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In 5 minutes or less, could you access your critical life documents no matter where you are in the case of an unexpected emergency/disaster?

In 5 minutes or less, could you access your critical life documents no matter where you are in the case of an unexpected emergency/disaster? - at your fingertips organizing

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  • In 5 minutes or less, could you access your critical life documents no matter where you are in the case of an unexpected emergency/disaster?
The past year has been an eye-opening experience for me from a Life/Emergency Preparedness perspective.  I’ve always considered myself an organized person when it came to my home, my possessions, my paperwork, etc.   However I had a couple of life-changing events this past year that caused me to become even more focused on this topic. 
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The first event was my permanent move to Myrtle Beach 1 month into its 6-month long Hurricane season.  Before then,
we lived in New England and emergency preparedness was only in the headlines prior to a major weather event.  Despite that, we were prepared with emergency supplies for the occasional power outage, nor’easter, snow/ice storm, etc., whether we had to evacuate or shelter-in-place.  So we were well equipped when we were without power and had to shelter-in-place for 9 days in our NH home due to an ice/snow storm.  Here in Myrtle Beach, SC however,  Horry County Emergency Management does such a fantastic job communicating emergency preparedness year-round that I now think about emergency preparedness daily.   That’s a good thing.

The second life-changing event was the sudden, unexpected passing of my only sibling, my brother, which rocked everyone who knew and loved him to their core.  One day he was a happy-go-lucky guy living his life always wearing that gorgeous smile from ear-to-ear and making everyone around him laugh with his crazy sense of humor.  The next day he was gone… much too young.  My point in sharing this very personal information with you is that we never know which day will be our last so prepare for it well in advance.  

There are 2 critical, time-sensitive questions I want you to ask yourself as the result of my life lessons this past year:   

  • If an emergency were to occur at this very moment and YOU had only 5 minutes to access your critical life/end-of-life documents no matter where your were, would you be able to?  
  • If something happened to you, would YOUR LOVED ONES be able to access them within 5 minutes no matter where they were?

Some of the broad categories of documents I’m referring to include, but are not limited to,  vital documents, identification, medical, legal, financial, emergency contact info, home/office inventory for insurance purposes, business information for those who own their own businesses, account passwords, end-of-life documents, final wishes, letters to loved ones, etc.  Below are additional questions that delve even deeper:

  • Do these documents exist?
  • Do you have at least one “copy” of each?
  • Do you have hard copies?
  • Could they be easily found?
  • Are they in one location so you could “grab and go” if necessary?
  • If so, are they safe from potential fire and/or water damage?
  • Are they on your computer? 
  • If so, are they easily identifiable or could they be easily missed due to your naming conventions/digital filing system?
  • Are they easily accessible if you’re away from home or on vacation?
  • Would your loved ones know how to access them as well either in your home or away from home?

As a Professional Organizer I find that most people are typically overwhelmed by family, work and life in general… so much so that documenting/organizing their critical life documents often takes a back seat to everything else they have going on.  Many say they’ll do it “later”.   But all too often, “later” never comes.  So whether you’re 30, 50 or 80 years old, do yourself a favor and give yourself peace of mind by initiating this process.  And if you’ve already initiated it, take steps to improve your process. And show your loved ones how much you care by preventing undue stress and uncertainty should something sudden/tragic happen to you.  Remember the objective…if an emergency were to occur at this very moment, you want to be able to access your critical life/end-of-life documents in 5 minutes or less no matter where your are! 

I’ll be delving more into some of these categories in more detail in future blogs.  But my goal today was to get you thinking about it and either starting the process or somehow improving your accomplishments to date.  
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Quote:  “Remember; when disaster strikes, the time to prepare has passed.” ~ Steven Cyros ~

Brenda Tringali, Organizing, Productivity & HR Specialist
At Your Fingertips Organizing
Serving Greater Myrtle Beach, SC or “virtually” anywhere (via phone/video)

Cell/Text:     603.490.6062
Email:     Brenda@AtYourFingertipsOrganizing.com
Web:          www.AtYourFingertipsOrganizing.com
Facebook:    @AtYourFingertipsOrganizing
​Instagram:    @AYForganizing
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Brenda Tringali is the owner of At Your Fingertips Organizing. She provides Life/Workplace/Residential Organizing & Productivity services to clients in the Myrtle Beach, SC area & “virtually” anywhere via video, phone, etc.  Drawing from her 30 years of Human Resources/Staffing experience, she also helps clients with HR/Staffing/Job Search needs as well.   Brenda is an active member of NAPO (National Association of Productivity and Organizing professionals).  She is also Chair of the NAPOCares Committee which highlights the community outreach efforts of NAPO members, NAPO Chapters, and NAPO Business Partners as they reach out to share the three “T’s” of Social Responsibility:  their Time, Treasures, and Talents.  

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