Forty-three Folder Tickler File

I am splitting this out from the post that follows. This is a "Tickler File" that you use to keep track of things that should be done on a particular day.

This is a simple and amazing little tool. It is made up of forty-three manila folders -- one folder for each month (12), and one folder for each day (31). I have 12 side-tabbed folders with a label on each for each month, and 31 center-tabbed folders labeled with a number for each day. It becomes a rotating file system. You start with tomorrow's day number (say "10" since today is July 9), put "August" after "31", put "1" through "9" after "August", and "September" through "July" in back.

The folders contain anything that should be done on that day - a sheet of paper or 3x5 card with "do X" on it, or a bill that needs to be paid on that day, or a reminder to review locations for a vacation. For example, if you want to call your sister on her birthday August 5th, put a reminder card ("call sis") in the number "5" folder. If you need to do something in, say, October ("Check out where to buy pumpkins"), put it in the "October" folder. Then, when October comes around, either do it, or put it in the day that makes sense.

Tomorrow morning, the 10th, I look in the number "10" folder (the one in front), take out the things that need to be done, and place the "10" between the "9" and "September" folders. Now, "11" is in front. I do the things I pulled from the file (or defer, or whatever). Thus, it is an active file, each day rotating to the next month. When the month folder comes up (as in the "October" example), do or re-locate the items in the month folder.

Now, you could put these onto a regular or electronic calendar. The key is physicality. For example, I have my auto registration note in there on a particular date. This is the note from the DMV. Sure, I could have a reminder on the calendar to "pay registration." Then what? I see the reminder, and now I have to find the note. With the tickler file, the note is there. Or, if I want to call someone I met at a conference next week, I put their card in the folder for that day. When the day comes around, I see the card, and call the person. It is deceptively ingenious.

I did "Google" for a good link to create a tickler file - there are a few examples and entries. However, the ones I found seemed a lot more complicated than just the basic forty-three folder setup I have. My set ends up at about 1.5" thick, which makes it portable. I take it with me in my laptop bag, and place it between two metal L-shaped bookends on my desks.

The key, as mentioned in the book, is that it must be a trusted system. You must check and process the contents of the tickler file daily. If you are going away for a few days, check all folders until the day you get back for things that need to be done.

This is a really good tool.

Getting Things Done

June and the first part of July have been incredibly busy for me -- here I posted a review in May, and then kept quiet for two months!

What I have been doing lately is putting in place David Allen's "Getting Things Done" methodology. You can read the links, but in a nutshell, it is a set of processes and techniques for organizing your life. It is really more than a "time management" system. The concept is to capture all the things you have your attention on, deciding what to do with them, which then clears you mind of having to think about them, so you can focus on what you need and want to do, and then, get them done!

In the web blogging and free-lance development and graphics arts community, the concept of time management is huge. People like David Seah, companies like 37 Signals, blogs like 43 Folders, interesting low-tech tools like the Pocketmod and the Hipster PDA, all try to explore and find ways to maximize personal and business productivity. In this world, David Allen's Getting Things Done (or "GTD") is virtually a standard. Some practice it, some practice variants of it, some contrast their techniques with his, and some reject it, but nearly everyone references GTD.

As I started reading about personally productivity and trying various techniques out, I saw these references to GTD. Most of those writing about it tried to explain it in their own words. In so doing, they tended to emphasize parts and de-emphasize others (in other words, distort the program) based on their own problems in productivity they were addressing. As a result, I did not have a clear picture of it, and even had a bit of a negative view.

However, it became clear that I needed to read this book, since it is so influential in the community. As I started reading the book, it became clear that there is gold there.

Another thing became clear: GTD is much different from what I read about in the blogs. So, my first word of advice to those that want to do this, get the book!

Rather than describe the process, I will describe the results, at least some of them.

First, my office at work is cleaner and more organized than it has ever been. And, two months into this, it is still organized! This is huge.

In going through all my stuff, I determined what was actionable and what was not, and of the stuff that was not actionable, what should be kept and what should be trashed. And, of the stuff that should be kept, how it should be kept. This is key: It is one thing to have the manual to your wireless bluetooth headset that you know you should have somewhere. It is quite another to have a place for it and know exactly where it is! And get to it in seconds.

So, no more loose crap on the desk or in my office.

