Organization Frustration

I took a small break for a few days from my genealogy to do some work on this blog and to set up another blog that I have on this site as well and now I am extremely frustrated. See when last I worked on my family tree I come back to my room and put my folder and notebook in the same spot that I normally do. Now two days later I can't find it. I have torn my room almost apart looking and it is no where to be found. I don't understand; where could it be? This is why organization is so important.

My father has a very complexed but apparently better organizational system than I do. I have one folder, a notebook, and a few paperclips and I am happy. My father has multiple folders, copies of back forms, information written in triplicate, and two briefcases full of information. And I bet he would never lose a single part of it.

Maybe there is something to be said for having papers spread all over the place and written over and over again. I thought I was being more productive than him because where he has so much to carry I only have a handful but here I am searching for printouts and he could more than likely go down to his office and put his hand right on whatever piece of information he sought. Where is the justice in that?

So the moral of this story is; always put your information in a place that is easily accessible and make sure that you have backup copies of everything. Even if that takes multiple folders and briefcases full of papers. It will all pay off in the end.