How to Organize Your Address Book

​It’s hot outside, 90 degrees in Athens today. If you are spending more time indoors then why not spend it organizing? When is the last time you organized your address book (paper or digital), business cards, files (digital and paper), junk drawer, sock drawer, kitchen, craft area, photos, wrapping paper, book shelves, basement, attic, garage and much more?

A few years ago I challenged my Newsletter readers to organize 1 particular area of their home or office each month and I want to bring that back. Are you up for the challenge?
I challenge you to organize your address book(s) this month. All of your address books: paper and digital. You may have multiple books for different areas of your life:

• Friends
• Family
• Professionals
• Physicians
• Repair Service Companies
• Church
• Volunteer Activities
• School
• Business
  • Colleagues
  • People you meet at Conventions
  • People you meet through Associations and Networking
•  Kids
  • School
  • Activities

Contacts in your address books need to be organized in a way where you can find the information you are looking for. As you can see in the list above it can get complicated quickly. I certainly can’t remember the names of every person I associate with or have done business with. It is imperative that I organize my address book in a logical manner for me. I no longer use a paper address book and I’m sure many of you do not either.
How to Organize an Address Book (paper and digital):

• Merge duplicates 
• Clean up contacts information
• Delete contacts
• Add contacts
• Add notes to contacts for example I know John through my son’s soccer team and his son’s name is Austin.
• File under business type or professional type, if you don’t think you will remember the contacts name. For example Plumber John’s Plumbing, Painting Southern Painting Co., Doctor Dr. Smith Dermatologist for all of your doctors, Hair Dresser, Etcetera
• If you purchased a new address book for this project make sure to THROW away or shred the old one when your done

If you decide to play along and actually organize your address book this month….or in the next few months I would love to hear from you.

Happy Organizing!
Adele Gross 

---