Trafford Publishing: All In One Place

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All In One Place

by Jane Briscoe

68 pages; quality trade paperback (softcover); catalogue #02-0724; ISBN 1-55395-011-9; US$12.32, C$15.95, EUR10.40, £7.21

Handy fill-in organizer for life's details, with instructions on how to keep track of important documents and information so they're always at your fingertips.

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about the book about the author sample excerpts or Table of Contents catalogue info

About the Book

All In One Place is a fill-in guide for organizing your life information. The book contains instructions for having your information and documents always available and at your fingertips. It is a jumping-off point for getting your life, home and office completely organized.
We are not a paperless society. Hard-copy documents such as insurance policies, birth certificates, and mortgage agreements are a fact of life. All In One Place provides the tools to help access life information on a moment's notice, and avoid the frustration and time used up in searching for papers.
Completing this book provides a sense of accomplishment and relief. All in One Place is for everyone!

About the Author

Jane Briscoe began her career as an owner/operator of a private trade school. She continued in education as an administrator and instructor in the Ontario Community College system. She has had ownership in four successful businesses and is currently a corporate training consultant, writer and speaker. Her formal education is in Psychology and Education.

Sample Excerpts

INTRODUCTION

In a post September 11 article, the Wall Street Journal reminds us that we are still a hard-copy society for basic information and reinforces the need for knowing where you records are. They state: "Probably the most important thing you can do is list what documents you have and where they are. And make sure family members and those who need access to them know where to find this master list." (Wall Street Journal, October 10, 2001)

Researchers tell us that the greatest source of strees is not feeling in control.
Travellers needing information can easily direct family or friends to All In One Place.
Executors (often family) lament the huge amount of time and work involved.
Millions of dollars in stocks, bank accounts, and other assets go unclaimed because heirs don't know about them.

Those are four good reasons to get your infomation together and get organized.

Get in control and enjoy the process. It feels good. Make it easy to locate information. A friend of mine lost her purse and had to produce her marriage certificate for proof of name! This was a major feat after many moves and little motivation to keep it. This book provides a written record of personal and business information, where to loacte documents, and a whole lot more you probably never thought of. It can also be a history book - a keepsake of your memories, medical family history, mementos; you can add your family tree and photographs. It can be whatever you want it to be. This is a starting point. Get creative with the blank pages.

Another friend, working through the book, told me, "I found out by doing this that one my health insurance policies has been cancelled." And yet another friend told me "I'm too embarrassed to die. My family thinks I'm so organized." So he got organized and feels great about it. And my daughter, travelling in Europe lost her wallet. The phone numbers she was given there didn't work and she had to call home for the right ones.

Tell your family about this book and where to find it. Fill out a wallet-sized card with its location, and place where they will find it - perhaps with your drivers license. You may want to purchase a fireproof box available at office supplies stores.

It is important to update the information on a regular basis. Write appointments in your calendar or daytimer/planner as often as you feel it is necessary (e.g. monthly, quarterly, semi-annualy). And keep those appointments. If you have to reschedule, fine, but don't ignore those dates.

Putting this information together can be just the beginning of getting organized for you. Let it be the catalyst for getting your house, files, garage, computer and life in order. It's a real stress-buster and will leave you free to do the important things in life. Have fun!

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

GENERAL INFORMATION

Simplify your life. Start the easy way with the organization of personal information. The skill can be transferred to your workplace. With phone, fax, e-mail, voice mail, regular mail, letters, memos, junk mail and so on, you don't have time to be disorganized.

This book will help you get and stay in control. You will pull all your documents together, organize the material, record the information and have everything at your fingertips. And if you don't think that is important for you, talk to anyone who has been an executor to a will. It is a constant scavenger hunt. They just get the lawyer's instructions completed with a sigh and then there is a whole new list to look for. No one wants to leave behind a mess for their heirs to deal with.

With the last few years, I started to think about how much I travel. Would my kids know about the insurance provided by certain cards when I book my flights on them? Would they have any idea where to find documents? Do even I have any idea where to find documents?

So I began the process of going through the records, documents, asking questions and gathering up the information I needed to make me feel in control. As I completed the pages, I felt a weight lifting and I was actully enjoying doing this.

Families have become estranged over disagreements over their parents' wishes. Write a will and keep a list here of which items go to whom. Leave no doubt, no loose ends. Make your wishes known. You don't want the family in knots about your stuff when you're gone. And it happens way too often.

Get the habit of getting organized.

This is a first step - a manageable step - in getting your life organized. It has been said "learning doesn't take place until behavior is changed." If organization skills are not your strong suit, take charge, get started and watch your skills grow, simplifying your life.

Think about how you feel when you have organized, cleaned up, and got rid of annoying clutter. You wonder how you let the stuff bother you for so long. Cleaning up was the easy part compared with the mental burden of disarray. Feng Shui, the art of placement to provide smooth energy flow, has become mainstream. It is not surprising.

Consider this book a course in "Life Management". Organization consultants will tell you to have a plan and start small. This is your jumping-off point to getting organized.

What is here?

Thorough, organized complete information to share with your families
Lessons in how to reduce clutter to make you life more productive
An opportunity to come away with that light, content feeling of accomplishment
A means of making your wishes known
A method for you to "get it together and keep it together"
A very practical gift for your family

How to use this kit:

Start anywhere. Start now with the information that is at your fingertips. For example, open your wallet and begin recording your credit card numbers.
Fill in the blanks on the appropriate pages.
Place documents or copies of them (if originals are in a safety deposit box) in a folder.
Select a place to keep thins package of information. Tell your family about it and its location.
Remind them of it before you go on any trips.
Go to www.oneplace.ca for more information.

Catalogue Information