43 Folders Yes or No

[kewms]

For what it's worth, my May folder contains the following items:
* Automatic turnpike toll gizmo. We're moving out of state, so need to return these to the turnpike authority. This one is from my husband's car, which has already left. It's a reminder to retrieve the one from my car, which I still need.

* Dentist appointment reminder card. This is also in my calendar, but the card reminds me to double check the date. I made the appointment six months ago, so who knows what else has come up. (Like moving!)

* Reminder to find an insurance agent in our new location.

* Reminder to evaluate and possibly cancel my web page hosting service. (Moving to a leased server.)

* Reminder to ask my accountant about the tax implications of the move.

* Folder containing my annual and monthly planning sheets, filed for review at my May monthly review.

The folder and the turnpike tag, being bulky physical items, would need to be filed *somewhere* regardless of what I did with the reminder to deal with them. The May folder is as convenient as anywhere else.

The other four items could have been put in an electronic system as dated task items. Since I use a paper system, the alternative to 43 Folders would have been to write them in my calendar for May. This works just as well, and saves a step since I just threw the scraps of paper I captured these on directly into the May folder.

Katherine

[Eutychus]

I went to a paper-based system. And then I bought a Mac.

Haven't missed it.

Katherine

It is not the best piece of work from MicroSoft. Are you still using the paper-based system?

[Eutychus]

It is not the best piece of work from MicroSoft. Are you still using the paper-based system?

Apparently so, from your other post!

[kewms]

Are you still using the paper-based system?

Yes. It took about a month to stabilize once I switched, but since then essentially nothing has changed except I got a nicer notebook to keep it in.

Katherine

[Ruud]

I think this may depend on how many future actionable items you have per specific day.

I do not have enough physical items to warrant a 43 folder setup. It quickly became a drag: check empty folder, move empty folder to next month.

Instead I use a 12 folder setup.

Outlook acts as the date-specific tickler. The month folder itself as the future reminder and "support" material.

Outlook reminder comes up: theater date coming up. It's April so those tickets are in the April folder.

Likewise when I come across my December folder it contains cue-cards with things to do/prepare for Christmas.

[TesTeq]

If you were going to need it, why did you put it in the tickler in the first place? I only use my tickler for things I'm unlikely to need before the tickler date.

Because some of us do not know the future.

You write that:

I only use my tickler for things I'm unlikely to need before the tickler date.

The key is this "unlikely" word. There is some chance that you will need to find the document earlier and in this situations the Inherent Tickler File Search Inefficiency (ITFSI) occurs.

[Rainer Burmeister]

hate the word "tickler"

Agreed. The use of the correct British English term "bring forward file" instead that "tickler" slang word would make things easier.

Rainer

[pixlz]

Agreed. The use of the correct British English term "bring forward file" instead that "tickler" slang word would make things easier.

Rainer

My Fiance was in the Airforce and they used the term suspense file.

Sharon

[Jochen]

When I read the book for the first time, a few months ago, I wondered "Why should I start with those 43 folders?" - and never did.
When something gets into my 'In-Box' it never takes more than 2 minutes to get the 'project' started. 'Next action' defined - filed - done.
If it's a bill to be paid it takes less than 2 minutes to enter the data into the accounting programme on my PC ('Quicken') and the sum will be transferred automatically on the preset date - filed - done.
I hardly ever have any physical object linked to a specific date, so there's nothing left for those folders.

[webhak]

I like the term "suspense file" as that seems to describe it pretty well.

The head of our company is a neat freak and is a strong advocate of clean desks...no clutter. He has a history of coming in and cleaning off your desk for you if you do not heed his warnings.

While it might seem a bit draconian, he does have a point in that you can only work on one piece of paper at a time.

I sweep the contents of my desk into the 43 folder system at the end of the day. The next morning, I go to the appropriate date folder and pick up where I left off.