End the year with a pledge to get organized. Here are some ideas and resources to get you started.

This AARP article offers 8 tips to getting organized.  These tips can help simplify your daily life. For example, creating a “home” for your belongings like keys, cell phone, and glasses can reduce the stress of searching for these regularly used items and save you time.   Other time savers include stowing similar items together and storing items near the location you use them. For example, the doorknobs on my kitchen cabinets tend to get loose so I keep a screwdriver in the kitchen drawer for a quick fix. It’s important to tailor your organizing projects to your individual needs.

To stay organized and clutter-free, experts recommend removing an item when you bring a new one home. This can be easier said than done. We tend to get emotionally attached to things that evoke positive memories or have financial, sentimental, or practical value.  Put those items aside and consider what use they have to you now. If you decide that it’s not necessary to keep it, consider giving it someone you know, donating it to a charity, selling it, recycling the item or throwing it away.  

Sometimes the hardest part of getting organized is getting started.  Consider setting a date with a friend or family member to tackle an organization project, or call your Village. NNV Full Members can request volunteer help with small organizing projects (1-2 hours) and taking unwanted items to your charity of choice.  A professional organizer can help with larger projects, click here to find a local professional organizer.

If you are drowning in paperwork, a Professional Daily Money Manager can be just what you need. Click here to find a local Money Manager. Iona Senior Services offers Daily Money Management services to adults age 60 and over who have memory loss and meet income eligibility requirements.  For more information on Iona’s Money Management program, call 202-895-9448 or visit their website at iona.org.

The upcoming holiday season offers a great opportunity to review important documents with your family. The National Institute on Aging offers a checklist of important documents to get your affairs in order. The MemoryBanc workbook is a helpful tool to organize your affairs in one place. Check with your financial institution to learn about their policy for Powers of Attorney (POA). They may require you and your POA to come to the bank to sign their documents. If your POA is in town for the holidays, make a trip to your bank to get this done.

If you are an NNV Full Member and would like to arrange for volunteer assistance with your small organizational project, please call the office at 202-935-6060.