What to do with papers until you can get to them?

[debbiek405]

In processing my in-box at my desk, I came across health forms that needed to be filled out for my children's school. Knowing that it would take longer than 2 minutes, I added the task to my @Desk context list. But now.....what do I do with the actual forms??

[kelstarrising]

Put them in a Pending Action folder. Like this: https://secure.davidco.com/store/cat...RS-p-16211.php

[bishblaize]

I would put them in my general reference drawer under "health papers" or whatever.

Putting things in the drawer that youre going to get out again the next day or so seemed odd to me at first. I did try having a second "next action support" file in my desk drawer (which has a small dropdown) - but in the end, why bother? the reminder is in your system, keep everything else in once place.

[bishblaize]

Put them in a Pending Action folder.

Leaving aside those attractive coloured manillas, i tried doing this but ended up with a problem. Since tasks going on my action lists arent immediately urgent as such, and may take up to a few weeks to do in some cases, I found that I just had a thick pile of papers with the supporting stuff from maybe a dozen or more projects in there. eventually I just had a mass pile of papers to rifle through to find the stuff to complete the action. Am i missing something here?

[Barb]

Actually, filing actionable items in a reference file isn't a best practice. I use the action support folder for those things that do not belong to a specific project, but instead are related to single item actions. If a paper or papers belong to a project, I put them in a project support file related to that specific project. I think if I found it too be overstuffed, I might see that as a cue to get some of those actions done, off my lists and out of my file.

The pictured files that Kelly showed are very nice. I go through them each week during my weekly review to make sure they aren't stale. I buy blank ones and use and reuse them for my project folders as well.

[Oogiem]

I found that I just had a thick pile of papers with the supporting stuff from maybe a dozen or more projects in there. eventually I just had a mass pile of papers to rifle through to find the stuff to complete the action. Am i missing something here?

Do them more often. I had a large file of papers in Action Support but have it down to about 1/4 inch at most. if it gets larger I know I need to look at what's in there more closely during review. Often it means some project is on hold or been cancelled and I no longer need the stuff.

Now my problem is action support that is much larger than papers. I have action support thins, large items. Those I still have no good place to store nor a good system to handle.

[bishblaize]

filing actionable items in a reference file isn't a best practice.

I dont really see a problem, not obviously anyway. My filing is tidy, fairly empty and close, so its no harder to put it in the cabinet on my left than on my right. Some projects take months to complete, so I would have to keep some of them in there anyway. My experience was just that when it came to needing the papers, i had one nice and tidy place, and one that was just a stack. So i keep them all in the tidy place.

[JohnV474]

This may sound silly to some GTD'ers, but I treat that type of situation like a Project. It sounds like it is one anyway--will filling out those forms be the end of it, or do they need to be delivered or mailed? If that one task will not be your final outcome, this is a Project. Therefore, those forms would go in a Project Support folder that is labeled (all of which should take less than 60 seconds).

I had struggled with including such outcomes on my Projects list, but my system's quality has improved by doing so.

In the same way David Allen will make a Reference folder for a single business card, I will write a single load of laundry on my Projects List if I am not there to do it start to finish (folded clothes put away).

I think the colored folders idea, above, would work well for someone who consistently did it, but I have opted not to. I prefer to have one place to look for support documents.

Hope this helps
JohnV474

[prouddad]

Hey Kelly,

I was surprised when I saw the different colored folders that GTD offers. I like colored folders, but I stopped buying them after I read GTD. Doesn't David Allen discourage use of different colored folders in GTD?

Please clarify.

Thanks.

Robert

P.S. What is the difference between "Action Support" and "Waiting For Support" as they appear on the folders in the picture that you provided?

[kelstarrising]

Doesn't David Allen discourage use of different colored folders in the GTD book?

For structuring your entire filing system, generally yes, as most people won't keep up with it. For project folders and pending folders, color away....