In this lesson of the GTD Thirty Day Challenge we are going to talk about how to set up a tickler file, or specifically, how I set up my tickler file.

David Allen seems to be big on using 43 folders for his tickler file. These folders would be made up of 12 monthly folders and 31 daily folders. Let’s say it is now January and I’d have all my daily folders behind the January folder. When a day ends, that day’s folder goes behind the next month or February’s folder. Looking at the 19th, I’d have the folders 1-18 behind the February folder at this point.

What happens when I use my tickler file? If I get a bill that is due on February 3rd, and I want to remember to pay it on that day, I would stick the bill in my February 3rd folder. On February 3rd when I look at my tickler, I’d see the bill and remember to pay it.

I really do not like using 43 folders for my tickler file. For starters, it’s hard to remember to check it every day. People then have to remember to check it and they’ll start to ask themselves “how do I remember to check my tickler file?” The next reason is it is very bulky and not very portable. Finally, when you move the daily folders behind the next month, you have to remember to move the items in that months folders to the proper day.

For GTD, the tickler file set up is essential because you have to have a way to remind yourself of future actions. If you are a person who has tons of physical paper items then a foldered style tickler is the way you want to set it up. For me though, my work doesn’t create many physical items and so I have a different method to setting up my tickler file to solve the above problems.

Setting Up A Tickler File

First, I put a plastic folder in my briefcase called “Waiting For” that holds all of the stuff I might need to remember to check on a future date.

After that, I would create a folder in my email setup called “Yahoo Reminders”. If you look at my folder setup in my other article called How To Set Up Your GTD email, you can see how I have this set up. I then filter all of my Yahoo reminders into this folder and they bypass my inbox.

The last component is Yahoo calendar. I put any item I need to remember and enter it as an all day event. I attach and email reminder to it that sends me a reminder 2 days ahead of the day I need to remember it. As a second reminder, a text is sent too.

So, let’s take the above scenario again. I got a bill today that I need to remember on the 3rd of February. I go to my Yahoo! calendar and enter an all day event “Pay important bill” with a reminder scheduled for two days prior. I then take the bill and put it in my “Waiting For” folder in my briefcase.

On the 1st day of February, I get a Yahoo reminder that reminds me about the bill that needs to be paid on the third and it goes directly into my Yahoo reminder folder in my email account. In addition, a text goes out as well giving me a backup on my blackberry in case I can’t get to my Yahoo reminder’s folder in my email account. I review my blackberry text messages every day and review my reminders folder too as well if I have access to it.

This setup is especially lightweight and extremely portable. It reminds me of everything so I do not have to remember to check. I also don’t have to move stuff around in my tickler file. If you don’t use email reminders, you really don’t have any idea how valuable they can be. My suggestion is use them, even if you use the 43 folders as your tickler file. They will improve your GTD system 100%

Once I learned how to set up a tickler file in this fashion, it improved my effectiveness at remember everything to a complete level.

On Day 6 of the GTD Thirty Day Challenge, I am going to talk about how I set up my tickler file and exactly how to set up a tickler file.

From what I can tell, David Allen is a big believer in the 43 folders tickler file. If you haven’t seen a tickler file before, it is 12 folders for each month and 31 folders for each day. Right now it’s January so I’d have my 31 folders behind January. As each day passes, I’d move the previous date behind February. Since today is the 21st for me. Folders for days 1-20 would now be behind the February tab.

What happens when I use my tickler file? If I get a bill that is due on February 3rd, and I want to remember to pay it on that day, I would stick the bill in my February 3rd folder. On February 3rd when I look at my tickler, I’d see the bill and remember to pay it.

I really do not like using 43 folders for my tickler file. For starters, it’s hard to remember to check it every day. People then have to remember to check it and they’ll start to ask themselves “how do I remember to check my tickler file?” The next reason is it is very bulky and not very portable. Finally, when you move the daily folders behind the next month, you have to remember to move the items in that months folders to the proper day.

The tickler file is essential to your GTD set up, however, because you have to remember future items. If you have a lot of physical items then the tickler file is the way to go. In my case, I don’t have tons of physical items and so here is my solution to the above problems with a tickler file.

Setting Up A Tickler File

First, I put a plastic folder in my briefcase called “Waiting For” that holds all of the stuff I might need to remember to check on a future date.

After I have my “Waiting For” folder set up, next I would create a folder called “Yahoo Reminders” in my email account. You can see how I set this up if you read my article on How To Set Up Your GTD email. Then filter all of your reminders directly to this folder so they bypass your inbox.

The last component is Yahoo calendar. I put any item I need to remember and enter it as an all day event. I attach and email reminder to it that sends me a reminder 2 days ahead of the day I need to remember it. As a second reminder, a text is sent too.

In the above example, the bill I got needed to be remembered on February 3rd. I enter the all day event on the third like “Pay very important bill” and by default it sends me an email reminder two days before it occurs. The actual physical bill goes into my “Waiting For” folder in my briefcase.

On the 1st day of February, I get a Yahoo reminder that reminds me about the bill that needs to be paid on the third and it goes directly into my Yahoo reminder folder in my email account. In addition, a text goes out as well giving me a backup on my blackberry in case I can’t get to my Yahoo reminder’s folder in my email account. I review my blackberry text messages every day and review my reminders folder too as well if I have access to it.

This system is an extremely portable and streamlined tickler file. Everything reminds me on it’s own and I don’t have to move items around in my tickler file. Email reminders are awesome to remind you of things you have to do and you have no idea how much this helps your productivity until after you use them. If you use 43 folders, I’d still suggest using email reminders 100% to improve your GTD setup.

That is my version of how to set up a tickler file for maximum effectiveness.