The Disorganization Gremlin is quite a social creature. His closest companions are Procrastination and Overwhelm. In fact, if he doesn't see them close by, he usually increases his level of disorganization until they appear.

The gremlin-busters in this case are planning and systems. These don't have to be complex plans or whiz-bang systems. They're just a series of decisions about how things are going to work and then doing these things consistently.

For instance, we all pay bills. But there's an array of ways to do that: have your bills paid by automatic deductions, pay your bills through bill pay at your bank's website, write out checks and mail them, pay once a month, pay when you're paid, pay them as they come in, or pay them when the notices are yellow or red. And this just names a few of the many possibilities.

The Gremlin of Disorganization makes sure that the papers you want are elsewhere (or several 'elsewheres') so that you spend your time looking for them rather than getting the tasks done. He is scattering the mail into various piles. He's filling the top of your desk so you can't get work done.

What you want to do is to identify the actions that you take day after day in your money life, and create a routine for them. In my case, I sort the mail as I receive it - recycling, personal, bills.

My mortgage and my insurances are automatically withdrawn by the respective companies. I chose to do this because the consequences of a lost or missed payment of those bills are dramatic. The other bills I pay as they come in, through the bill-pay at my various bank or credit union accounts.

I've taken it a step further, though. My business bills are paid from my business account and I know what to leave in that account to handle them. My personal bills are paid from my personal checking account, and I know what needs to be transferred into that account monthly to pay those bills. My irregular or non-monthly bills I've funded monthly through a percentage of my income, and those expenses get paid from the account dedicated to them. I've isolated all other spending to a third checking account and that's the only account that I have to keep an eye on because the purpose of this account is to handle the flexible spending.

This may sound complex, but it works for me. The point that I'm making is that I've developed a system for myself that means that when income comes in, I know in advance just how to allocate it so that I don't have to worry about my money - day to day, week to week, or month to month.

That's what I'm talking about when I refer to systems. It isn't specifically about arranging your money like I've done mine, but rather thinking it through so that you don't have to think about it much at all later.

I've been talking to clients recently about how to handle windfall money - bonuses, gifts, commissions, and refunds. The Gremlin of Disorganization causes people to plan on spending it three different ways and may actually encourage them to start spending prior to even receiving it. And so the money disappears.

How can you celebrate windfall money? Another way to look at it is what system can you develop to outwit the Gremlin? I suggest the Past, Present and Future strategy. The Past is about making a sizable payment against debt because it's so hard to find chunks of money to do that. The Present is about allocating some of the money toward something today that is high on your priorities. The Future is about putting some into savings because you have it on hand to save.

If you can decide well ahead of time what percentage you will allocate into each these three areas, you will intervene on the energy that arises when 'extra' money arrives. You get to mindfully satisfy a current want/need, and also know you've knocked down some debt and put a chunk into savings. That's true celebration of that event.

Undoubtedly, this Gremlin is a menace.   He steals your precious time and energy. It's time for you to march him and his buddies to the door and wave goodbye.  

You can do this by reviewing what areas in your financial life you're tripping over (the plan), and develop the routines that you want to put in place to handle them (the system). Then you'll have the mechanisms in place to keep the door closed to the Disorganization Gremlin for the rest of your life.

This isn't something that happens perfectly and completely the first time. It took me several years to develop a system that worked for me. If doing this proves harder than I have made it seem, call or email me.