Challenging Disorganization and Hoarding Expert Ellen Hankes

How Long To Maintain Medical Papers?

Wendy in Iowa asked a great question about medical records. Here is her question:

How long do you retain medical papers? I usually get some kind of paper at the office, and then claims from the insurance company, and then bill from the doctors office. I match these all together and pay the remainder that insurance doesn't cover. So, how long should I keep it for? NOTE: We do not itemize our taxes.

Thanks, Wendy, for your excellent question. While the rule of thumb is to keep medical papers for three years, there are several additional things to consider. If the health condition is a chronic one, retain medical documents for three years after the chronic condition is resolved. Health records such as immunizations should be kept indefinitely. If in the future, your medical expenses are itemized on tax returns, retain these tax-related documents for at least seven years.

My personal method is to retain all such records for ten years. The math is easy: In 2010 I destroy the records from the year 2000. Anything related to long term purchases or tax materials is retained separately and stored indefinitely. Chronically disorganized individuals will find the use of open bins and color filing materials helpful in managing the multiude of papers.

Destroy any personal records in a secure way such as shredding.

Review the Record Retention Guidelines 101 at Smead Organomics for information on a wide array of household record retention information.

Why Depression and Organizing Challenges Are Linked

 It is not unusual for a chronically disorganized individual to tell me that he or she is affected by major depression. Why might that occur?

Symptoms of depression can include indecisiveness and distractibility, according to MayoClinic.com. Since organizing requires making decisions about where things should go, whether to keep or recycle items and how to categorize material, indecisiveness is a roadblock in effective organization.

Staying on task and keeping with an organizing project can be very difficult, or impossible, for a person who is easily distracted. The fatigue that may go along with major depression is also a detriment to organizing. The depressed person may not be able to muster up the energy to get started organizing and may find the energy required to keep the momentum going on their own just too overwhelming!

While mental health professionals are the best source of mental health counseling and treatment, the individual who is affected by both depression and disorganization may well benefit from working with a professional organizer who has experience and training in working with the chronically disorganized.

Have you observed a link between depression and disorganization? I would like to hear from you.

Help Conquer CyberOverload

A new book by Your Mind on Media founder and self-described “recovering cyber-addict” Joanne Cantor, PhD, provides insightful and valuable strategies for living and working in today’s media rich world. Conquer CyberOverload: Get More Done, Boost Your Creativity, and Reduce Stress goes a step further than many books by describing in lay language how the brain, and thus our behavior, is affected by the constant barrage of media in our everyday lives. According to Census Bureau statistics, Americans consume 8.5 hours of media (television, internet, radio and more) each day outside of work.

Given the incredible drain on time that media causes, it is no wonder that multi-tasking is needed. Cantor devotes one whole chapter to convincingly explaining why multi-tasking is counter-productive. If we were handwriting a letter or document, we would never think of writing one word with a pencil, and the next word with a pen, continuing to alternate tools until the letter was finished. This is similar to what we ask the brain to do when we attempt to multi-task. The brain has to switch back and forth between the two tasks. Multi-tasking is inefficient, time-consuming and error-prone.

 
This easy-to-read book is full of convincing ways to deal with cyberoverload with sound life-balance principles. While each strategy is explained in easy-to-understand language, each chapter ends with a bulleted list of Practical Steps. With additional features such as quotes and statistics, glossary, index and resource list, the book appeals to various learning styles.

 
As a professional organizer specializing in chronic disorganization, I observe people in their work and home environments who are affected by the time constraints and stress of cyberoverload. In addition, some individuals have physical space issues related to electronic gadgetry. Outdated and unused computer hardware, obsolete software boxes and other unused media-related equipment and supplies takes up valuable space. We have become adept at learning to use the media of the moment, but the obsolete or seldom used media may be relegated to a growing clutter and disposal problem.

Are you affected by cyberoverload? I would like to hear from you.

Chronic Procrastinators Find Many Stop Signs

Procrastination is a challenge for many. Psychology Today says one in five people identify themselves as Chronic Procrastinators. Procrastination can be compared to a huge red stop sign that pops up every time there is a decision to be made or a task that needs to be accomplished.

While there are many reasons for procrastinating, or putting things off until later, here are a few reasons that might resonate with you.

• Lack of information. Janine delays getting a flu shot this year because she hasn't had time to research the most cost-effective place to get the immunization. Should she go to the drug store, her doctor's office or a new store that offers the flu shot? The months fly by. Janine never did get the flu shot. In this information-based world, we never will have all the information we need for every decision we need to make. There is simply not time!
• Inaccurate perception of time required for tasks.It's a fact that we tend to overestimate the time it takes to do the things we enjoy doing and underestimate the time to do the things we enjoy. Doug delays taking out the garbage because it will "take too long" but can spend "just a few more minutes on Facebook."
• Overwhelm. People who are chronically disorganized may find that it is difficult to find somewhere to start with big projects so they delay starting and finishing the task at hand.

