Using a Tickler File to increase your productivity and combat ADD
Simply put, a Tickler File is a collection of 43 file folders used for storing paper-based information and having it be easily accessible. 31 folders are labeled "1-31" for the days of the month, 12 of the folders are labeled for the months themselves (i.e., January, February, etc.).
As David Allen writes in "Ready for Anything":
"If you don't know the total current inventory of your work, you won't be fully aware of what you can't do. Your integrity will lead you into an infinite amount of new to-dos.
When you consciously track all your commitments, that same integrity will force you to discriminate and say no, because you'll be more aware of your capabilities ... [put everything] in one place, and you'll handle many with a two-minute glance."
What goes in the Tickler File?
Basically anything paper that you do not need today, but may need in the future. For example:
1. Bills/receipts - often your monthly bills are sent out a week or more before they are due. Depending on your system, you could tickle the bills for the next Weekly Review date. This way, you pay all of that week's bills at once (called Batching) and can update your checkbook and spending plan accordingly. You can also batch your receipts for expense reports/filing this way too.
2. E-mails - Print an email that you need for reference (perhaps at a meeting or interview). Tickle it for the day of the event, or for the day that you want to plan or respond in some way.
3. Birthdays - I am terrible at remembering birthdays. So I write the name and date right on the outside of the file folder for each month. That way, when May rolls around, I pull out the folder and, voila, all of the people that I need to send cards/gifts to are right there.
4. Phone messages - if you do not need to call someone back right away, Tickle the message for the day you do need to call them.
5. Coupons/Shopping list - file your weekly shopping needs and relevant coupons in the Tickler. I use a cut-down file folder for my weekly grocery list and accompanying coupons.
6. Yearly or Quarterly forms - such as insurance or taxes. Tickle a copy of the current form in the month folder for the next due date, in case something gets "lost in the mail."
7. Read/Review - you can file magazine articles or internet information for batch reading.
The possibilities are only limited by your imagination.
As David Allen writes in "Ready for Anything":
"If you don't know the total current inventory of your work, you won't be fully aware of what you can't do. Your integrity will lead you into an infinite amount of new to-dos.
When you consciously track all your commitments, that same integrity will force you to discriminate and say no, because you'll be more aware of your capabilities ... [put everything] in one place, and you'll handle many with a two-minute glance."
What goes in the Tickler File?
Basically anything paper that you do not need today, but may need in the future. For example:
1. Bills/receipts - often your monthly bills are sent out a week or more before they are due. Depending on your system, you could tickle the bills for the next Weekly Review date. This way, you pay all of that week's bills at once (called Batching) and can update your checkbook and spending plan accordingly. You can also batch your receipts for expense reports/filing this way too.
2. E-mails - Print an email that you need for reference (perhaps at a meeting or interview). Tickle it for the day of the event, or for the day that you want to plan or respond in some way.
3. Birthdays - I am terrible at remembering birthdays. So I write the name and date right on the outside of the file folder for each month. That way, when May rolls around, I pull out the folder and, voila, all of the people that I need to send cards/gifts to are right there.
4. Phone messages - if you do not need to call someone back right away, Tickle the message for the day you do need to call them.
5. Coupons/Shopping list - file your weekly shopping needs and relevant coupons in the Tickler. I use a cut-down file folder for my weekly grocery list and accompanying coupons.
6. Yearly or Quarterly forms - such as insurance or taxes. Tickle a copy of the current form in the month folder for the next due date, in case something gets "lost in the mail."
7. Read/Review - you can file magazine articles or internet information for batch reading.
The possibilities are only limited by your imagination.
2 ways to use a Tickler File
At home or at work, in files or a binder
Here is my GTD Tickler File methodology:
Method 1: Using folders - 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 this month). My wife generally gets the mail, takes what she needs, and puts the rest in the In-box.
When I get home from work (later than she does), I zip through the In-box:
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.
Method 2: A 3-ring binder - At work, where I have much less to Tickle (and a CRM that I must use), I just have a 3-ring binder with tabs labeled for each month and 1-31 in the appropriate month's section. There is one sheet of blank, 3-hole punched paper for each day, and I just write down (or punch and insert) whatever might need to be tickled. Most if my work activities go into the CRM and I get an automatic reminder when they are due.
