GTD For Moms and Other Homies: Tickler Files

Did you set up your reference files? You're going to want to get that done before you start going through all your stuff to get super organized. The next step is easy. You're going to set up a tickler file. This is where you'll put things that need an action at some point in the future. Remember, you only want to handle it once from your inbox. You don't want to say, Here's that birthday card for Mom - I'll send it next week, and then stick it back into the inbox. That's how everything build up and then you have to start all over from scratch. Your tickler file is a holding space that lets you relax in the knowledge that when you need to send the card, your system will remind you.


GTD For Moms and Other Homies Tip #3

You can use anything you want for a tickler file, as long as it works. I use a three-ring notebook with pocket tabbed folders. I label them by day and file things accordingly. For example, Monday is bill paying day. When I check the mail, I open the bills, discard the envelopes and junk, and put the bill in the Monday folder. I don't have to think about it again until Monday when I go online and pay the stack. This week I had to collect money for the hockey team's year-end party. I knew I'd see the team manager tonight, so all the envelopes of money went into the Monday folder too.

In Getting Things Done, David Allen uses a 43 folder system - one folder for each month, one for each day of the month, 1-31. It's a perpetual system where you rotate the folders so that you always have a month's days folders in front of you. Anything that's furthur out goes into the folder for that month, and you put it into a date folder as the month approaches. Say you find out about a great summer camp when you're visiting family at Thanksgiving. They don't take reservations until March. You could write yourself a note, or print their website information, then put it in your March folder to remind you when the time is right. Then you can forget about it, knowing your system is in place to remind you in the future.

This kind of system frees your mind from all the pesky things you need to do. Your powerful brain is now free to figure out more important things, like what kind of bathing suit is going to hide the effects of all those cakes you ate last Christmas!

Not started Getting Things Done yet? It's never too late:

Getting Started
Reference Files

Check back next Monday for the most powerful tool of all - the list! This ain't your ordinary To Do list. I promise!