Second, I feel much more in control of what I'm doing. I know that I have captured all the things I need to think about or do that are important to me. That includes, for example, this blog post. Rather than have the twinge in the middle of the night "Oh no! I need to rotate my tires!," it is captured (and if it isn't, I can capture it right then). As a result, if I get an "Oh no!" midnight moment, the next moment I think "oh yeah -- got it," and go back to sleep. The result of that is less and less "oh no" moments. That is huge. That is part of what Allen refers to as "Mind like Water," a term borrowed from Martial Arts. Rather than being distracted by incomplete actions and little niggling things that are competing with each other to get my attention, they are addressed, "processed," and out of the way and off my mind. As a result, I can focus on the what I decide needs to be done.

The process of doing this has been like tectonic plates shifting. It is not an easy process. It is not completely straightforward. I read the book over and over and over as I went through the process. The book is really well written, but it is an overview, a set of guidelines. There are books like this, mostly written by experts in a field that know so much about the field that each sentence covers a general process that seem obvious when read (and written, no doubt), but when implemented show that there are a lot of details that need to be filled in.

David Allen gives the outline of the process in the book, but he does not lay down the exact step-by-step actions needed to actually do this. This is a good thing, since it allows for flexibility, but it also requires serious study and trial to come up with the details that work with you. This is one reason the blogs talking about GTD are so varied in how they describe it.

For example, Allen recommends having a calendar, but does not say whether it should be paper, a planner, or electronic. He does not recommend any particular tool for doing this. He recommends, but does not demand, a tickler file (something I have implemented and love, so far). He recommends, but does not demand, using checklists. He provides pretty broad guidelines. As a result, I was trying all sorts of specific ways to capture next actions, projects, etc.

He does cover the key principles very well -- the concept of "mind like water," the power of capturing everything, the power of "Next Actions," where the you define the next physical action that needs to be gone toward a project or goal, as opposed to vague todos like "Find a new barber" or "Organize garage."

As a result of going through this, I find that this is not a one-shot activity. You don't just implement GTD and go home. This is a process that morphs and changes as you work with it.

In my case, I found that using electronics is not necessarily a good way to implement GTD, especially if you are using a tool on a computer (as opposed to a hand-held). If you have, for example, a list of errands than need to be done when you are out in your car, having the list on your computer does nothing for you. In my case, I have a manila folder with one 3x5 card or sheet of paper for each errand that needs to be done. If I have a gift card from Target, say, I put the card in the folder so I have it when I am out and about and something takes me to target. I put my dry cleaning ticket in the same folder so I have it when I pick up my dry cleaning. GTD uses the concept of "contexts," which indicate the various places where you are when you do tasks, such as "at work," "on the computer," "on the phone," or, in this case, "running errands." If I am running errands in the car, I do not have my computer, so a low-tech folder is much better. Also, why write something on a list when the physical item, such as a dry-cleaning ticket in the Errands folder, does the job?

As a result, GTD can be a pretty physical discipline. It goes outside any possible electronic system you can have. I do have parts of the system on my computer. I use MindJet's Mind Manager to track a number of things. I am not convinced that electronic is necessarily the best way to go with GTD, though. Sometimes paper and pencil are the best technology!

Another physical tool that Allen recommends (and I briefly mentioned above) is the "tickler" file, which I broke out into a new post. This physical tool is just plain better than an electronic implementation, just as the physical "Errands" folder is better than having an electronic "Errands" list.

So, so far, so good. I am finding it a good set of guidelines. I am finding gaps that I am back-filling. I have tried one or two GTD-oriented task managers, and found that they do not work for me because of the physicality issue noted above. But, I have to say that this has been a major adjustment, but a good one. I recommend looking at it.

Vidoop OpenID, Sprint Aircards

Well, time does fly. Here it is 2008 and I haven't posted since August. I almost posted in October, but it was an involved topic and the post was never "post-worthy." I find that writing is work! Not drudgery -- I have read writers who feel that it is -- but, work. I find myself wanting to write a quick post, but then, the details come in, and the need for accuracy comes in, and the need to set the correct context comes in, and then a quick post becomes a novelette!

So, here is the first post of 2008. Yahoo is going to support OpenID. Here is where details and context enter. Suffice it to say the OpenID is an attempt to make authentication on the web easier. Rather than having sign-ons for each website, each with its own password, OpenID allows a single ID to be used on multiple websites. The OpenID site has details.

Now, I figured that if Yahoo and a slew of others are supporting OpenID, I should at least get one. After perusing a few providers (not an insignificant task, I assure you), I came across Vidoop. These guys have a great authentication method. You get an ID. When you log in, they first authenticate the machine you are logging in from by emailing, telephoning, or text-messaging an authorization code, which you then enter, and then ask you to provide a passcode. The passcode is given to you in a grid of pictures, each with its own category. You tell vidoop which categories you want to use, they show you a grid of all categories with a letter in each, and you enter the letters from the categories you chose. Their categories are things like People, Dogs, Cats, Trains, Clocks. If your categories are Dogs and Trains, you enter the letters from the grid where there is a picture of a dog and the grid where there is a picture of a train.

