My 43 folders were going good until I stopped sleeping at home. It languished for a while until I recently replaced it with this:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0006OLXFQ/

The picture isn't right -- the one I got has 30 divisions for days 1-31 (30 and 31 are combined) and a division for each month. It's a little bulky, but I use it more than I would if I didn't have something I could carry around with me all the time.

Mine worked really great back in the days when I was doing the Sidetracked Home Exec thing and it was actually a card file with 3X5s, which meant it was on the desk in front of me, or even something I carried with me if I decided to work in a different part of the house.

I think carrying a week at the time in the briefcase makes sense for somebody who doesn't work from home. Smart idea.

I fell off the wagon for a few days and didn't look at my tickler file. I'm wondering now whether to consider it just "one of those things" and not overreact, or whether I need to be looking for an "in my face" solution rather than hidden in the drawer.

Since I'm busy right now, and lazy always, I'll probably just let it go and see how well I bounce back.

I have never had the folders. I know full well I would never use them.

I file things into an Accordian Moleskine if they're relevant (I titled my tabs @INBOX, @ACTION, @REFERENCE, etc) pic for the the immeadiate future and physical.

I tickle in my Calendar with all-day appointments. In the appointment is a pointer to either the Moleskine micro-filing cabinet or the big filing cabinet. I know me. I know full well that I think in my heart of hearts that checking folders every day and such will never happen with any degree of reliability. If I can ALERT myself with a message, that is the best way to get me to do anything.

If I had more desk space, I'd seriously consider this for a tickler file.

WARNING: More Levenger Crack

http://www.levenger.com/PAGETEMPLATES/PRODUCT/Product.asp?Params=Category=13-86|PageID=2861|Level=2-3

I think I would use the 43 folders more if the files didn't stand up above my desk. I tried rigging my desktop file basket to the side and back of my desk (not at the same time) so that the top of the basket was flush with the desktop. Nothing ever looked quite right. Maybe that's because I didn't drill holes and such, but I didn't want to go drilling holes if it wasn't going to work.

Now, like Emory, I am using iCal to track this stuff. I tend to put things in several days ahead of when it's actually due. So, for instance, my tax payment is due on 4/17. I have an all day event for 4/10 reminding me that it is due in one week. I'm not sure why, but this helps me a lot more than seeing it pop up on the due date or the day or two before.

Whoa, remind me when you lose your accordion file!! I will find it for the $50 you have as a reward!

Michael

:)

I keep a lot of important stuff in there. Perscriptions. Receipts that are tax-related. Letters I need to mail. It is worth at least 50 dollars to me to not have to re-create, re-assemble, or otherwise lose the items therein.

I have a small message on a tiny piece of paper taped next to my work monitor's power button:

EACH MORNING:
1. Sync Treo.
2. Tickler File.
3. Check Outlook.
4. Inbox.
5. Make a list.
6. Do it.

And i still don't remember to check the tickler file.

Okay, here's what I'm doing with my tickler file and current project folders. I found it too difficult to describe without pictures, so:

http://planetpooks.wordpress.com/2006/04/03/my-43-folders/

Edited to change URL.

I'm always happy to find other people who randomly use color for things. I use highlighters to cross off tasks on my NA lists, and I change the color every day. (I found a snazzeroonie set of 10 colored highlighters from Office Despot.) Everyone always asks what the system is, and the answer is "no system." I just like having a new pretty color every day.

Sometimes I am such a giant girl.

I am so with you on that score. I just spent $30 on coloured pens the other day so that I would have more incentive to write notes on papers that I'm supposed to be reading. And the funny thing is - it works - especially since I have so many nice colours now. I'm setting up a rotating scheme where I can't use one again until I've used all the rest ;)

Ahhhh, being a big kid is just so much fun!

And scented markers! Yay!

Is that where your creative inspiration comes from -- Huffing scented markers?

Damn.

Busted.

Part of the basic 43F technique is escaping me.

From the GTD book, and DA's free downloadable 4pg "Tickler File" article:

[indent]The daily files are in the front, beginning with the files for tomorrow's date (if today is October 5, then the first file would be "6")....Behind the "31" file would be the monthly file for the next month ("November"), and behind it would be the daily files "1" through "5". Behind that would be the rest of the monthly files ("December" through "October")....when the next month file reaches the front (on October 31 the "November" file will be the next one, with the daily files behind it), it will be emptied into the in-basket and re-filed at the back of the monthlies, to represent November a year from now.
[/indent]

So here's my sample scenario: say last May I wanted to "mail myself" a reminder for a concert on November 4, so I put it in the November file. On October 5, my 43F will be as described above: 6-31, November, 1-5, December-October.

My question is, when did my date-specific reminder jump from the November folder into the "4" folder? I won't empty the November folder into my Inbox until November 1, will I? That would be too late to get tickets to the concert. So in general, is it true that daily files after the next-month file (in this example #1-5) don't actually contain everything they should? True, I should have put a reminder for a November 4 concert into the October tickler file, but the issue remains.

Gotta be something simple I'm missing, I assume.

Thanks,
Earl

When do you need to get tickets? Put it in that month.

And on the first of each month, you check the new month's folder to see what you've stuck in it, and then put it in the appropriate day's file.

OK, bad example, I agree that the buy-tickets reminder should have been filed in the October folder.

The general point (if I understand correctly) is that the contents of the each daily folder beyond the "next month" folder will not be complete until the first of the month, when that "next month" folder will be emptied into the Inbox and its contents (presumably) re-filed into those daily folders as appropriate.

