As part of my ongoing GTD Thirty Day Challenge, I wanted to talk about how you should set up a tickler file.
After listening to some of David Allen's conversations, I think he uses 43 folders for his tickler file. The 43 folders are 12 for each month and 31 for each day. If it is January, I'd have 31 folder into the January folder of my months. After each day, I'd take that day's folder and move it behind the next month, in this case February. If it's the 20th, the previous folder for days 1-19 would be behind the February folder now.
Now, how do you use it? Today, I had a bill I learned I had to pay on February 3. I don't want to forget it, so I would put it behind my February 3 tab. When that day rolls around, I check my tickler file and it prompts 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.
Next, I created a folder in my email account called "Yahoo Reminders". You'll see this folder if you look at the image of my email folder structure in How To Set Up Your GTD Email. I then set up a filter for all Yahoo Reminders to go into this specific folder and not in my inbox for processing.
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.
Using the example above, the bill that's due on the third of February gets entered onto my calendar as an all day event like "pay this bill" and an email reminder gets sent to me 2 days before that date. Then I slip the bill 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%
Once you learn how to set up a tickler file in this fashion, you'll find it ideal for maximum effectiveness.
After listening to some of David Allen's conversations, I think he uses 43 folders for his tickler file. The 43 folders are 12 for each month and 31 for each day. If it is January, I'd have 31 folder into the January folder of my months. After each day, I'd take that day's folder and move it behind the next month, in this case February. If it's the 20th, the previous folder for days 1-19 would be behind the February folder now.
Now, how do you use it? Today, I had a bill I learned I had to pay on February 3. I don't want to forget it, so I would put it behind my February 3 tab. When that day rolls around, I check my tickler file and it prompts 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.
Next, I created a folder in my email account called "Yahoo Reminders". You'll see this folder if you look at the image of my email folder structure in How To Set Up Your GTD Email. I then set up a filter for all Yahoo Reminders to go into this specific folder and not in my inbox for processing.
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.
Using the example above, the bill that's due on the third of February gets entered onto my calendar as an all day event like "pay this bill" and an email reminder gets sent to me 2 days before that date. Then I slip the bill 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%
Once you learn how to set up a tickler file in this fashion, you'll find it ideal for maximum effectiveness.
About the Author:
Dojo Kuhn has been practicing GTD since 2005. To help you set up their Getting Things Done system, he wrote a free GTD Thirty Day Challenge that you can use to help you set up your system. You can also find a walkthrough of how to set up a tickler file that shows you how he uses a tickler file.
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