This is brilliant. This is the type of thing that will pretty much guarantee that it will be you who is logging in -- they email the authentication codes to your email account, or call or text-message your phone, and the categories are the ones you chose. I don't have the math here, but I can guess that the odds are low that a break-in will occur. It sure is more secure than a simple password that never gets changed and that is usable from everywhere on Earth.

I just signed up today. Get an OpenID, and use myvidoop.com to get it.

Also, I live in the boonies. This means that there is no cable, no DSL, and, until recently, no internet. I have been using the Sprint Aircard for the last month. It uses their mobile network. It is great -- as fast as DSL. They also have a Linksys router that can have the card plugged into it -- now I can get to it from my laptop. Good stuff.

That's all for now. I'll try to post more short and sweet ones this year -- but even this one ain't short!

Apple iPhone Released Tomorrow!

I have been a busy man the last few weeks (months?), but one cannot leave the iPhone phenomenon uncommented.

Being an IT executive, I will not automatically issue iPhones to our company's people, and the reason is not the one cited by "industry experts," to wit, that it is "incompatible with our systems." No, the reason we will not issue it is because it costs a lot of money - three times or more than what I would pay for our standard BlackBerry, and virtually infinitely more expensive than the "free" voice-only we generally get for people who just need a phone. Currently, the iPhone is a really cool toy that does a lot of things well, but which goes above and beyond a business user's requirement for an email-enabled mobile phone.

I say "currently" because if trends go the way they go in Tech, the iPhone could end up a replacement laptop, and then that makes it interesting as a business tool.

Here are my iPhone predictions:

It is a category killer. It will not flop. There is a lot of FUD (Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt) going around that it is too good to be true, it is too expensive, and therefore, disillusionment will follow, the hype will not be realized, and the iPhone will be a low-selling toy. That is not true. Apple's goal is 1% of market in 2008. They will meet the goal, and therefore, it will be a success. That is ten million units.

I think that if the iPhone stays married to Cingular, it will basically hit that goal. But, I have other predictions (and no, I do not have friends or insight into Apple).

Short Term Prediction:

Lots of sales tomorrow and for a while after, a lull until October, then a surge as Apple releases an updated version. The updated version will use the EDGE 3G network, which is much faster than EDGE. Other updates might include searching and voice recognition. It will easily meet Apple's sales expectations.

Longer Range Predictions:

There will be a "VoIP" version that will NOT use a cellular network, and only runs on WIFI, and will spark the end of Cellular/wireless phones as we know them. Anything that goes to IP drives the cost down to "free." Why pay $60+ per month when you can go to any wired city or Starbucks or Barnes and Noble or home, or anywhere in major cities and converse for FREE? Mark my words, this will happen: 2008 or 2009. Sooner if AT&T/Cingular upsets Apple's customers. To me, this is obvious, and will enable the phone to break free of all mobile networks. Apple may align with a "VoIP" provider, such as Skype, but it won't have to. It could create its own.

The iPhone capability will increase, and will eventually be good enough to be used as a laptop computer. The configuration I see is that people will have a "home based" computer (desktop or laptop) and then the iPhone. Since the iPhone runs OS X, it is a Mac. The later versions will expand on this obvious advantage.

If they do these two things, I see iPhone sales (and successors) well beyond the ten million mark.

Time Sort (Noguchi) Filing System

In my attempts at organization, I came across what I think is a rather ingenious idea for filing -- at least for files for current projects.

The idea is deceptively simple:

Take a large vertical envelope (I use 10" x 13")

Cut off the top flap (leaving the top open)

The envelope should be about 12" tall now.

Label what you want to file on back, vertically down the left edge of the envelope.

Put today's date under the label.

Put what you want to file in it.

Place it on your desk or on a bookshelf between bookends.

As you create new envelopes, add it to the shelf on the left side. Thus, the last one created will be the furthest left.

As you pull a file for use, replace it on the left side. Thus, the last file you worked with will be on the left.

As you create files, and use them, all your "active files" will stay toward the left of the shelf, and all the inactive files will end up on the right side of the shelf. Occasionally review the right side files to see what needs to be filed away permanently or destroyed, and cull them out.

When you need a file, look for it by starting at the left, and moving through the envelopes until you find it. You will find that you get to your most used files faster and your least used files later. Again, when done with the file, put it back on the left.

