, the more you want to continue to do it because what stays are only the things you love and use. Everything else is clutter and contributes to being disorganized. This is true for things but also of events or people. Prioritize!

Delegate! Everyone in the household needs to be involved so delegate to every member of your household.  Everyone can have their own tasks to accomplish, to keep your home organized.
And if you don’t know where to start or feel too overwhelmed or lack motivation hire a Professional Organizer. That’s why professional organizing exists, to help people reach their goals faster and easier, simplifying and customizing the process for you.
 
Most importantly organizing is an ongoing process. You regularly got to pick up stuff around the house and put it in its place. It does not happen without you. Doing a little everyday is what keeps you organized and makes it easy to achieve. The regularity and perseverance is why a change occurs, so don't forget to celebrate your successes and keep doing it!! 

I wish you a happy organized New Year!!

10 Tips to being ready and organized for the Holidays.

Not that long ago I saw a facebook post that said "less than 10 weeks before Christmas!" and although intended as a joke, I didn't think it was funny. I had that pit in my stomach just thinking of all the extra work that the holidays brings to me. But I still felt that Christmas was far away as the Christmas decorations hadn't appeared in the stores yet. I know I'm not alone. Many of us feel a  sense of dread when we think about the Holidays. Our mind races with all the various tasks we need to accomplish and add to our already busy schedule.  We want our house to look pretty and be ready for Thanksgiving, then Christmas, when we have barely put away the Halloween decorations. We have relatives coming to town, cards to make and send, the presents to buy, the extra cooking, buying, spending, overeating and maybe trying to finish goals we set for ourselves before the year ends... 
The Holidays are supposed to be a happy time of thanksgiving and celebrating, why then do we make it so complicated?
​
1- Simplify! ​​
Most of my clients have heard me say it many time "Less is More". Simplify! Things don't have to be perfect! You don't have to transform yourself into Martha Stewart. Over the years I have noticed that the only person that really cares is me. The paper napkins or some store bought gravy are just as good sometimes. Your house does not need to be decorated like the cover of the magazines. All those perfect pictures of perfect homes and perfect tables and perfect menus are only out there to entice us to buy more! So if you are stressed, don't feel like it or don't have time, keep it simple! Those cookies from the corner store are okay to buy. Not every inch of the house needs to be decorated. 

2- Make a list of things to do!                                                                                                           
​Make a list of all you want to accomplish for the Holidays, all you want to do, or places to go. What are your priorities? Start with Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas. Do a brain dump. Divide your to- do list into little tasks and schedule them on your calendar. For example making your card might include having a picture taken or buying stamps. Is there anything that you can skip? Anything you can delegate? Can you do it all or do you have to choose? Don't get too busy and don't forget to plan some downtime too where you get to relax and enjoy some home time. Once planned, try to stick with the plan as much as possible. For example, don't skip buying presents on the night planned if the following nights are all busy with events.

3- Make a list of who you're buying for !                                                                                     
Make a list of the people you want to buy presents for and set a time with your husband, wife, or better half to brainstorm for ideas. Think about concert, theater, shows or zoo & Museum tickets, gift cards to restaurants or memberships and subscriptions to things you know they want. Most people already have too much stuff and they don't need anymore, I know, as people call me for help to declutter them! Don't forget to set a time for wrapping presents and try to wrap them as you buy them.

4- Privilege experiences versus stuff!                                                                                         
Go through your kids toys before more toys find their way into their room. Make room and donate or sell what they've outgrown or what they don't want to play with anymore. Research found that the average 10-year-old owns 238 toys but plays with just 12 daily. Research also shows that 3.1% of the world’s children live in America, but they own 40% of the toys consumed globally. Also did you know 37% of parents said they were willing to use savings to cover holiday spending for their children? The survey also found that 50% of the parents who overspent on the holidays end up arguing about money with their spouse. What is worse is that experts in child development say that modern day children are missing out on vital experiences because they do not spend enough time having fun in the open air and may become dysfunctional adults. Makes you think about what kind of toys to be buying this year....No? 

