How to Organize Your Contacts

You have a lot of great options when you finally upgrade that address
book you've had since college. Paper-based planners, contact management software, personal digital assistants (PDAs) and mobile phones can all help you get your contact information in order.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Decide if you're an ink-and-paper person or if you like to deal in digital.

2. Use only one address filing medium. Don't keep separate books for home, work and other activities; instead, keep all the information in a single address book that's broken out into categories.

3. Collect all your addresses before entering them. Don't forget club rosters, alumni address books, community resources, doctors and professional associations, in addition to your personal address book. Check that addresses are current and correct, and update those that aren't.

4. Keep track of birthday and holiday cards, who you sent them to, and who sent them to you, and file reminders in your tickler system.

Tips & Warnings

• PDAs and mobile phones equipped with Bluetooth can synchronize with Bluetoothenabled computers if they're within a few feet of each other--and you don't have any cables or cradles to worry about.
• Protect your information against loss. If you have a paper organizer, photocopy it regularly. If your system is electronic, synchronize and back up often, and don't let the batteries run down.