something every girl needs?
You need things that will actually help you in real life and one of the most practical and most unglamorous things I do that I think everyone should be doing is maintaining a comprehensive personal document folder and I mean genuinely comprehensive, not the version most people have which is a few important things loosely organized in a drawer somewhere. This is the kind of thing that feels unnecessary until the moment it becomes urgent and by then it is too late to wish you had been more organized about it. Here is how I structure mine.
Identity and personal documents.
Passport: original and multiple high quality copies. National ID card. Birth certificate: original and certified copies. Proof of citizenship or residency. Any name change documentation if applicable. Social security or national identification number documentation. Emergency contact information written down and not just stored in a phone that could be lost or broken.
Legal and financial documents.
Any contracts you have signed. Rental agreements, employment contracts, service agreements. Bank account documentation. Investment account statements kept at least annually. Tax returns for every year going back as far as you have them. Any legal correspondence you have ever received. Power of attorney documentation if you have one. Will or estate planning documents if applicable. Loan agreements and repayment records. Evidence of any significant financial transactions.
Academic and professional documents.
Every diploma and degree certificate in original form. All transcripts in their original language and in official certified English translation because you will need both at some point and getting sworn translations retroactively is a bureaucratic nightmare. Every professional certification and license you hold. Continuing education certificates. Reference letters and letters of recommendation, keep these even when you think you no longer need them. Admission letters from every institution you attended. Scholarship award letters and any correspondence related to funding. Any published work or official recognition of professional achievement.
This is the section I feel most strongly about and the one most people neglect most catastrophically. Your medical history is one of the most important documents you own.
A written summary of every doctor's visit. Add date, doctor's name and specialty, reason for visit, findings, recommendations, any medications prescribed. Every single lab result printed and filed in chronological order. Blood tests, urine tests, hormone panels, everything. Every ECG and any cardiac documentation. Every scan (MRI, CT, ultrasound, X-ray) with the radiologist's report attached. Vaccination records. Any surgical records and post operative reports. Dental records and X-rays. Vision prescription history. Any mental health assessments or psychological evaluations. A current list of every medication you take or have taken with dosages. A list of every known allergy. A list of every condition you have been diagnosed with formally or informally. The contact information of every doctor and specialist you see or have seen. A new doctor in a new city or a new country cannot help you as effectively as they could if you walk in with a complete and organized medical history versus walking in with nothing and trying to remember. The difference in the quality of care you receive is significant and entirely within your control and your health is the most valuable things you own.
Government and official correspondence.
Every letter you have ever received from any government body or governmental organization filed chronologically. Health insurance policy documents and confirmation of coverage. Any correspondence related to benefits, entitlements, or government programs. Tax correspondence and any notices from revenue authorities. Immigration documents if applicable. Visas, residence permits, work permits, every stamp and every approval. Vehicle registration and driving license documentation. Property documents if applicable.
Receipts and purchase records.
Every receipt. I keep receipts the way some people keep grudges ( thoroughly, indefinitely) and you never know when you will need one. Digitally where possible using a dedicated folder in your email or a scanning app, physically in a dedicated section of your folder for anything that only exists on paper. Warranties and proof of purchase for every significant item you own. Receipts for any item you might need to return, claim on insurance, or prove the condition of at a specific point in time. Travel receipts and accommodation confirmations going back further than you think is necessary.
Everything in this folder should exist in at least two digital formats stored in different locations. A cloud backup and an external hard drive at minimum. Scan every physical document at the highest resolution available to you. Organize your digital folder with exactly the same structure as your physical one. Update both simultaneously whenever something new needs to be added. A fire, a flood, a break in, a lost bag... any of these can destroy a physical folder overnight and your digital backup is what stands between you and having to reconstruct everything from scratch.
Keep everything. Organize it properly. Review it twice a year and update it immediately whenever something changes. Your future self is going to need this and she is going to be very grateful that you took it seriously when you did not yet feel the urgency of it.
theartofmadeline
areudirty
jacobvanloon
turnnoffyourmind
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