The result is a set of files holding information on your active projects, sorted by last used, with the most used files being easier and faster to find. You spend zero time trying to figure out where to file your envelopes (they are always put back on the left) and you spend less time finding the files that you use most often (they are clustered to the left). The files you no longer need are never in the way: you never touch them until you decide to cull the system of dead files.

I have been using this now since November 29th. I currently have about twenty files in the system. I use it to hold files on projects on which I am working, vendors or technologies I am investigating, and curious information that I may have to get back to in the coming weeks. I do not use it for long-term or archival storage -- the old files eventually get there if I need to file them away, and then they are files alphabetically by category in the "normal" way.

The brilliance of the system is in its simplicity. It automatically sorts by need without any thought on my part. It automatically "tells" me which projects are either stale or complete because they move to the right, and which projects are "hot" because they are furthest to the left. It reduces time hunting for files both when filing away, or when searching for files. It removes the need to have "absolute" categorization, since you are not filing or searching by category, you are merely looking for a file left-to-right. It saves space, since all my active files are in one space and not arrayed in stacks on my desk.

As mentioned, the system works best for current projects and activities. This does not replace traditional filing systems, but it does reduce the need to root around in them. The traditional files get touched far less often -- only when moving files from the Time Sort system, or when older information is needed for whatever reason.

One lesson learned when implementing the system was that I occasionally created two files for nearly identical activities. Usually this happened when I hadn't touched the file for a while, and I forgot that I already had a file in place. I fixed that by scanning the file system before making any new files to ensure that I hadn't already made a file for the project, or for a similar task. As projects morph over time, I may rename a file to reflect what it is now, keep the name, or perhaps the project really has branched and a new project (and file) is in order.


Where did this system come from? Apparently, it was created by a Japanese author named Yukio Noguchi. I say "apparently" because Mr. Noguchi's books are written in Japanese, and I can't review the source material. About a year ago, this file system was written up by a number of bloggers who are interested in Time Management. They referred to a web site in which the system was described by a Japanese translator, borrowing liberally from it, to the point where the translator took umbrage and removed the posting. Therefore, the system as described herein may or may not reflect what Noguchi proposed. Because of this, I am calling it the "Time Sort Filing System."

It have found it to be very effective -- let me know what you think!

Productivity Issue: Planners

Ever since I started using computers in Earnest, back in the '80s, one of my goals was to have everything be "electronic," meaning, everything on the computer, and nothing on paper. That, of course, was a mission for computers in the '60s: The Paperless Office. The idea was that since everything would be on "The Computer" (this was way before PCs, or Personal Computers, and there was only one capital "C" Computer), paper would be obsolete. All memos, correspondence, reports, etc., would be read from the screen.

Well, that was my mission, too. From a pure efficiency point of view, it makes sense: Enter it once, and access it forever from a computer. No need to re-write to-do lists, Rolodex cards, schedules and calendar appointments, etc. If you have your to-do list, say, on your computer, you do not need to re-create the new list every day. You just create the list, and as you finish the items, they disappear from the list, and the unfinished items are carried forward.

Over the years, computer programs and devices were created to make this happen. From a personal productivity point of view, there were a number of programs on PCs that would help out -- I used Borland Sidekick, for example -- I coded a lot of software using the Sidekick editor. Others available at the time were Lotus Agenda, and Netmanage Ecco. There were hand-held devices, like IBM's Simon, and Apple Newton. In 1996, the Palm Pilot made its debut, and we were off to the races -- new Palms, Windows CE computers, BlackBerries, "Smart Phones," etc. They all promised to allow you to go paperless, get rid of the Day Timer, Franklin Planner, or Filofax, and run your life electronically.

Well, I gave up on the "dream." This is a prime example of "just because you can do something, does not mean you should do something." At the end of the day, a personal productivity system, or personal information manager (PIM), or agenda, or whatever you want to call it has a primary goal: To make you more productive. Secondarily, it is to allow you to find information on who you know, what you are doing, what you did do, and what you want and need to do. As it should be, the goal trumps the method.

Electronic devices seem to be excellent for use for personal productivity -- except that they are not. Computers and hand-helds are great for keeping your address list in order, and are good for calendars and appointments, but lousy for tracking tasks and progress and goals. Tasks, progress, and goals are the heart of productivity. At the end of the day, paper and pen (or pencil) is the "killer app" for personal productivity.

My next few posts will cover some of the things I have been looking at in this area, including time tracking, task tracking, filing, etc. "Stay Tuned"