OrganizerPro - The Ultimate Guide to Getting it all Together

What if there existed a magic system - one that always told you what bills needed paying or birthday cards sending (and when), where to find directions to the company retreat and when the cutoff was for buying season tickets? Relax. It exists - and in a format that works the way you do. Train yourself to use a reminder system and you'll never forget to take care of a critical item again.

How to Remind Yourself

1. Buy a wire step rack or accordion envelope and folders marked with the months of the year. Number a set of plain folders for the current month, one for each day (you'll reuse these every month). Slip all folders into the rack or envelope.
2. Pull all time-sensitive notes, stickies, papers, bills and invoices from their scattered locations. File each in the folder that corresponds to the date on which you need to deal with that item. Slip bills into folders 15 and 30 for payment on those days. Stash your smog certificate in the folder for the week before it's due. follow suit with all other paperwork.
3. Jump to the monthly folders for those items that require action next month or later in the year. Put year-end bank statements and 1099s in the March or April folder, your cruise tickets in the June one and a list of back-to-school supplies in September. When you get to the end of the current month, pull out the next month's file and stick all those items in the appropriate daily folders.
4. Make efficient use of your calendar if you're in the habit of checking it regularly. Sit down once a week and pencil in all the dates and deadlines you need to remember in the week (or month) to come. Or write action items on colored sticky notes for easy transfer to another day if plans change. Every day, move stickies onto your to-do list and take critical information with you.