Here is an article I wrote two years ago for one of my newsletter.  It appears my insight on this topic is timeless as it applies so well to our recent economic times.  Enjoy…

Most recently, my attention has been turned toward the concept of prosperity.  You might even think that tax season had something to do with it… and you’d be right!  I’ve been a little preoccupied with the estimated amount of money scheduled to be removed from my bank account and forwarded on to the IRS.  My thought process has been focused solely on the negative aspect of paying taxes.  Putting aside any belief as to whether or not the government deserves my money or my income tax rate is too high, could there be a positive side to this?  What about the consideration that I must be doing something right with my business that I’m making enough money to support myself, pay a mortgage, belong to a gym, go out to dinner with my friends, and throw in a vacation or two throughout the year?  I’m making enough money to owe taxes at the end of the calendar year.  I actually might have to consider that a success more than a problem. 

Some of you might say I’m fooling myself and that’s ok.  But I’d like you to consider that there is always another side to each situation.  A resource that I’ve turned to on occasion is www.choosingprosperity.com which is where I read an interesting excerpt on shifting the way you think and feel about paying your bills.  Essentially life is a balance between the money coming in and the money going out.  But the inflow and outflow of money aren’t opposing actions because they both contribute to prosperity.  If you consider the satisfaction you received from a product or service, it’s generally easier to feel good about spending the money.  Feel free to check out the web site for more information on that.

One of the steps mentioned in this article coincides nicely with being organized: making the time to pay bills and remembering to pay them.  Most people generally don’t like to pay bills because it might be labor-intensive with the number of checks they need to write, or they simply don’t like seeing their money go out the door.  In addition to shifting the way you think and feel about this task, why not also shift your environment. 

a) Make an appointment on your calendar:  If you use a calendar already, then schedule this like any other appointment. (If you’re not currently using a calendar, we need to talk!)

b) Create a mood: As I tell many of the people in my workshops, before you begin organizing, do something to make your environment more pleasing.  Maybe you’d enjoy lighting some candles, listening to some great music, setting up a nice bouquet of flowers to brighten up the space; or maybe it’s all about being comfortably dressed and you need to change into sweatpants and a t-shirt.  Whatever it is that makes your room, office, space more pleasing, do that for yourself.

c) Consider switching to online banking as this can be a real time saver… and it’s less expensive as you’ll cut down on your postage expense!

d) Create a lovely reward for yourself that you can look forward to when you are complete:  it’s always nice to have something to look forward to in addition to the satisfaction of being able to cross this task off your list. 

Whether you’re trying to motivate yourself to pay your bills or do another bit of organizing in your home or office space, finding ways to shift your environment and create a setting that’s pleasing for you mentally and physically will help you to adopt a better mindset while working towards achieving your goals.