In my fantasy life, I’m an organized guy. In the real world, that’s just not the case. I do my best to stay on top of things \u2014 I make lists, use a calendar, ask Kris for help \u2014 but there always seems to be something slipping through the cracks.<\/p>\n
Before we left for Africa, for example, I hid my wallet. I always do this when we go on a long trip. (I don’t use my wallet when I travel.) And every time<\/i>, I have trouble finding it when I get home. You’d think I’d develop a system \u2014 but no.<\/p>\n
I’m not the only one with problems like this. Sure, there are folks out there like Kris and her sister \u2014 people who never let anything fall through the cracks \u2014 but they’re few and far between. Most of us need to develop systems to help our lives run smoothly.<\/p>\n
I’ve read dozens of books on time management, coping with clutter, and getting things done<\/a>. But I’ve never found a magic cure-all for disorganization. The trouble is, as with personal finance, there’s no one right answer. Each of us is different. We have different strengths, different weakness, and different aims in life. There’s no one system that’s going to work for every person.<\/p>\n For years, my motto at Get Rich Slowly has been do what works for you<\/b><\/a>. I don’t mean by this that one choice is as good as another. There are<\/i> best practices for paying off debt<\/a>, saving for retirement<\/a>, and buying a used car<\/a>. What I mean is that there’s no one system that works for everyone. The debt snowball helped me<\/i> get out of debt, but it may have you<\/i> treading water.<\/p>\n I’ve found that the key to developing systems that work for me<\/i> is to take bits and pieces from other people’s ideas, and to remix them in ways that fit my goals and strengths. This is true for all aspects of my life<\/b>, including fitness, finance, writing, travel, and more.<\/p>\n I’ve noticed, though, that there are three elements that seem to be part of every successful system in my life: routine, automation, and simplicity.<\/p>\n By far the most important key to my success is establishing routines. Why have I managed to lose so much weight in the past year? Because I made it a habit to get up at 5:30 every morning so that I could be at the gym by 6:30. How did I manage to buy my Mini<\/a>? I made saving a routine.<\/p>\n Valuable financial habits or routines include:<\/p>\n When something becomes routine, it becomes a natural part of your life. It’s not something you have to force yourself to do. It’s almost automatic, which makes it easier to do the right thing instead of letting your emotions get the better of you.<\/p>\n I’ve also had great success by foisting my routines onto the poor, unsuspecting computers around me. Automation helps my systems run smoothly.<\/p>\n When I was younger, I had a heck of a time remembering to pay my bills on time. Even when I had a set routine \u2014 for years, I paid bills on the first Saturday of every month \u2014 I’d sometimes forget to follow it. So, whenever I find a way to automate some part of my life, I do it.<\/p>\n Removing me<\/i> from the equation just makes thing run so much more smoothly. That’s why I’ve spent the past several years developing a paperless personal finance system<\/a>, which includes:<\/p>\n This automation is an essential part of my financial system. It helps prevent stupid errors \u2014 like forgetting to pay a bill before vacation. Plus, I’ve found the automation keeps me motivated. The money for my bills is going to be pulled on specific dates, so I’d better be sure my accounts are funded.<\/p>\n Simplicity is a final key to most of my successful systems.<\/p>\n<\/span>The Power of Routine<\/span><\/h2>\n
\n
<\/span>The Power of Automation<\/span><\/h2>\n
\n
<\/span>The Power Simplicity<\/span><\/h2>\n