I have found the 48 folders to be invaluable.
Method 1: Using folders - 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 this month). My wife generally gets the mail, takes what she needs, and puts the rest in the In-box.
When I get home from work (later than she does), I zip through the In-box:
- Tickle the bills for the date of the next Weekly Review
- toss the junk
- and Do what may need to get addressed immediately
- 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.
Method 2: A 3-ring binder - At work, where I have much less to Tickle (and a CRM that I must use), I just have a 3-ring binder with tabs labeled for each month and 1-31 in the appropriate month's section. There is one sheet of blank, 3-hole punched paper for each day, and I just write down (or punch and insert) whatever might need to be tickled. Most if my work activities go into the CRM and I get an automatic reminder when they are due.
I have found the 48 folders to be invaluable.
The Tickler File as a tool against ADD
My own ADD varies in its intensity, with some days being worse than others. In order to counter-act the negative effects I write in my planner "load Tickler" at the end of each work day. My established routine is to check my planner before I leave, so this Action causes me to take stock of my situation:
I clear off my desk, put the appropriate papers into the Tickler, file away the rest, and jot any notes on 3"x5" cards. Then I leave the binder in the middle of my desk with the notes on top, ready for the next day's activities. The trick is preparing the environment: I cannot start my day without physically picking up and moving the binder, so I may as well open it and see what I need to handle!
If you are just starting to use a Tickler File, I would recommend only employing one of them at first. Once you have incorporated its use into one context (i.e. @Work), it will be easier to add it to your @Home routine (or vice versa). Keep in mind that it important to focus on repeating a behavior on a daily basis to create a new habit.
This is not something that you can rush, it needs to be approached methodically. Once you have mastered the use of your @Work Tickler, you can use the same approach toward creating your @Home version. It may even be easier, since you have established mental pathways and you will be eager to carry the benefits of your new workspace system into your daily homelife.
Investing in this process serves the larger goal of creating a "global" system where you can track everything that you need to be aware of, overcoming your ADD tendency to forget about important information and fail to fulfill your commitments. Soon you will be able to track and monitor the progress of everything, from the time it shows up in your in-box to the moment you check it off your Next Action list.
Remember, persistence and preparation are the keys to success with the ADD mind. Use them to create an environment that sets you up for success.
I clear off my desk, put the appropriate papers into the Tickler, file away the rest, and jot any notes on 3"x5" cards. Then I leave the binder in the middle of my desk with the notes on top, ready for the next day's activities. The trick is preparing the environment: I cannot start my day without physically picking up and moving the binder, so I may as well open it and see what I need to handle!
If you are just starting to use a Tickler File, I would recommend only employing one of them at first. Once you have incorporated its use into one context (i.e. @Work), it will be easier to add it to your @Home routine (or vice versa). Keep in mind that it important to focus on repeating a behavior on a daily basis to create a new habit.
This is not something that you can rush, it needs to be approached methodically. Once you have mastered the use of your @Work Tickler, you can use the same approach toward creating your @Home version. It may even be easier, since you have established mental pathways and you will be eager to carry the benefits of your new workspace system into your daily homelife.
Investing in this process serves the larger goal of creating a "global" system where you can track everything that you need to be aware of, overcoming your ADD tendency to forget about important information and fail to fulfill your commitments. Soon you will be able to track and monitor the progress of everything, from the time it shows up in your in-box to the moment you check it off your Next Action list.
Remember, persistence and preparation are the keys to success with the ADD mind. Use them to create an environment that sets you up for success.
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Links to More Resources
Look at what others have to say about their systems
- 43 Folders - The Tickler File Q&A
- A short description plus some examples from readers.
- Productivity in Context
- My own blog where I discuss all sorts of Productivity tips and tactics.
- Zen Habits GTD FAQ
- A list of questions and answers from Leo about various aspects of the GTD practice.
- Create a Tickler File System
- Karen Roehl of the ADD Resources website has adapted an article from a tip sheet written by Kathy Paauw of Paauwerfully Organized, www.DeclutterYourLife.com.
It is only licensed for personal use, so no copy here.
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