Tracie Utter, owner of Utterly Organized, and Mona Wagoner of Smooth Transitions, are our ghostly guides on how to get the most important parts of your life organized — and keep them that way. So deep breath, Mr. Scrooge; this journey isn’t for the faint of heart.

The Present: The Bare Necessities

Mr. Dickens will forgive us if we start with the present instead of past, because having your day-to-day routine organized saves time, relieves stress, and even, according to Utter, improves your health and lifestyle.

Containers

Utter’s first tip is to remember your safety. “Keep the floor completely clear. Look around and think about what could cause you to fall.”

If there are piles of loose objects lying in the middle of a walkway, put them into containers and then set the containers against the wall or furniture. Target and Wal-Mart have stackable units in all different sizes that can sit on the floor, on a table, in an entertainment center — whatever part of the house you frequent the most.

Utter recommends finding containers that are easy to open and can be accessed without bending over or reaching high above you. There is no need to buy a box with difficult latches or a stackable unit that you can’t reach.

Labels

Containers are not an excuse to keep junk. Each bin or basket or box should have a specific use and a designated place in the house.

Labels are a great tool to help you and others around you establish your new habits. You can find a handheld label maker at any office supply store for as little as $20. Utter recommends using labels with large print to help remind you what should go in each container.

Shelves

The same principles apply to shelves. Each shelf should have a designated purpose (and label, if you’re ambitious), and the items you use most often are stored on the shelves that are easiest to reach.

When you reorganize a closet, Wagoner recommends measuring the dimensions first to know the space you are working with. Then start small.

“Don’t try to clean an entire closet in one afternoon,” Wagoner says. “Start with one shelf and a garbage bag.”

Wagoner encourages her clients to work in short spurts every day to keep from feeling overwhelmed and to maintain motivation.

The Future:

Paper, Paper, and More Paper

If the ghost of organization future could actually give you a glimpse into the future, you would know how to prepare appropriately for what is to come. But since you don’t know what the future holds, it is imperative to be organized for all circumstances.

Although insurance policies, wills, and phone numbers don’t take up much physical space, this is one area of life that becomes frustrating quickly if there isn’t a plan in place. Utter gives four different strategies for keeping your most important documents in order and accessible to those you trust. The list below is arranged from least technological to most, so if you are not computer-savvy, beware of numbers three and four.

1. Homemade filing system

According to Utter, “it can be as simple as a homemade filing system — binders, manila folders, hanging folders in a drawer or filing cabinet.”

As with containers, as long as each folder has a specific function (e.g., one folder for prescriptions, one for home insurance, etc.), this can be an effective system. Keep everything categorized and alphabetized, and once you find a system that makes sense to you (and that someone else can learn), take the time to file each incoming document appropriately. Don’t let an unsorted pile develop, or you will get overwhelmed and feel burdened by the system that is meant to set your mind at ease.

2. Securita’s Vital Records PortaVault

Similar to the homemade filing system, the PortaVault is a paper system, but all your papers are stored in one convenient binder.

“The thing I really like about this is that it’s grab and go,” Utter says.

The PortaVault not only keeps your papers in order but is also easy for others to access in case of an emergency. ($69.95 at www.securitaonline.com)

3. Personal software

CareBinders.com is software that enables you to go paperless with all of your important documents. It stores personal, medical, financial, and fun information — everything from your prescriptions to your favorite restaurants.

4. Web-based programs

MyBlis.com is an example of a web-based recordkeeping program. This system enables out-of-town relatives to access your information without having to be at your computer.

The Past:

Tommy’s Artwork and Great Aunt Betty’s Civil War Candlesticks

And now we land in the past — all the “stuff” that you’ve built up over the years but isn’t utilized enough to merit its own container, folder, or label. When sorting through this category of belongings, Wagoner encourages the use of the “five-year test”; that is, when you look at an object, ask yourself if you will even remember it in five years. If not, get rid of it now rather than later, because the only purpose the object is serving is to take up your time to keep it clean.

Here are some scenarios to consider:

Pick your favorites

Tommy was the best artist in his third-grade class. His teacher displayed his paintings in the hall all year and told you that you might have a real artist on your hands.

But now, 30 years later, Tommy is Dr. Thomas, and the closest he gets to painting is the scrawl he uses to sign off on prescriptions. So do you really need all 50 of his elementary school art projects?

Utter and Wagoner agree: The best thing to do is pick your favorites and get rid of the rest.

“Frame your favorite painting,” Utter says. “Hang it on a wall because it makes you happy.”

Re-gift and recycle

The “favorite” principle applies when you have multiples of things that all serve the same purpose.

Utter says, “If you have four sets of dishes, are you going to use them all? Probably not. “Give them away to people who really need them. In that way, you’re giving your favorite stuff new life.”

Besides donating to the Red Cross or Salvation Army, you can be creative in your recycling. For example, Wagoner suggests gathering up old greeting cards and donating them to your local elementary school so students can use them for art collages.

If the only reason you are holding on to something is because you’re afraid you might need it later, consider if another person might benefit from having it now.

“It’s upsetting at first, but it’s freeing to let go,” Wagoner says. “Ultimately the memories we have are in our minds.”

Make an heirloom catalog

The only thing Great Aunt Betty left you when she died were the silver candlesticks her mother saved before their farm burned down during the Civil War. Are you going to pick one candlestick and get rid of the rest? Hardly.

But what you can do is make a catalog of such heirlooms. Wagoner suggests numbering your most precious possessions and keeping a notebook to write down the significance of and the memories attached to each object. This also helps you remember what you want done with each heirloom when you are gone.

“Do it while you’re still in charge,” Wagoner says.

“Don’t bring it in”

Once you have recycled all you can, Utter and Wagoner again agree: Don’t bring in more stuff.

“If you’re a packrat, don’t go to places where you know you’re going to buy a lot,” Utter says.

“The less you have, the easier it is to keep organized.”

According to Wagoner, when you have less, “the possessions no longer possess you and you have more time for the people in your life.”

And that, Ebenezer, is what life is all about. When your home is organized, you will feel freer to invite others into your home and you will be able to enjoy the parts of your life that will outlast any home you have or any object within it.

You can contact Tracie Utter at 502-291-6890 or www.utterlyorganized.net; you can reach Mona Wagoner at 812-944-9525 or www.smoothtransitionssi.com.