Slice of Life
Being Prepared for Almost Anything
Does it seem like you’re living from one emergency to another? One unexpected event to the
next? Do you feel lost and out of control as a result?
Are you always thinking, "If I could just have a couple of hours to myself, I could clean this mess and organize my life!"
The truth is, we don’t usually have a couple of hours to deal with anything. Usually, it’s ten
minutes here, twenty minutes there.
Is that enough time to do anything productive? You bet! In fact, fifteen minutes at a time is the best way to get things done.
This little article is only long enough for us to talk about one small aspect of being prepared for
almost anything, so let’s talk about the Notebook of Power.
Imagine being able to reach out your hand and grab all the important paperwork you need. A
place where numbers, directions, and medical information is ready for reference. This place has a name:
THE NOTEBOOK OF POWER
Set your phone timer or stove-top timer for 15 minutes and get a three-ring binder or folder with blank pages.
On page one, write your street address and phone number. Describe your home and how to
get there. This page of your notebook will be here if your children or a babysitter needs to call 9-1-1. Or in case your relatives need to know how to find you without GPS.
Do a little bit each day.
Next, gather the following information and put it in your
Notebook of Power:
1) Important phone numbers for your children or a caregiver to reference.
2) Powerful numbers for each member of your household – insurance ID numbers, social security numbers, dates of birth, and account numbers.
3) Have a plan to control access to the above page in an emergency, because not everyone should be able to see it.
4) Medical History of each person in your household – include names of medications and whether they have any medical directives.
5) If you have sheet protectors, you can put paperwork into your Notebook. Certificates,
professional licenses, custody papers, school papers, and anything else you need to access fairly regularly.
In a few days or weeks of diligent effort, you’ll find your Notebook has taken on its own life and
shape. It’s yours. You’ll find many reasons to use it - especially when you’re on the phone!
You will no longer look desperately through a stack of papers looking for that number/paper/test
result while someone waits for you on the other end of the line.
Finally, stow the Notebook in its own place on a shelf in your office or kitchen. Train yourself to
return it to its place every time you use it, so you always know where it is.
Interested in more ways to get your house in order? Check out Flylady.net. Flylady has a free program that really helped me get better prepared for the next emergency.
Everything in this article plus printables and a whole lot more are inside my book, A WEEK AWAY
available at Amazon.com See details below for how to win a free copy of your own!
~ Sylvia ~
