Organise your life

A large number of us live with the nagging feeling that we haven’t got life organised. As we get older, and closer to the end of our lives, we are aware that we are an untidy mess of passwords, messy drawers, and unplanned finances. When we die, someone will have to sort out our online presence, clear out our attic, and pass on our valuable assets. How will they find it? Easy? Difficult?

Modern life is expansive, in that it leads us to accumulate too much information, and horde too many things. Modern life is also over-individualised, in that our finances depend too much on our day-to-day input; if we get ill, mentally or physically, our finances get in a mess.

What can we do to correct this imbalance, and get our lives organised?

The above issues divide into three types of organisation:

1. Information technology
2. Physical assets
3. Finance

In each area, we can ask a key question:

• If I got ill tomorrow, could each of these three things easily be managed by someone else?

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

Information technology includes:

• mobile phones
• computers
• email addresses, domains and websites
• third party internet services
• data back ups
• TV and media services

PHYSICAL ASSETS

Physical assets include:

• Property
• Fixtures and fittings
• Equipment
• Jewellery and ornaments
• Clothing
• Food and provisions
• Treasured mementos and records

FINANCE

Finance includes:

• Bank accounts and transaction services
• Investments
• Borrowings
• Statutory returns to government
• Past financial records
• Future financial plans
• Tax planning
• Estate and funeral planning
• Insurance

Can you look at each of the items above, and say that you are happy with what you see? Does each item feel organised? Or does it feel messy and uncertain?

Think of your current level of organisation. If you got ill tomorrow, how easy would it be for your information technology, assets and financial affairs to be managed without you? Have you got a simple, easy-to-follow way to store, access and use everything you have? Could what you have be passed on without difficulty, confusion or wasted energy?

You can use external services to get you started on this path. There are people who specialise in the organisation of information technology, physical assets,and finance. It’s never too late to get organised.

I specialise in finance and IT, and I have trusted colleagues who can help with home organisation. If you want to make a start, you are welcome to get in touch.