The Tickler Folder
The Tickler Folder is a great idea that will help you deal with the massive amount of paperwork that we all accumulate.
It is especially useful for those items that you know you'll need but not quite yet. The ones you're not sure where they should go in the meantime.
A System For Paperwork
A Tickler File is a collection of date-labelled hanging file folders. It is organised in a way that allows time-sensitive paperwork to be scheduled according to the future date on which each document needs to be actioned.
It's like a 3D calendar and is way better than sticking things on the fridge, trust me.
To set up your own you'll need a spare top drawer of a filing cabinet and 43 hanging folders: 12 folders labelled for each month, and 31 folders labelled for the days of the month.
This is what mine looks like on a morning.
How It Works
If you have a document or an invite or a bill (or any other paper thingy) that you don’t need to think about until later this month, then all you do it set it aside in one of the daily folders. If it is due on the 24th, put it in the folder labelled 24.
Every day, you look in the folder with that day’s date on it and pull out what you need to be working on that day.
Once you've pulled out the contents of the file for that day, then move that folder to the back of the pile. This leaves tomorrow's folder ready and waiting for you to open in twenty four hours.
You can see in my photo that the folder for 8th February is ready and waiting for me tomorrow morning (it should have my Parkrun barcode in it!) while the 7th has gone to the back, ready to become the 7th of March folder.
Tickling In Action
I'll give you an example of a Tickler File in action. A good while ago I took my daughter to a wildlife talk by BBC's Chris Packham The event was on the 30th of the month.
I purchased the tickets a month before the event and when I bought them, instead of putting the tickets in my wallet, in a drawer, on the fridge or in a pile of papers, I put them in my tickler file. To be precise I placed them in hanging folder number 30.
As each day went by file 30 got closer and closer until, when the big day (the 30th of the month) arrived, instead of scrabbling around trying to locate the tickets, I opened my Tickler File.
Hey presto, there were my tickets. Clean, pristine and ready to go.
Longer Term Paperwork
But what about if you've got stuff that's more than a month ahead? What about an invite to a party that's taking place months from now, in December? That's a doddle too.
Your twelve folders are for the 12 months and are labelled accordingly. Just pop all papers needed in December in the December folder.
Then, on or around, 28th November, simply take the time to distribute everything from the December folder into the 31 folders for that month. You're set up for the whole month ahead, day by day.
Adapting The System
It's simple to adapt too. If you pull out a document that you feel has arrived too early, and that you now want to postpone until later, simply put the paper in a later folder. Maybe a week later or perhaps the next month.
Using the system in this way, you could actually have a recurring reminder for an ongoing monthly task.
Sounds good? It is a truly awesome system and once you've set one up and started using it you'll never go back.
3D Calendar
It is in effect a physical to do list and calendar rolled into one.
I use it for all sorts of things:
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documents
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pending bills
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blog posts to write
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articles to read
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unpaid invoices
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travel tickets
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hotel reservations
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meeting information
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birthday cards
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wedding invites
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theatre tickets
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vouchers
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call-back notes
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follow-up reminders
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maintenance reminders and so on.
Sometimes non paperwork things like small DIY jobs end up in there. A new bolt for the bike shed to be done at half term.
I use it in conjunction with an electronic system though - there's no point in physically printing out emails that need a later response when you can just click to call them up when needed - and the electronic system is my preferred option if feasible.
For something as solid as tickets for, oh I dunno, The Who, however, I don't think this physical Tickler Folder system can be beaten.
Pure and Simple Paperwork System
What's lovely about the Tickler File system is its simplicity. All the best ideas in life are simple and easy to implement.
Anything you need to be reminded of on some future date goes into it. You can then pretty much forget about it and focus on the task in hand without being visually distracted by an annoying scrap of paperwork demanding your attention.
As long as you are disciplined enough to walk your fingers over the relevant file every morning, then whatever you popped there days, weeks or months earlier is right at hand when you need it.
It can really help reduce the clutter on your desk, and in your mind, so get tickling!
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