Welcome new readers!

Click here to hear the Elevator Pitch.
Click Here for an overview of the content
Click Here for older posts.
Read about Project Planning in Context.
Follow on Twitter

Please visit our Sponsors




Wrike.com



  • Recent Comments

    • Phil Stanoch: I find that a lot of my ideas come while I am driving. When...
    • Kate Davis: I get a lot of my ideas in the shower, however capturing the...
    • Stephen: Good morning, Thank you for confirming for me that I do nee...
    • Simon Hill: And with Google Apps now you can in fact take your domain an...
    • martin: You can also set up "Google Apps for your domain" at http://...
    • Beth Robinson: A third option, since you control your domain name, is to us...
    • Rick Austin: Another option is to use the feature in Gmail to retrieve em...

  • Support this Blog!

    If you find the information here to be helpful and useful, please consider supporting Productivity in Context through a donation.




    Lijit Search
    View Stephen Smith's profile on LinkedIn



    Visit the Productivity Lens for more information about Getting Things Done and other resources.


    PRODUCTIVITYZEN.COM



    del.icio.us RSS



    Technorati HQ

    Add to Technorati Favorites










    Connect with Stephen at LinkedIn - Click hereProductivity Tools and DIY Calendars - Click hereI am a small business consultant and public speaker that uses the power of the internet to leverage your success. Productivity in Context is a web magazine focused on Productivity and tools for organizing. Make this your headquarters for improving your life and work through increased mindfulness, education, and workflow practices.

    Subscribe by E-mail for updates on: Productivity methods, Lifestyle innovation, and the collaborative design of the next-generation personal knowledge management system.

    Click Here for an overview of the content. Please take a look at our sponsors. (Hosting isn't free...)
    Please contact me via e-mail at stephen @ hdbizblog dot com
    .

    How Do You Use Your Tickler File?

    April 26th, 2007 by Stephen

    Posted in Forum, GTD, System, Weekly Review |

    There is a discussion raging at the DavidCo forums regarding the use of the Tickler File. The gist of the thread is pretty simple:

    • Do you use a Tickler?
    • No, I use a Mac.
    • I love the Tickler.
    • I can’t get in the habit.
    • Yada, yada…

    There were no real explanations of how people were systematically using their Ticker Files, which I admit would have been helpful to me a couple of months ago. Once I got in the habit of using the folders, they became indispensable.

    In the interest of saving my readers the time of going through all of those posts, here is my GTD Tickler File methodology:

    At home, where I do have things that are date-specific but will not physically fit into my calendar (which I refuse to stuff with notes and errata). this is a full-on 43 folder system (12 months + 31 days).

    Now that I work from home, I will schedule a trip to the Post Office to get the mail a few times per week (it’s 7 miles to the PO!). I zip through the mail as so:

    • Tickle the bills for the date of the next Weekly Review,
    • Leave the mail for my wife on the kitchen table,
    • Open and handle any other mail,
    • Toss the junk,
    • and Defer the rest to an appropriate time (usually WR day again).

    Simple.

    Then, each morning, while the coffee is brewing, I check the contents of “today’s” folder, sync with my paper calendar, and get on with my routine. Again, simple.

    I have found the 43 folders to be invaluable. There is a complete description of my GTD hardware here, and my method for the Weekly Review here (including downloads of Review Checklists).

    How do you use your Tickler File, and how did you make it a habit?


    Leave a Comment:


    Subscribe to Productivity in Context by Email.
    Get involved with the Knowledge Management forum.

    5 Responses

    1. Productivity Tips 2.0 Says:

      […] number one tip is easy: Keep your appointments, especially with yourself! I have found that using my Tickler File and Weekly Review really keep me one track. Since I have started practicing Getting Things Done […]

    2. My Get Things Done List » Blog Archive » Productivity Tips 2.0 [Hidden Dragon BizBlog 1.2] Says:

      […] number one tip is easy: Keep your appointments, especially with yourself! I have found that using my Tickler File and Weekly Review really keep me one track. Since I have started practicing Getting Things Done […]

    3. Today Was Towel Day, and I Missed It. Says:

      […] just put it in my Tickler File for next year! Sorry about the lack of activity, I have been busy with a new venture of sorts. More […]

    4. Matthew Cornell Says:

      I use the “Calendar + Holding File” method as a tickler alternative. Just write the date you want the item to show up on your calendar in the “day-specific information” section, then put the paper item in your “Action Support” folder. Works great for a small number of items.

    5. My Get Things Done List » Blog Archive » Today Was Towel Day, and I Missed It. [Hidden Dragon BizBlog 1.2] Says:

      […] just put it in my Tickler File for next year! Sorry about the lack of activity, I have been busy with a new venture of sorts. More […]

    Leave a Comment

    XHTML: You can use these tags: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <strike> <strong>

    Please note: Comments with links are moderated. I get a lot of crazy spam. Scroll to the bottom for subscribing to the comment and submitting your Comment.

    Subscribe without commenting