“It’s around here somewhere… I just saw a file with related information… it must be in this same drawer…”

5 minutes later, still no username and password for the website hosting account. I was there, in a client’s office, ready to empower her to do her own website updating. She was there, ready, excited to update her website after months of inactivity… if only she could find the username and password of her hosting account.

Her feeling of confoundment expressing through her voice, “It has to be right around here! What did I do with it?!?”

Finally, we called the hosting company. Whew! All good. Account information is now on paper, ready for access. Unfortunately, the search epsiode ate into a good portion of our meeting time.

What’s the best system/place for passwords? There are several possibilities: written on a slip of paper and put in a file (the vendor file? a “passwords” file?), written on a slip of paper and put in the desk drawer (likely to have same results as above when you most need it), written down and posted on the bulletin board by the desk (clutter city). You may think of a few other places.

I put my domain and web hosting info on the domain name registration info form that lives in my Reference Binder.

You know, I don’t think I’ve formally introduced the Reference Binder. This binder lives in easy arm’s reach of your workstation and has the following info:

Action Forms

• username and password list (blank available for free download when you sign up for our newsletter)
• important monthly bill pay info (also available when you sign up for newsletter)
• travel logs (on the freebies page)
• domain name registration info (also available when you sign up for newsletter)
• media checkout (also available when you sign up for newsletter)

Reference

• phone lists that don’t warrant entry into digital address book
• packing list
• some computer instructions specific to your usage

This binder is very handy for frequent business travelers too because you can just drop the whole thing in your travel bag. Knowing that you’ll be carrying it with you helps combat the desire to fill it up.

Keep it strictly for the basics, the frequently used information, and use a narrow, light binder.

More on the other forms forthcoming.