Again using the book scenario...
[indent]
The daily files are in the front, beginning with the files for tomorrow's date (if today is October 5, then the first file would be "6")....Behind the "31" file would be the monthly file for the next month ("November"), and behind it would be the daily files "1" through "5". Behind that would be the rest of the monthly files ("December" through "October")....when the next month file reaches the front (on October 31 the "November" file will be the next one, with the daily files behind it), it will be emptied into the in-basket and re-filed at the back of the monthlies, to represent November a year from now.
[/indent]

...the Nov folder may contain items destined for the daily files 1-5 (referring to Nov 1-5), which will only be put in those daily files on Nov 1. The bottom line is that I can't "peek ahead" on Oct 20 to a single daily file after the "next month" file (like Nov 3), to see what will be tickling me on that day; I have to also go through the whole Nov folder, in case it contains a Nov 3 item.

If you need to know about an item supposedly for November 1 before November 1 gets here, you should file that item in October -- whichever day you think you need to know.

I sometimes move something (like a reminder to buy tickets) two or three times before I finally use it. If I still am not sure when it crops up in the tickler file, I just move it a few days out and maybe by the time it comes up, I'll know. Rinse, repeat!

Now here's a question I've been pondering today. I have two or three relatively valuable coupons that expire at different times. Some are from Office Depot, a place I pop in and out of regularly. I'm going to cut those out and put them in my moleskine pocket, just in case.

But the others, I'm not sure I'll have a reason to need them at all. I'm not going to go spend $100 to save $25 just to save $25. On the other hand, something could come up that I might need something that costs that much that I could get from that store, even though I don't usually shop there.

Not sure how to use the tickler for that.

And if not the tickler, how could I file it so that I won't forget?

I think the way to deal with, for example, the concert tickets, is to put that on your calendar, and when you do your weekly review, be sure to check upcoming calendar data, and tickle that if necessary.

As for the coupons, I'm not really sure, other than putting them in a "Coupons" file, and checking that every so often, perhaps as part of your weekly review. That way you're aware of what coupons may be about to expire and you'll be aware of when it might be a good time to buy some stuff.

A Coupons file or weekly review thing would work well. Thanks.

I'm not usually a coupon person and this is why -- no system for keeping up with them.

The 43 folders was overkill (and a good way to loose things) for me as well. I find a 17 folder system works much better: twelve months, and five weeks. At the beginning of the week, I look at the folder, add reminders to my calender or action list, and put things I will need into my bag right then.

I imagine some of the exectives coached by David may have enough little things for the tickler file to justify a full 43 folders, but I just plain don't.

That's a pretty good idea, Linda.

As I've said elsewhere, my girlfriend uses a modified tickler file: five folders for M-F. The evening before or the morning of that day she puts in the file for that day what she needs for that day, including a list of 6 things to be done that day. She's a college student and sells Mary Kay, so it works for her!

I guess it really boils down to what works for you, and keeping your system simple enough that you don't have to think about it a lot.

I use my tickler file as my inbox. (That idea comes from Deb on the Yahoo GTD group.) When stuff comes in, I put it in the next day's folder. It forces me to consult the tickler to ensure my stuff is processed.

If I really need a piece of paper, I paperclip it to my planner page for that day.

Otherwise, I use Yahoo calendar or MemoToMe.com.

I use a modified tickler file as the centerpiece of my "system" and I too got the idea on AnalogGTD list. I took a 7" x 10" spiral-bound sketchbook and tabbed it off into Weekly, Mon - Sun, Next Week, Jan - Dec dividers. So 21 "folders" instead of 43! I put everything in it on the day I intend to do it, including recurring tasks. During my weekly review, I check the Weekly tab where I put all the cards/notes for recurring tasks e.g. checklist for weekly review. So that makes my tickler more of a planner, I guess. I put one task per card or note and toss when I'm done. Each day I pull out the tasks and arrange them into my portable bleacher so I can set it out on whatever surface I'm working at and see all my get-er-dones at once.

I'd been struggling with implementing GTD for months when all the talk on different boards lately about contexts caused an epiphany: my contexts are "when" not "where". Obviously "where" is important - I can't do online research while I'm teaching a class or cooking supper - but my life is very routine and structured by time over the course of a week. For instance, I only get to do errands one day a week so that day's divider is where the shopping list/coupons/anything associated with errands go until I need them.

I know that this is not strict GTD, but it's working better than anything else I've tried. I'm doing a weekly review/preview each week and very little is falling through the cracks. And that's the important part so I don't let anyone down.

I struggled with the tickler file for a while, too. I installed Stickies (http://www.zhornsoftware.co.uk/stickies/) with a recurring note that floats on top of everything. It pops up at 8:15am every day and reminds me to check my tickler file.

The only potential problem I've run into is having the discipline not to clear the reminder until I've checked the file. For some reason, that doesn't seem to be too hard for me. Haven't missed a day since.

Don

Is that the same "stickies" that comes on the Mac? I didn't realize you could set it up with a timer -- that's terrific. I can use that for any number of things. I need to dig into it and see.

Thanks!

I'm not sure if it's the same as the one that comes with the Mac. I'm guessing not (the zhornsoftware page suggests that the guy developed it as a PC utility), but maybe the Mac version has that capability anyway?

For what it's worth, I do enjoy the irony of needing a tickler stickie to remind me to check my tickler file. :)

Don