Being stuck at home is hard on everyone. Whether you live alone or with family, the days can seem to drag on. TV and streaming services offer nothing new, and you’re tired of video games and board games. It’s time to tackle some home projects you’ve been putting off!
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Here are our top suggestions.
Organizing Files and Photos
If you’re like most people, paperwork, and photos, pile up on a desk, table, or cabinet to be dealt with “later.” Only later never seems to happen. It’s possible the same is true with your digital files.
Now is the perfect time to get all your files and photos back in order. Check out these tips and tricks to get started!
Organizing Your Digital Space
Focus on your computer desktop, digital photos, and schedule with this post. When you look at your computer desktop, is it cluttered? If you said yes, check this out. Also, take a look here.
If you’re always struggling to manage your email inbox, this post is for you! Consider changing your email management strategy to prevent future difficulties.
Have lots of photos on your phone or computer? We’ve got you covered!
While you’re working on organizing your digital space, take the time to change or update your passwords.
It’s also a great time to protect your online identity and ensure only those who need them have your passwords and other personal information. Fill your Vault with commonly used sites, login credentials, and traveler documentation to ensure you can access what you need, when you need it, where ever you may be.
Tips for Setting Up and Using LastPass:
- Set your emergency contact: Life happens. In case of an emergency, have an Emergency Access user assigned. This can be any LastPass use of your choice.
- Securely share access: Through the LastPass sharing feature, you can be sure those who need access have it, even if you’re out of the area or don’t have access yourself.
- Ensure all your devices are ready to go: If you’re like most people, you need to work between mobile, tablet, desktop, etc. seamlessly. Be sure you’re connected on all your devices by installing the LastPass Browser Extension and App on all of them.
- Double-check security: Account breaches are most likely to occur when accessing your data on a new network. Check the security of all your logins by running the Security Challenge. Address weak credentials ASAP to keep your digital information safe.
Implement other identity theft protection measures as well.
Organizing Paper Files and Photos
How does your home office space look? We’ve got some great tips to help you organize and declutter that space. As you decide what paperwork to keep and what to get rid of, be sure you know how long you have to keep things.
Maybe you’ve got boxes of old photos stashed in a closet somewhere. Read through this post, pull them out, and get them organized!
Notice a ton of junk mail while you’re tidying up? Put a stop to it today with these tips.
Organizing Your Closets
Organizing closets is a big job, so this forced “stay home” time is the perfect chance to address them. In most of my clients’ homes, closets become the place where things are shoved, stored, and placed, and, except for clothes, often never get looked at again. Sound familiar?
Start with your clothes and shoes. Then use these same principles of bins and baskets to organize everything else in your closets.
You can also see some of our favorite organizational tools right here.
Get a Jump on Your Spring Cleaning
According to the calendar, spring is officially here. It may not completely feel that way yet, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get started on your spring cleaning efforts.
While you’re cleaning, you can also get yourself set up to stay organized all year long. Here’s how.
That may sound stressful, but it doesn’t have to be! Check our best tips for spring cleaning without stress.
And don’t forget the dust mites! They hide in bedding and can cause allergy issues. You might even be blaming those allergies on something else!
While you’re cleaning and organizing your home, be sure you know what to keep.
Plan for Your Future
Financial and estate planning often takes a back seat when life is busy. Use this quarantine time to plan for your future.
Financial Planning
If you’re not working with a financial planner, now is an excellent time to look for one. Not sure how to choose a financial planner? This guide from the Wall Street Journal can help.
Either way, you’re likely to have financial paperwork of some kind – bank statements, insurance info, etc. Get it all organized with our pro tips.
If you’ve never had a financial plan before, this is a great time to make one. We’ve got all the basics listed for you.
Also, create a monthly financial to-do list to keep yourself on track all year.
Long Term Care and Estate Planning
While not always a comfortable topic, long term care and estate planning are essential to ensure your wishes are followed.
We’ve got some tips for you about long-term care planning, and we highly recommend your include your digital estate in any plans you make.
If you are safe and healthy, think of this time as a way to reconnect with yourself as well. Take this “time off” to do some much-needed self-care. Read those books you’ve been putting off, take that online class, and learn something new. Do something good for yourself.
We’d love to hear how you’re spending your days. Let us know in the comments below!
