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Are You REALLY Ticklish?

04/02/2010

I've used 'Tickler Systems' over the years - either as a brought-forward folder with 1-31 dividers and January-December dividers, or as postings in Outlook.  Dave Allen, however, recommends a HUGE system - using 43 distinct folders (see image).

This has some MASSIVE benefits.  It means that you can really put quite bulky items into the folders.  For example, I love finding interesting greetings cards for birthday and anniversaries, for christmas and random spontaneous gestures of appreciation.  Often I'll find a card that will suit someone for their birthday - but their birthday will be months hence.  With this system I can not only pop in a reminder of their birthday, but I can also pop the card in there in readiness.  Items too large to fit the folders can be represented by slips of paper with the details.

The folder system also makes it far easier to update the system each day since all you have to do is move today's folder to the back.

How do you work the system.  At the point of writing this, the date is 4th Feb.  This means that when I open my filing cabinet drawer, the first folder that meets me is one with "4th" written on it.  Behind it are the folders "5th" through to "31st" and behind them the Months "March" through to "February", finally followed by day folders for "1st" through to "3rd".  Why "March" and not "February"?  Simply because on the first of February, all the contents of the pending February folder are taken out and placed within the right day-date folder for the month ahead.  As the days go by, that day is sent to the back ready to be renergised at the beginning of the next month.

All the time we are looking for 'non-brainer' systems that will keep our working memory clear of reminders that would be better served by such a process as this.

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