How To : Keep a Contact Log

If you are making a request, seeking information or attempting to correct a problem, you'll want a record of what has been advised, promised or denied from individuals or companies your are dealing with. A simple note in your household notebook will help jog your memory for basic maintenance and service. But if your situation requires ongoing contact, a dedicated contact log may be needed.

A detailed log includes:

01. Date
02. Contact Name
03. Company Name
04. Phone Number
05. Discussion Points
06. Action Required
07. Agreements Made
08. Confirmation Numbers

After contact, confirm in writing your discussion, include actions required, agreements made and timetable for completion. Make sure to send confirmations by return receipt requested mail. If you fax or email, request a written response for receipt of confirmation.

Download JOYS™ Contact Log if you want to add a log to any subject in your household notebook.

If you prefer to keep your log on you computer, check out My Little Note Saver shareware for your pc or Mac Journal for your mac. But remember, logging on the computer doesn't carry as much weight in court.

07 Seven Good Reasons : Why Keep a Contact Log?

If you are the victim of identity theft or have a child or family member with an ongoing medical condition or you are collecting child support it is vital you keep a contact log. The truth is people make mistakes. And someone else's mistake can hurt you. You will be the best keeper of information that supports you.

Staying organized and keeping a contact log helps you:

01. Bring your situation to a quicker resolution.
02. Return your life back to a more normal state.
03. Discredit inaccuracies and exaggerations.
04. Appear and be more knowledgeable.
05. Prove possible violations of court orders, law or policy.
06. Clarify thoughts and memories of incidents.
07. Provide clues to locating helpful records.

What to Do : I Lost My Wallet.

Take action quickly. For legal and tax purposes - keep a log of all conversations, including dates, names and phone numbers. Also note time spent and keeps receipts for any expenses incurred.

First : Place a Fraud Alert on Your Credit Account. Don’t be frustrated if you never speak to a live person.

Second : File a Police Report. Keep a copy in a safe location and make a note of the report number. You may need it in the future.

Third : If you know what’s in your wallet, start making phone calls. If you don’t know what’s in your wallet, take a breath, it's ok.

Read the straightforward information from the Identity Theft Information Center. It provides a checklist to help you remember what was in your wallet, actions to take and numbers to call.

Even if you know what’s in your wallet, I might make one more suggestion. Print the information from the Identity Theft Information Center today and put it in your household binder or with the copies you made. Don’t waste time searching for this valuable information when you really need.

Do You Know : What’s in your wallet?

If your wallet was lost or stolen, how quickly could you notify all your financial institutions? What phone number would you call? What if you were on a trip and didn’t have quick access your files?

It could take forever to locate all the number on all your cards. Besides that, could you even remember everything you had in your wallet? Save yourself some time and reduce stress. Make a copy of all the important stuff in your wallet. Front and back. Then file it away in a very safe and secure place.

If you have a computer and scanner, it takes less than 15 minutes!

01 Step : Review. Take everything out of your wallet and check it out. Ask yourself…Do I need to be carrying this with me? Does it have my social security number on it? (If the answer is yes to this question, it should not be in your wallet.)

02 Step : Scan. Arrange as many cards as possible on your scanning bed and scan.

03 Step : Scan. Flip to scan the other side.

04 Step : Print. You may wish to print the document containing the front of your cards and then flip the paper to print on the back.

05 Step : Check. Review your printouts. Make sure you can read the contact phone numbers. It may help to write the phone number next to the card. (Those numbers are always printed so small!)

06 Step : Delete. Any scans you saved on your hard drive. You don’t need them. And make sure you shred any printed pages you are not going to file safely away.

07 Step : File. The pages you just created should be kept in a secure location. File in your Vital File.

Please Note : If your Drivers License, (or any card for that matter) is displaying your Social Security Number it is time to request a new one. It’s may even be law.

Second Thought : Don't Toss Your Manuals

Some organizing experts suggest tossing your product manuals. Reason being, “You can just get online to find the information you need.”

It is a good chance you will have to refer to a manual during the life of any product, so I have to respectfully disagree. I like my paper references for so many reasons.

