What is it about Recordkeeping that makes it so difficult to do at times?
As I get into the topic of recordkeeping, I learned that it is a much broader topic than this Blog has time to address. Recordkeeping addresses an array of matters for which records are created. In my opinion, there are two significant elements of recordkeeping, they are the emotional side (how I feel about recordkeeping) and the reasoning side (what I think about recordkeeping).
First, I want to address the emotional side. Is it fun to do? Is it tedious to do? Do I feel rewarded in any way by doing it? Do I criticize myself for not doing it? Is recordkeeping a self-imposed task? Or, is it a task that has been imposed upon a person by a third party such as an employer or the government (either local, state or federal)? How one feels about keeping a record has a direct impact on the task of recordkeeping.
Second, let’s address the reasoning side. Is recordkeeping relevant to what a person does, either in a person’s profession or in their own personhood? What is the purpose of which records are kept? What records are important to maintain such as a checking account, whether it is computerized or on paper or a check register? Or, a record of items that are deductible on a Federal or State income tax return. How a person utilizes time is an element of recordkeeping. Most certainly, an employer is time conscious of how the employees utilize time. But is the employer aware how he/she utilizes time?
How does a person know which or what kinds of tasks/events are important to record? There is no uniform answer to this question because we now get into the question of prioritizing tasks or events. Time management occurs every day for a person. Establishing a routine is a way of managing time. The routine does not involve recordkeeping necessarily, however, it does involve maintaining a consistent pattern of living.
Obviously, this is not an exhaustive analysis of recordkeeping. All I am trying to do is issue a challenge to you to think about recordkeeping and how you relate to it and how it relates to you. How a person feels about recordkeeping and what you think about recordkeeping have a direct impact of what and how records are created and hopefully maintained.
by Ned Miller (Retired)