Chicagoland Home Buyer & Seller News & General Real Estate Information Home | Profile | Archives | Blog Manager Recent PostsManaging Your TasksPractical tips To Enhance Your Financial Freedom Urban Legends & Internet Scams Home Seller Information on Showings & Open Houses Reasons That Sellers Overprice  RSS Blog Feed
CategoriesJudith's Home NewsBuyer Information Seller Information Mortgage Information Favorite LinksMy WebsiteSearch the MLS Quick Right Price Analysis of Your Home ArchivesJuly 2006Managing Your TasksPosted at ,Managing Your Tasks
Simple Steps to Improve Your Productivity
Have you ever noticed that some of your most innovative thoughts have happened at the oddest times? The reason for this is that your brain wasn't occupied with your ongoing "to do" list, so it was finally free to explore new ideas.
If you want to do more creative thinking, then you need to establish a system for organizing your tasks. Begin by collecting them in an in box. What should you do with the items once you've accumulated them? According to David Allen, the best-selling author of Getting Things Done, the first step is to ask, what is it? Is it actionable? If you can't act on it, then put it into one of three categories: reference, such as a noteworthy article; someday–maybe, which is a task that you might do later; and trash. The filing principles we're discussing here work equally well with manila folders and a circular file, but in our example we'll be using Microsoft Outlook. Many of us use Outlook's tasks function, but for some the list has degenerated into an "amorphous blob of undo-ability", according to Allen. He suggests organizing Outlook tasks using categories. For tasks that require no immediate action, but might happen eventually, produce a category called someday-maybe. Create each task in this category with a potential start date and a scheduled reminder. If there are items that should be referenced, you can file them in an appropriate folder on your hard drive or in a file cabinet. Remove trash as soon as you can. If the item is actionable, you will have to decide on the next step. This step will either be to do it, delegate it, or defer it. If a task can be handled in 2 minutes or less, Allen says simply do it. It will take longer to file and retrieve it later. If you can delegate a task, do so. Outlook gives you the option of assigning a task to somebody else, setting due dates and priority, and sending the task to a recipient in your contacts list. It will also notify you when the task is reported done. You can file this task in your new Outlook category, waiting for. If you can't handle a task immediately, Allen suggests deferring it to a category where it can be done. Examples include: @phone, if you have to call a client; @home, if you need to mow the lawn; @office, if you need to prepare a presentation, etc. If a task has to be done at a specific time on a specific day, put it in the Outlook calendar. Don't forget to set reminders. Of course you will have projects that can't be handled as simply. Any task that involves more than one step should be filed in the task manager under projects. David Allen suggests that on a weekly basis, you should review all tasks listed under projects and ask yourself, "What is the next action?" This will ensure that you continue to make forward progress. Practical tips To Enhance Your Financial FreedomPosted at ,Practical Tips To Enhance Your Financial Freedom
Are You Tossing Out Tax Documents Too Soon?
The rule of thumb for individual tax filers has been to keep federal tax returns and all supporting documents for 3 full years. This is based on the principle that the IRS can audit your last 3 returns only if they believe that you made a good-faith error. However, be aware that the IRS can audit your returns for up to 6 years if they suspect that your income was misrepresented on any tax return by 25% or more. Therefore, to be completely safe, keep tax returns and supporting documents for 7 years before shredding them. In addition, it's a good idea to keep a permanent copy of your 1040 forms from each year's return.
The Pitfalls of Plastic Credit cards are a great tool when it comes to building up a good credit history. However, according to a recent report, credit card debt in America reached nearly $800 billion in 2005. How can you obtain the benefits while avoiding the pitfalls? Here are some dos and don'ts:
The New Tax Bill & You
In May, the President signed a $69 billion tax bill which could positively impact your investment and savings strategies. The bill eliminates the modified adjusted gross income requirement for converting a traditional IRA or SEP IRA to a Roth IRA, so higher-income investors who were previously locked out will have access to this retirement vehicle beginning in 2010. There are certain restrictions and tax implications involved, but the benefits could be substantial.
College Savings Plans
Saving for your child's education just became a bit more complex as a result of the new tax bill passed in May. The Uniform Gifts to Minors Act (UGMA) is a popular program which allows minors to own stock in their name and, if they fall between the ages of 14-17, to pay taxes on the proceeds exceeding $1700 at their own lower tax rate. Under the new legislation, however, these proceeds will be taxed at the parents' higher rate, challenging the growth potential of this investment plan.
{ Permanent Link }
View more entries tagged with: Tax Documents, Credit Cards, College Savings Plans, New Tax Bill |
View more entries tagged with: Managing Time And Outlook