Coffee and Financials

Are you feeling burdened with your divorce matter? Are you finding it challenging to focus on making good decisions? It’s normal to feel this way, but with an experienced yet compassionate attorney, such as Sabra Janko, Colorado Springs divorce attorney, along with her awesome team, we can assist with alleviating those feelings you may be having.

You are in the midst of a divorce case. Parenting plans have to be worked on, financials need to be submitted, and you have to go over your debts and assets. These tasks have been added to life’s ever growing to-do list. Factor in working and taking care of the household, it’s easy to see how this can be overwhelming. So how does one find the time to do it all? I want to share some practical techniques I have used when I had to include all this on my own to-do list.

It was important to note the deadlines my attorney gave me to have these documents submitted. Yes, this wasn’t fun, but they had to get done. The sooner the better. It’s human nature to put off daunting tasks; however it is counterproductive because we create more work for ourselves, and tasks can pile on fast if one is not paying attention. Ever noticed how much more time it takes to do the laundry if it’s been neglected for a while? Or how much harder it is to clean a bathroom because we never took the time to work on the basics? As with anything in life, if we let stuff build up, it’ll be that much more difficult and take longer to complete.

As much as I didn’t want to, I had to carve out time to work on my parenting plan and my sworn financial statement. What worked for me was setting aside time on a weekend and just tackling it. It was like jumping in a pool of cold water. Unpleasant at first, but once I got acclimated, it wasn’t so bad. So with the documents, I got into a rhythm and before I knew it, a few hours later I was done! Originally, I said to myself, Ok, I’ll just work on this for thirty minutes. And that’s another option if you’re not the jump-into-the-pool type; set aside thirty minutes here and there each time. That way, you’re doing something you would rather not be doing, but at least you put some time into it. This can make you feel accomplished. Who knows, maybe when that timer goes off, you may find yourself wanting to keep going!

Document organization made a big difference. I didn’t have it organized by month or year, but I kept mine organized by type. A folder for credit cards, another for bills, a folder for my 401k and one for my bank statements. Having these all scanned in is a plus, but I didn’t so I just used good old fashioned folders. Instead of digging through a disarray of papers, I can just pull out the file and go through that one category when I needed something from it.

I love my reward system. I think it goes back to childhood. Like, if we finished our dinner, we get dessert. Or if we were good, we got to go to McDonalds. For us adults, this may mean a glass of wine, a nice cup of coffee or binge watching a favorite show. If I finish this, then I’ll pour myself some pinot noir, or click on the TV to watch a movie, or both! So the mindset is if there’s something to look forward to at the end, then tackling that paperwork won’t seem so unnerving. Of course, there’s also enjoying something pleasurable with something unpleasant. Ever watch a favorite TV show while folding laundry or listening to a playlist of beloved songs while you do a workout? So how about a cup of coffee to go with those financials?

You can certainly try some of these and see what works best for you. You’re probably thinking what about hitting up a Starbucks? I know I mentioned in another article that I don’t go there anymore in the name of saving money. But in this case you have my permission!

If you are needing a caring and compassionate team to assist you with your family law matter, please feel free to contact us for a free consultation about Colorado Springs divorce, child custody and family law at 719-344-5523.