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Business Management How To Set Up A Tickler File
Business Management How To Set Up A Tickler File
| How To Set Up A Tickler File |
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| Written by Dojo Kuhn |
| Friday, 30 January 2009 08:36 |
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As part of my ongoing GTD Thirty Day Challenge, I wanted to talk about how you should set up a tickler file. From what I can tell, David Allen is a big believer in the 43 folders tickler file. If you haven't seen a tickler file before, it is 12 folders for each month and 31 folders for each day. Right now it's January so I'd have my 31 folders behind January. As each day passes, I'd move the previous date behind February. Since today is the 21st for me. Folders for days 1-20 would now be behind the February tab. How does this work? Let's say I got a bill today that I was due on February 3. Since it's important that I remember, I would put it in the February 3rd folder. When February 3 arrives, I would look in my tickler file and it reminds me to pay the bill. If you asked me, I think using 43 folders for my tickler file is not the best way to set up a tickler file. First, it's hard to remember to check the tickler each day. You'll be asking yourself, "how do I remind myself to check the tickler file?" Secondly, it's very bulky and not very portable. Third, when you move the folders for each day to the next month you have to take items in that months folder and put them in the right day. The tickler file is essential to your GTD set up, however, because you have to remember future items. If you have a lot of physical items then the tickler file is the way to go. In my case, I don't have tons of physical items and so here is my solution to the above problems with a tickler file. Setting Up A Tickler File The first thing to do is to create a plastic folder for your briefcase called "Waiting For" and put all the things you need to remember in the future in it. After I have my "Waiting For" folder set up, next I would create a folder called "Yahoo Reminders" in my email account. You can see how I set this up if you read my article on How To Set Up Your GTD email. Then filter all of your reminders directly to this folder so they bypass your inbox. The final component of my tickler file setup is Yahoo calendar. Anything I need to remember on a certain day gets entered as an all day event. An email reminder is associated with the event and a email goes out 2 days before I need to remember to do it. I also have it send me a text as a backup. So, let's take the above scenario again. I got a bill today that I need to remember on the 3rd of February. I go to my Yahoo! calendar and enter an all day event "Pay important bill" with a reminder scheduled for two days prior. I then take the bill and put it in my "Waiting For" folder in my briefcase. On the 1st day of February, I get a Yahoo reminder that reminds me about the bill that needs to be paid on the third and it goes directly into my Yahoo reminder folder in my email account. In addition, a text goes out as well giving me a backup on my blackberry in case I can't get to my Yahoo reminder's folder in my email account. I review my blackberry text messages every day and review my reminders folder too as well if I have access to it. This setup is especially lightweight and extremely portable. It reminds me of everything so I do not have to remember to check. I also don't have to move stuff around in my tickler file. If you don't use email reminders, you really don't have any idea how valuable they can be. My suggestion is use them, even if you use the 43 folders as your tickler file. They will improve your GTD system 100% That is my version of how to set up a tickler file for maximum effectiveness. About the Author: Dojo Kuhn has been using GTD since 2005. To assist you set up their Getting Things Done system, he created a free GTD Thirty Day Challenge that you can use to assist you set up your system. You can also find a video of how to set up a tickler file that shows you how he uses a tickler file. Kindly provided by MoneyHunter.org You are welcome to use this article on your own website, if you include the link just before this text. |
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