5- Follow good nutrition!                                                                                                                 
Some of you are wondering why this matters and why is a Professional Organizer talking about nutrition? I say it all the time "Body and Mind are connected". If your body does not feel good neither does your mind. This is one of the most common mistake I see all the time, the poor nutrition that people put their body through and wondering why they have no energy or can't function. Being overweight or starving yourself with diets leaves you with no energy, no stamina, makes you unhappy and not good at handling stress. And that leaves you with little energy to get organized. So don't diet but follow a good nutritional system like Isagenix that will help you shed the few pounds, boost your energy and help you focus on what you need to do by providing the nutrients that your body truly needs. You will be surprised at how much more you get accomplished in a day when your body feels good! Proper nutrition is key and you should start now and actually get to enjoy the eating of the Holidays. So take care of yourself!

6- Light de-cluttering!                                                                                                                     
This is not the time to completely de-clutter the whole house. So if you really need to do a grand job with your guest bedroom that has become the house's dumping ground, hire a professional organizer to help. However before the holidays creep up on you, go through all of your belongings and pick some items to donate or sell. Clearing space before the holidays makes organizing afterward so much easier because there will be some space created to put the new things. 

7- Don't start big remodeling now!                                                                                                
Although it might be tempting to get that kitchen remodeling done before the holidays, this might not be the right time. As we know those big projects always seem to have a tendency to take longer then they should. You might want to wait till the New Year. 

8- Make stock of what you already have!                                                                                   
Before you start buying anything for the Holidays, check what you already have in your home. You’d be surprised how many times people buy something that they already have only to realize that they have almost the same item already. Or maybe you've been buying gifts all year because you can't resist a bargain or something made you think of your aunt. But what's the point if you forgot you did. So look around your home! 

​9- Get help or delegate!                                                                                                                       
It's okay to get help! Hiring a house cleaner to do the vacuuming and cleaning the house is okay, Treat yourself! You might be able to concentrate more on a part you actually enjoy, like making your own cards or baking. And don't be scared to ask your guests to bring items for your dinner party or even recruit them in the kitchen to peel potatoes. I haven't had one guest yet say they didn't want to help. 

10- Enjoy! It's the reason for the season!                                                                                       
Don't be slave to traditions. Things can change. Don’t feel that you have to do everything the same way just because that is how you did it in the past. Be kind to yourself. For example let go of that Christmas party that you dread going to every year, and take the extra time to do something new that you have always wanted to try. Mostly enjoy the season, your family, your friends and relax. Sometimes life happens and it is not perfect. But it's okay. Just enjoy and slow down. It is a time of celebrating, giving, and being thankful for all of the blessings that we have. So try to feel the Christmas magic that can only be found at this time of year. 
  ​
Sophie Bent: Professional Organizer® & Productivity Consultant, Bent On Organizing, LLC  is a NAPO Specialist in Residential Organizing in S. Florida and has been organizing businesses and homes since 2008. Contact her at 561-404-7181 or www.bentonorganizing.com   
 ​

Isn't there always a time in the year when you wish you were more organized?

It might be that time when a hurricane approaches and you wish you had de-cluttered the garage before hand, so you could fit in your car. Or when a leak destroys your ceiling and you cannot find your insurance papers. Maybe you're searching for those Halloween costumes that you were so sure to have on top of that cupboard but can't find. Or your mother in law surprises you for a visit and your guest room looks more like a storage room. Inevitably any or all of those situations will leave you frustrated and stressed out, as you're trying to fit in the time to do things on an already busy schedule. They might also end up costing you money as you're replacing the items you can't find. 

So when is the best time to get organized you might ask...?? 

Let’s consider winter. With Halloween approaching, Thanksgiving, cooking, company and more cleaning, maybe not such a good time to be organizing...
Along come the major winter holidays, shopping, cooking, wrapping, company, maybe traveling and the kids are home from school.
​The New Year always seems like a good time to start anew. Losing weight or getting fit tops the list of New Year’s resolution favorites. But remarkably, according to some surveys, getting organized has become the number two most popular resolution in recent years for both men and women. Unfortunately, studies also show that most New Year’s resolutions aren’t always followed through...

Spring cleaning you say? That could bring some motivation for getting organized. You are going to clean from top to bottom, including every room in the house, so that may be a perfect time to organize, you may be thinking. Yet, cleaning the whole house takes time, as does organizing. So trying to fit it all in may seem overwhelming.
And our taxes have to get ready which leaves little time for organizing... 

How about waiting until summer? Let’s wait until the kids are out of school, have no homework, go to camp for extended hours, or can even chip in and help! When summer comes, mom may want a break too. Maybe you and your family like to spend more time outdoors in summer. Then there’s shopping, packing and planning for going on vacation, traveling, then unpacking, washing, putting it all away, and so it goes.  Before you know it, summer is over.
 