If you want to make overcoming procrastination a priority, I recommend It's About Time: The 6 Styles of Procrastination and How to Overcome Them by Dr. Linda Sapadin. Learning more about how and why you procrastinate will help you become more productive and organized. 

Repetition for Success

Repetition is a strategy that successful people use to master many challenging tasks. An artist or composer may use variations of a single theme to please the viewer of the artwork or listener of the music.

Repetition can be boring or interesting depending on the frequency of the repeated theme or statement. Visually, repetition can bring a rhythm that is pleasing to the eye and easy for the mind to process. Frequently shoppers are pulled into the artful retail display of many similar objects and make an impulse purchase. The variations of color within a single theme such as notebooks may cause displeasure with "just one" item and propel the buyer to select one in every color!

As professional organizers, we help people separate the artful repetition from the non-productive repetition in work areas and living spaces. On a personal note, I do not need three calculators, but my five-vase holder is splendid for summer blooms.

What repetition works for you and what repetition gets in the way of a better life for you? I would like to hear your thoughts!

Why Do People Consult Professional Organizers?

Too much clutter is the top reason professional organizers are hired, according to the 2009 NAPO Member Survey. Results of the national survey were just released by The Organizing Authority®--the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO). The top three reasons people ask for help from an organizer are:

1. Clutter (75%)
2. General disorganization (71%)
3. Help in making decisions about keeping or discarding (53%)

Companies and non-home offices most often consult an organizer  to implement systems to improve general employee productivity.

Reasons businesses most frequently hire organizers are:

1. Improve productivity (66%)
2. Maximize office space (58%)
3. Improve employee organizational skills (55%)

A professional organizer is often called in as a last approach rather than a part of a strategy for better living and higher productivity. Relationships may already be damaged, health and safety can be compromised, and a high degree of frustration could exist by the time an organizer is consulted. First-time clients are often surprised at the non-judgmental approach used by the professional organizer who adheres to a code of confidentiality and ethical, trained approaches. New clients are also amazed at the differences in their lives as they celebrate what they have learned working with a professional organizer.

Simple Systems Simplify Life

Are you at times lured by the exciting bells and whistles of a new system that promises to "get you organized?" A novel way of doing things may be just what is needed to create enough enthusiasm and excitement to start the change process.

Once the novelty wears off of the new way of doing things, it may become more difficult to maintain the system. Here's a simple system that can answer the question of

"What do I do with all those business cards I have collected?"

The Container Store has a simple box for stashing business cards which is illustrated in this post. Who said cards always have to be alphabetically organized?Try chronological order with the most recent in the front. Keep the frequently used cards in a separate file close to the phone.

Look for simple solutions to organizing issues. Simple solutions are easier to maintain in the long run for many people.

What simple solution do you use that makes your life easier?

The Mighty Binder Clip

Have you discovered the wonders of binder clips? Since they were invented nearly a century ago, binder clips have been used primarily for clipping together bundles of paper. Here's a few more ideas for your binder clips:

• Corral cords. Remove one of the wires from the metal clip. Arrange it around unsightly computer or phone cords and replace it on the metal clip. Attach the clip to an out of sight portion of the desk or other convenient place for an effective cord corral.Check this demonstration video.
• Bundle your to-do's. Affix a printed or handwritten label on the black metal area. Some examples are To Call, To Do, Day Off Dreams, or other topics for which you have multiple pieces of paper. Use the labeled clip to bundle all items that fit in that category. The benefit is fewer lost papers and clearer direction on what needs to be done.
• Focus on important things. Clip the agenda, calendar, goals or whatever needs to be kept front and center to your planner or notebook. You can keep it more visible on the front or place it discreetly just inside the front cover.
• Complete your outfit. Larger clips can be used on clothes hangers to hold scarves, undergarments, or pieces of jewelry to complete a special look.

The possibilities are endless for uses for these handy binder clips. How have you used binder clips to increase your productivity and organization? We would like to hear your ideas!

Promotion Material Pileup

  This morning at the Omaha Empowerment Breakfast my breakfast companion observed the dozens of promotion pieces that were distributed to each attendee. Catalogs, beautiful color booklets printed on glossy paper, simple single sheet ads, business cards offered business awareness, specials and deals.

"As a professional organizer, what do you do with all of these papers?" my new acquaintance asked upon learning of my profession. It is a good question that many business people face as they have opportunities to learn about other businesses through meetings, conferences and one-on-one sessions.

Here are some options for savvy handling of promotional pieces:

Reminders

 Reminders can go anywhere! A clever professional quilt maker put the ample drapery wall in her studio to work holding project reminders, fabric swatches and other tools of her trade. For most items, a straight pin was sufficient to hold the lightweight fabric or paper pattern.

To keep a bulletin board type display working for you, avoid posting items that simply have no other home. Reserving display space for items that inspire you or serve as a reminder for an intended action will pay off in the long run.

Sticky notes are often posted in large quantities for reminders. Review them frequently!

What's your reminder wall? We would like to hear about it.