Wondering if you should organize your personal documents at home?

It sounds like a good idea, but you just haven’t culled all the paperwork from your files.

There’s no time like the present, so why not get started now?

In this post, you’ll find a few reasons as to why putting personal documents in order is a wise decision.

You’ll also find a few tips to help you organize papers.

You’ll be ready for emergencies.

Hurricanes, tornadoes, tsunamis, floods, fires, earthquakes…let’s face it, things happen.

In an emergency situation, you won’t have much time to go through your belongings to find what you need.

Besides, you’ve got other things to worry about.

You and your family’s safety, food, water, clothing, medicine, first aid supplies, and the like.

Having your personal documents together in one location can make the process so much easier.

You just grab the documents, and go.

Gather and store your personal documents in secure fire-proof safe or bank facility.

You may also consider wrapping them in an airtight and watertight envelope, package, or container.

This is just in case you have to take your documents with you during an emergency.

You need a comprehensive survey of personal items.

When’s the last time you did a thorough review of your personal documents? A couple of months ago?

Perhaps several years ago? A regular survey of your personal items allows you keep things in the front of your mind.

You may come across a long forgotten 401(K) from a past employer, realize your passport is going to expire in two months’ time, or that you’re owed money from a loan you made.

Go through your files, and put together a master list of personal items.

This list could include things like your driver’s license, passport, birth certificate, social security card, immunization and medical records, insurance cards, and so on.

The culling process make take a little while, but your efforts will well be worth it.

Once you finalize your list, leave it with your personal document items, or store it in a secure place in your home like a safe or in a secure bank facility.

You can also create a digital spreadsheet of your personal items and save in a secure password protected computer or secure cloud storage area.

Make a recurring note on your calendar to check the list every six months to see if anything needs to be updated, revised, checked, or added to the list.

You can be better prepared for identity theft.

Identity theft is a big issue in today’s world.

You’ll want to quickly produce copies of your personal identifying information to the authorities in case of an emergency.

Truly, knowing where all of your personal documents are located in this case is crucial.

After you get your documents in order, make backup photocopies or digital scans of documents.

These can be items such as driver’s license, passport, birth certificate, social security card, immunization and medical records, insurance cards, etc.

Date the photocopies so you know when you made them.

You can store these items in a separate secure safe location like a safe or bank facility.

Another option is to use a secure personal document app to store and save your valuable documents.

Learn how to get organized at home

Organizing a home well requires careful thought, planning, and of course, targeted action.

My organization guide will teach you how to be more organized around the home and office.

If you want to organize your home or office so you can find what you need when you need it, then check out my productivity consulting services. Book a strategy session with me today!

How about you? Have you been thinking about organizing your personal documents? Are you going to do so now after reading this post? Join the conversation and leave a comment below!