1. What if your computer is experiencing “technical difficulties”?
2. What if your internet "connection goes down"?
3. What if there is a "power outage"?
4. Even if you can get online, how long will you have to search for the information you “specifically need"?
5. After finally finding the information, you’re probably going to want to print it out, because your computer doesn't provide "viewing flexibility".
6. Now what if your printer is experiencing “technical difficulties”?

I could go on…but in my humble opinion : Save some time and fileyour manuals.

30 Days : To Less Clutter

Let go of one thing. Go for it. Get rid of something. Just one thing. It can be anything.

1. The lonely sock waiting for his mate to return from the dryer.
2. The non-stick frying pan that has been scrubbed free of it’s non-stick powers.
3. Any catalog dated 2005. It’s 2006, the prices have probably changed anyway.

It’s less overwhelming when you let go of old stuff a little at a time. Once you start you may not be able to stop. So go ahead. Toss something. If you can’t bear to toss it give it away. But get rid of it.

Do this everyday for the next 30 days and you’ll have less clutter in no time.

01 One Simple Rule : Helping You Organize Life.

Use it, need it or toss it, unless it makes you smile. This one simple rule can help you keep everything in your life organized.

The main focus of JOYS™ is to help you get your personal papers and information organized. But eliminating clutter in all areas of your home and life will certainly help you find balance.

Just start with a few small things. The feeling you get from letting something go will snowball. Take a few minutes each day to get rid of something you no longer need or use. If you haven’t used IT or needed IT in the past year, it is time to let go. If IT is still in good working condition you may want to Sell It, Donate It or Trade It.

Be honest with yourself. Selling and trading stuff take time and energy. What is your time worth to you? Someone may truly benefit from your generosity. Stop hanging onto things because you think you can make a few bucks. Having more space and less clutter is worth a lot more that a couple dollars.

More of Everything that is Good in Life.

That is my New Year's Resolution.

I admit New Year’s has never been one of my favorite holidays. I used to think the coming year was going to be so much easier and so much better than previous year. Make a few resolutions and everything will change.

I have come to accept a lot about those expectations recently. I don’t make New Year’s resolutions anymore. Instead, one commitment I made a few years ago is helping me have more of everything.

I made a commitment to eliminate the chaos, clutter and crap in my life. That meant cleaning out my closets and quitting my job. It meant getting organized and staying organized.

It meant letting go of a lot of things.

Well here I am, three years later, and I have more of everything. I have more time for family and more energy to enjoy life. I am more creative, charitable and patience. I eat better, exercise more and have less stress.

I am still working on more money, but when you quit your job to follow a dream, you have to be willing to work a little bit harder for some things.

I love the New American Dream’s take on the Top Ten New Year’s Resolutions.

This blog is for all of you who want to make one commitment that could help you realize many or all of your New Year’s Resolutions.

Wishing you more of everything that is good in life and much joy!

Just Organize Your Stuff

Why Get organized?

More Time.
Good records provide facts necessary to shorten the time it takes to do almost anything. Easily resolve an issue, file insurance claims, collect government benefits, prepare income tax returns,order a pizza or find something when you need it.

More Money.
Good records provide proof of agreements made and costs paid. Spend less replacing things you misplaced or repairing things you never had time to maintain.

Less Chaos.
If or when someone makes a mistake or official records are lost or destroyed, your records may be needed to support claims. Because nobody is perfect, keeping good records verifies agreements, transactions, ownership and personal wishes.

Emergency Preparation.
In the event of an accident or emergency, good records support personal information, financial and health history and ownership. Provide medical professionals information that may be critical to your care or the care of a loved one.

Income Tax Support.
Uncle Sam makes it your responsibility to supply proof to support tax returns. Keeping good records substantiate your tax deductions.

Identity and Financial Protection.
Banks and others make it your responsibility to clear up debt with all financial accounts in your name, whether you created the account or not. Keeping good records helps make this overwhelming task a bit more bearable.

Ownership Protection.
Keeping good records provides the support necessary to settle estates, file for insurance claims or express wishes regarding ownership transfer.

Goals and Personal Support.
Keeping good records provides all the details necessary to help you ponder and achieve life's dreams.

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