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GTD and Your Reference System, Part II
December 13th, 2007 by StephenPosted in GTD, Links, System |
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Some tips from Matthew Cornell:
Matt’s Idea Blog: Some recent GTD how-tos, tips, and tricks
Indexing filing systems When teaching clients about filing, I sometimes get asked about more complex approaches, including indexing file drawer contents. This is done by creating a master list (on paper, kept at the front of the drawer, or as a file on your PC) that groups files by topic or keyword, and specifies where to find them. Some people find this kind of system helpful (there are some home-grown solutions at Database to my alpha system - is it needed? and commercial programs like Paper Tiger), but generally I’ve found a simple A-Z system with no index works great for most people. It’s simple, inexpensive, and filing and retrieving is fast.
And a second post on the same topic: Secret Filing Hacks from the Masters
I’d like to share some simple filing tips I’ve picked up from clients and fellow practitioners. They’re all low tech but high value hacks that many have found useful. Please share yours as well!
Take a look at these, then visit the PKM Forum to share your thoughts.
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If you found this post useful, please share it with your friends on Twitter using the tinylink http://tinyurl.com/6qgpp8. Thanks, I appreciate it! Feel free to comment below, I enjoy discussing these ideas. ~@Stephen
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December 13th, 2007 at 8:06 am
Thanks for the link! Glad you enjoyed it.
December 14th, 2007 at 4:27 pm
The discussion of filing systems provided me with some new ideas. However, I haven’t seen my favorite filing system mentioned anywhere. I learned it during a management class years ago. Instead of filing things by categories or alphabetically, each file folder is given a number. The number of the folder and what it contains are then entered into a “table of contents” list (as mentioned elsewhere). For example, Folder No. 5 might contain any documents related to my car. I keep the list on the computer, which allows me to search it easily, or update it and print a new copy for the file cabinet. For me, one advantage of the system is that I don’t have to spend time deciding whether to put my car insurance under “insurance” or “car,” nor do I have to go through a similar process when retrieving information. If I decide to throw out the contents of a file, I simply reassign the number to another category, and update my list. I can also cross-reference folders easily. Since I look at the list frequently, I get familiar with the file numbers and their correponding contents so I don’t need to consult it every time. And it’s easy to create tangential groups without disrupting the whole system.
It took me a little while to change all my files over to this system, but since then I have never wanted to go back to conventional filing methods. And setting it up is mindless enough that you could probably do it while listening to music or a book on tape.