So what is the answer to when IS the best time to organize? The answer is unequivocally NOW!  A bit confused? If the aforementioned reasons manage to interfere with organizing plans, how can you get started now?
 
It’s simple. You don’t have to do it all at once. Every organizing project should be broken down into smaller tasks. Each task should have a beginning and an end. Choose one room in which to start. Focus on just the closet. If the room is in shambles, start with the floor. Then move to one drawer, one shelf and on and on depending on how much time and stamina you have. It’s a proven fact that many small parts equal a whole. Before you know it, the entire room will be completed and you are ready to move on to another. There is no time limit for organizing. It may take you a few hours, or a full day. It may take two or three days, depending on your available time. It’s okay. Just don’t give up and don’t try to do it all at once.
 
If papers are your biggest concern, start with the desk. Move on to the shelves. Don’t forget to purge old or useless papers from files, one drawer at a time. Again, it doesn’t all have to be done in one session.
 
The key is to plan your organizing sessions into your day and allot as much time as you feel comfortable. 
 
The sooner you start, the sooner you will benefit.
 
Happy Organizing!
 
Sophie Bent: Professional Organizer®, Bent On Organizing, LLC  is a NAPO Specialist in Residential Organizing in S. Florida and has been organizing businesses and homes since 2008. Contact her at 561-404-7181 or www.bentonorganizing.com   
 
 
Sidebar:
 
Need some organizing support?
For tools, books and professional organizers,
try these resources:
www.organizedatoz.com
www.napo.net

When the school bell rings, many families will face a new batch of organizing challenges. But being organized can help minimize the mess and the chaos. By being organized, busy families get more done, saving money, time and frustration.When you’re rushed and forced to search for misplaced things, you lose time. When you are forced to buy things you know you have somewhere but can’t find, you’re wasting money and time.  When you’re not organized, it takes you longer to go through your daily routine.

In a survey this year for American Demographics magazine, 89% of Americans said they could use help organizing some part of their lives. 54% of households with children ages 6 to 12 said they needed help organizing clothes. About 30% of families with children under age 6 wanted help organizing toys and games.

Children need to be taught that there is a place for everything (just like in kindergarten). A goal of getting organized is teaching your kids to do it themselves. Being organized is an important life skill (ask anyone who isn’t). It’s like that old adage, “Give a man fish and he’ll eat a meal. Teach a man to fish, and he’ll eat for life.”

If you don’t have the right containers at home, check home and discount stores for stackable bins, baskets, drawers and cubes. Office supply stores, discount department stores and The Container Store are a good source of organizers. But make sure to assess your needs before you start going on a shopping spree.
 
Getting organized isn’t easy. For many, it is yet another time-consuming, overwhelming project. I offer these tips to start you on your way to beginning an organized course for you and your children. These habits will carry them through out their lifetimes. So be consistent and train and retrain until routines become habit.

1. Set up  two-pocket file folders for each child to be used for putting daily papers from backpacks. The child places all papers on left side of folder. Parents then need to empty the folders daily and refill (right side pocket) with any papers needing to be signed and returned to school. To be set up in a designated area like the kitchen desk.
2. Designate a shelf in the pantry for snacks.
3. Designate a shelf  for easy-to-reach school supplies.
4. Have a packed bag for each after-school activity. A book bag should be just for school.
5. Let children select their clothes and lay them out for the next morning.
6. The night before going to school, have kids load their backpacks including books, homework, signed papers. Place backpacks by the door and activity bag if needed.
7. Start a “to-go” basket near the most accessible door to collect library books, dry cleaning, items to be donated or returned to friends. Each time someone is running errands they can check the basket.
8. This is a good time of year to take inventory of the school supplies you have, pitch old, excess supplies and buy new ones.
9. Make a list and shop with it to avoid impulse buying (wastes money and creates clutter). Include poster board and science fair boards so you’ll have them when needed, saving a trip.
10. Choose an area for a “homework station.” Stock it with a “homework essentials container” including all the supplies needed to complete homework. Include pens, pencils, crayons, glue, scissors, tape, markers.  If the workspace you choose is a community area such as the kitchen table, the container should be portable, making cleanup quick and easy. Assign a home for the container so everyone knows where it goes and where to find it. Make sure your child puts it away after each use thus establishing the habit.

