By Mary Lynne Murray
Reprinted from Contra Costa Times, September 13, 2003
DO YOU KNOW where your friends and family are? If you've fallen
behind in your address upkeep -- with scraps of paper bulging
from the seams of your book -- you're probably suffering from
address-ache. You may have addresses and phone numbers scribbled
on anything from gum wrappers to napkins to torn envelopes that
need to be added to your system -- eventually.
Hey, it's perfectly understandable: There's a whole lot of movement
goin' on. Approximately 16 million Americans will move this year.
Keeping up with the sheer volume of changes is a challenge.
But there is another reason for the abundance of scratched-out
entries in our books. Folks have multiple places of contact these
days: phone, address (street and electronic), fax, for both home
and work. Add cell phones, beepers, second homes, changing area
codes due to the proliferation of phone numbers, and ZIP code
changes to the mix, and our organizing tools and skills are put
to the test.
It doesn't matter so much what product you use to contain your
contacts; use what works for you. I prefer to use ACT! (www.act.com),
an electronic contact management system, supplemented by a traditional
paper-and-pencil method from Time Design (www.timedesign.com).
ACT! has limitless capacity for information, which can be accessed
by a variety of look-up options. On the other hand, my family
can easily find numbers they need in my paper-and-pencil address
book, which transfers easily from year to year because of the
binder format, which is compact and portable. Whether you use
a version of the Little Black Book or PalmPilot, now is the time
to end address agony.
My friend, Mark, made the switch to PDA after losing his address
book, not once but twice. My daughter Jacey learned the hard way
what can happen when phone numbers were stored solely in her cell
phone. When the phone died -- permanently -- it took some time
to replace all those numbers. The same could happen with running
out of juice or losing your phone, so it's advisable to have a
backup, whatever method you're using.
Organize your addresses in a way that makes sense to you. I always
organize by last name, but who says you can't do it by first name.
Organize the way you think. It's your system; make it work for
you.
Take some
time to gather those numbers scribbled and jammed in various cubbies.
Check your purse, briefcase, car, in box, piles of paper, and
the back of your address book where the scraps of paper are stashed.
Important: Don't allow yourself to be distracted by other information
and paper you come across. Stick to your mission. Do, however,
keep a large notepad handy to jot any to-dos that you notice as
you peruse for 411s.
Start a new
practice/habit of handling address information. Establish a home
for incoming contact info: a file, envelope, basket, etc. Anytime
you get a business card, mail, or address change, drop it in your
file. Then update periodically, perhaps while watching television.
Now that
you've gathered, it's time to make those addresses usable/accessible.
Enter them in your system. If you use a paper system, write in
pencil, and you'll have a much cleaner address book. Both www.Levenger.com
and www.Flexaddress.com
have paper versions that allow for easy address changes.
You'll be able to write a timely thank-you note, give helpful
referrals to friends or act on opportunities because the information
will be at your fingertips, in one consistent spot. No more frustrating
"I know it's here somewhere" searches.
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