The business type paperwork myself. Do you have any suggestions for an abbreviated version of this system or any thoughts on how to devise a “Lite” version? I would appreciate any suggestions you might have. I have already implemented so many of your other principles but find I am struggling with a way to make this one work for me.
David: A “lite” version would be 5 folders labeled “1” thru “5”, representing the weeks of the month, plus the 12 monthly folders. Then open one folder on Monday morning (or the Friday before) for all the things that need to be dealt with that week. Even that, though, must be emptied regularly (put it on your Monday calendar as a repeating event/reminder) or you want trust it. If you can’t make the habit stick, give it up and/or give the job to an assistant, and hand things to them, with a post-it “give this back of me on May 2” etc.
Grab the free article in our store about setting one up. There’s also a great little animation showing a Tickler File in action, contributed by Sarah George.
What a great idea! I have had the same experience with the tickler file, just not getting so much use of it. But I think this will really make it a much more useful tool! jack
I have struggled a bit with this one as well for similar reasons. I have settled on a ring binder with an A4/letter size transparent pocket for each month and day The principle works exactly the same as for the full Tickler system, but it takes up physically much less space.
Though, like the contributor above, I often do not have anything that I need to look at for several days, I am trying to get into the habit of checking it every day, even though I “know” there is nothing there. This allows me to genuinely trust it and not to have to try to remember at some level when to check it.
I struggle in that I run a small mortgage company, have lots of managerial, bookkeeping and compliance things to do, yet also have to work on and originate files to earn revenue. Additionally, I need to create systems for my team, which feel like the only “projects” when in fact there are so many of these projects. How does one integrate the “ongoing” and “pop up” projects with the long term “real” projects like systems, creating new marketing plans, etc.?
Like you, I’ve found that I don’t make heavy use of the tickler file. One alternative I found useful is it to leverage other parts of GTD to serve a similar function.
The tickler file is basically a date-based reminder that allows you to store a physical item. Instead of a tickler file, you could record a reminder in your calendar and then file away the item in your reference folders. The reminder could even tell you what folder to look in.
In this way, you could leverage your existing calendar and filing system and not have to maintain a tickler system that you rarely use.
I don’t see the animation on that second store link.
Never mind . . . saw that tiny link on the bottom.
I’ve never had a volume of physical things to warrant a tickler file but I like the weekly file idea.
I might go one step further during the weekly review and take the items for that week and write a reminder on my calendar of that item on the day I want it pushed in my face. Then the items could go physically from the tickler folder to Action Support.
Another idea for Someday/Maybe … thanks DA!
Like Raymond Li wrote, I also think that the tickler is not essential if you are confident to a reminder system, like a simple calendar, that will remember you when to look to a document in a particular day in the future. You file the document and done. I personally use an iPod touch with an agenda software synchronized with Google calendar, so I can get friendly pop-ups when I need to do something important like to look at an important document. To do a practical example, I set up a ‘bill to pay’ folder where I put bills I still have to pay and a reminder in my agenda software. Once paid I move it to a ‘bill paid’ folder.
David, what I really find challenging is your tip to empty the GTD folder regularly especially when incoming tasks pile up faster than you can do the tasks. I guess when you do things fast enough yet your GTD list/folder keeps growing, it’s a sign that you have to get an assistant. What do you think? 🙂
I am trying to take a paperless approach to my law practice and scan documents into pdf when received. I have set up a nested file folder structure in the same way that the paper file would be set up and put the digital files in the appropriate tickler folder. The process does not take much time and then I have my tickler files with me with my laptop or wherever I have an internet connection where I can log in to my office computer if I have not taken it with me. This makes having a tickler file much more convenient and fits in better with my work flow.
This lite version is perfect for me!
I did this exact same thing, but found Raymond Li’s idea to get rid of it entirely and replace it with this alternative worked even better for me.