 
Enjoy results- Start off using these tips for a smooth start to the beginning of the school year. You and your family will immediately benefit from the results of having an organized child.
 
Happy Organizing!!
 
Sophie Bent is a professional organizer and owner of Bent On Organizing, LLC Professional Organizing Services in Palm Beach County. She can be contacted at (561) 404-7181 or on the web at www.bentonorganizing.com.

FACING THE FEAR
 Wait a minute. Isn’t this a column about organizing? You’re probably wondering then, what fear could we be talking about? Well, if you haven’t figured out the answer to that, it’s probably because you are an organized person.
 
Organizing can be an emotional and fearful proposition for many people, taking different forms. Sometimes a well-intentioned spouse or friend tells the disorganized person that they “should” be able to get organized on their own. This sets off a chain of emotions beginning with guilt and feeling criticized. This is the inner parent voice they are hearing. For some, it causes rebellion, and then the vicious cycle is set in place. The parent-child inner conflict comes to light as spouses fight and the floodgates of emotion open.  Organizing doesn’t come naturally to some people. Precipitating events can bring on temporary bouts of disorganization or one may suffer from a lifetime of chronic disorganization. A cluttered environment may be both the cause and the effect of anxiety.
 
A person recognizing his need to get organized faces the fear of change, the fear of failure, humiliation, embarrassment, shame, frustration, criticism, lack of focus, decisions, the fear of overwhelm, perfectionism and more. What if he tries, yet fails to accomplish his goals? In his eyes, all that effort would be wasted.
 
These fears are real. They are draining, depressing, de-energizing, cause immobility. People can see themselves in many negative connotations such as packrats, clutter bugs and slobs. For many, they are imitating, knowingly in most cases, what they were surrounded with when growing up. Being surrounded by clutter is familiar, yet it causes discomfort. What they don’t realize is nothing may be wrong with them, it is their systems that are wrong or missing.
 
In the book, Organizing for the Creative Person, by Dorothy Lemkuhl and Delores Cotter Lamping, C.S.W., different functioning styles are examined and explained. By nature, we all think differently. Being organized is a style, like being left or right-brained, like being more kinetic, tactile, visual or audial. In this book, a brief quiz helps identify your style and provides solutions with organizing techniques that work best for each style.
 
What needs to take place first, the authors explain, is the change in a person’s decision from “should” to “want” to be more organized. It must be a conscious choice. With choice, one is open to change and many of the aforementioned feelings can be overcome.
 
Just as one would seek the professional help of a psychologist in many situations, one may seek the assistance of a professional organizer to get organized. A good organizer is trained to be non-judgmental, non-criticizing, supportive and encouraging thus removing the fear factor.
 
Face the fear of bringing a stranger into your home or office, even though conditions are not as you would like them to be if you were having company. Just as you should not be embarrassed to see a doctor when you are ill, there is no need to feel shame or embarrassment in having an organizer see your clutter. That is what organizers see and do everyday. It is their job. They are not company. That simple action of letting them in sets the ball in motion.  Anyone can learn to be more organized. You just need a guide to take you through the journey of facing the fear.
 
Sophie Bent is a professional organizer and owner of Bent On Organizing, LLC. She can be reached at 561-404 7181 or on the web at www.bentonorganizing.com.

Is your car organized?
Well I did finish my Spring Cleaning, I went twice to the donation center and finished by cleaning and organizing a space I spend a lot of time in; my car.  I added a couple of items that I really needed in there. A better trash can and a phone holder as I was starting to use it as my GPS. Works great for me. I am also a safer driver.
According to a new survey from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, American drivers spend an average of more than 17,600 minutes — or about 293 hours — behind the wheel annually. So it is not surprising that having a few organizing tools in there can also help us keep a more tidy car. But don't just go shopping without looking first at what you really need. First assess the problem, determine your need. Do you always have a problem with garbage in the car? Do the kids leave their toys everywhere? Is your car your office and you have lots of papers? Do you need something to hold groceries? Only then, go online and look at the amazing organizing tools you can have to better your car and keep it organized.

Spring cleaning Results:
Spring Cleaning Truth #1: I did not find that 30 minutes a day, apart from a couple of times, was challenging. As long as I knew what the next project was, I was okay doing it for 30min. At times I carried on past the 30min as the hardest part was really starting the project.
Truth #2:  What was really challenging for me was to write this blog as this took much longer than I anticipated.