The One Question to Ask

You are never at a loss for things to do. The piles of papers, sticky notes around the perimeter of the computer monitor, and notes scrawled across numerous legal pads are monuments to the demands on our time. We know we can only do one thing at a time. Yet, we surround ourselves with everything we have to do. We cannot fully focus on what we are doing because of the all of the constant remembers of what we are not doing.

Let's face it, at the end of the day, most of the papers that are lying around today will still be there tomorrow. Some of them will be buried even further down. Much of it represents things you had no intention of doing today anyway. In many cases, you couldn't do them. Here is a folder you need for the meeting on Tuesday. This folder needs to go with you when you meet with Mr. Smith on Thursday.

Sure, you could put it all away somewhere. But what happens on the day you need it? Will it still be tucked away wherever "somewhere" is?

If you are surrounded by too much to do, there is only one question you need to ask about all of it: "When do I want to see this again?"

I have written often about the benefits of tickler files. Start picking up those random pieces of paper and files that are lying around. Ask the question of each one, "When do I want to see this again?" Put it in the tickler files for that day. The folder you will need for Tuesday's meeting goes in the file representing Tuesday's date. The papers you need for the conference on the 17th of the month go in file number 17. When you start removing the papers on which you cannot act, the ones on which you can act begin to stand out.

Take the same approach with the "to-dos" written on the backs of envelopes, random napkins, sticky notes, and floating around in your head. Put them in a good digital to-do list (I like Toodledo). Take each item and ask yourself, "When do I want to see this again?". Enter the item on your digital to-do list and give it a due date corresponding with when you want to see it again. Keep the list sorted by due date. On the day you wanted to see that to-do, there it will be.

You can't do everything today. So get real about your commitments. Ask yourself, "When do I want to see this again?" and use your system to make sure that you do.

New posts will continue to appear on this site for the remainder of June. After that, continue to enjoy new material at http://FrankBuck.org.

What's in My Tickler File?

During seminars, I talk about tickler files and their ability to clear your desk and lower your stress. Checking the tickler file has been part of my daily routine for upward of 30 years. So, just what shows up in my tickler file on a typical day? This post details what was waiting for me yesterday, March 1.

The "March" folder
On the first day of each month, sitting in the front of the drawer is the folder for the new month, in this case, the one labeled "March." In this folder are items which, sometime more than a month ago, I wanted to see again during the month of March. The items in that folder were:

1. A folder of paperwork to discuss with my accountant. I knew I would be meeting with him sometime in March. As I came across items I wanted to discuss with him, I put them in this folder. During that one meeting, I can handle every item in the folder.
2. Appointment card for the dentist. Part of the routine before leaving the dentist's office is to schedule a next appointment. They always write the date and time on a little card. That card goes first in my pocket notepad. When I get home, and handle the credit card slips and items written on the notepad, I see the card and enter the appointment information on my calendar. Sure, I could then throw away the card. But, it's in my hand and only a couple of feet from my tickler files. I throw it in the file for the month of my next appointment. If a question arises about the date, or if I second-guess myself as to whether I entered the day and time correctly on the calendar, being able to put my hands on the card clears up all doubt.
3. Folder for New York trip. My wife and I will be spending some time in New York during March. All of the paperwork generated for that trip is put in that folder. When it's time to pack, that folder gets thrown in my briefcase.
4. Birthday cards for family and friends with March birthdays. Those three cards are already in their envelopes, addressed, and have our return address stickers on them. The actual dates those cards need to go in the mail are penciled where the postage stamps will go. I will sign each one, possibly write a little note inside the card, seal the cards, attach the postage stamps, and throw them in the correct 1-31 folders so that each card goes in the mail on the correct day.

As with the birthday cards, each item in the March folder was placed there more than a month ago. The job now at hand is to take each item in that folder and decide what day in March it should resurface. The result of those decisions determine the 1-31 folder.

March 1
Just behind the March folder is the one for the current day. The common is that somewhere in the past, I wanted each of these items to come back to me today:

1. Pledge card for an organization. Sometimes, paperwork needs a little thought and a little time for decisions to percolate. When the card arrived, we weren't sure of the amount we would pledge. Had it been left on the desk or tacked to a bulletin board, it could quickly blend in to the background. "Let's see that paperwork again around March 1st" was the result of our discussion. On March 1st, the paperwork is front-and-center, and we are in a better position to make a good decision.
2. AMEA Archives. One of my roles is that of Historian for the Alabama Music Educators Association. People send me concert programs, convention programs, or photos piecemeal. Rather than handle each item as it arrives, I throw it all in this folder. Once each month, I handle everything in the folder at one sitting. I then refile the folder to resurface about a month later.   
3. Scrapbook. I have maintained scrapbooks of memorabilia dating back to elementary school. Like the AMEA Archives folder, inclusions for the current scrapbook are thrown into a file folder. On the date that folder surfacing in the tickler file, I organize everything in the folder and add it to the current scrapbook. 
4. Sheet of address labels for a client. I have a client to whom I mail an invoice each month. To save time in addressing the envelopes, I printed an entire sheet of labels and put it in the tickler file for when I would need it. After peeling a label for the current invoice, the labels go back into the tickler file to re-surface on the appropriate day next month. 
5. Folder of gift cards and Groupons. This post talks about how I organize items such as Groupons, Social Living vouchers, and gift cards. When the folder surfaces in the tickler files, my wife and I decide which items we want to use during the next week. The folder goes back in a tickler file to re-surface about the same time next week. 
6. Slip from library listing due dates for books borrowed. At checkout, the librarian always prints that little slip of paper listing the items checked out and when they are due. I put that slip in my pocket notepad. I see the slip when cleaning out the notepad at home and file the slip of paper about a week before the books are due. When the slip re-surfaces, I make a decision about which items I want to re-check (electronically from home), and on what date I want to make a trip to the library to return the rest.

March 2
While we are at it, let's look at what surfaced in today's folder (Sunday):

1. Groupon for lunch. When my wife and I looked through the folder of Groupons and gift cards discussed earlier, we decided to use a Groupon for a great gourmet burger place we would visit after church. I immediately put that Groupon in the tickler folder for Sunday where I would see it that day.
2. Notes scribbled for additions to a summer workshop. When I have good ideas, I trap them immediately, often on paper. After making some notes, I thought I would have time to define those plans on Sunday, and filed that paper accordingly.

March 3, just for good measure
Let's take a look at just one more day. If I peek ahead to Monday, here is what is waiting for me:

1. One folder holds credit card receipts, bills,  and checks received. About once a week, those receipts are entered into a financial spreadsheet, bills are paid, and checks are recorded and deposited. Once everything in the folder has been handled, the folder is re-filed.  
2. CDs from computer magazine subscription. As a bonus for re-subscribing to a particular computer magazine, I received a CD of technology-related articles. I chose March 3 as the day I wanted to review the material on that CD. 
3. Reminder card from heating and cooling system. A card came in the mail stating we are due for our every-spring inspection and maintenance. The card included a number to call, along with a statement that this service had been pre-paid. After calling and scheduling an appointment, I filed the card for the date of the appointment, March 3. If any question arises over the work to be done or whether or not we should be writing the repairman a check, the card will clear up all doubt. 
4. DVD I wanted to watch again. We all have those favorite movies we want to re-watch. I pulled one from our collection and threw it in the tickler file to re-surface March 3, the date I thought it would fit best.

What goes in my tickler files? Paperwork of any kind that I want to see again in the future. My desk stays clear, and I never have to wonder what paperwork needs my attention. I make the decisions about when I need to act on the front end, file the papers, and act on each one when it resurfaces on the appropriate date. It's worked well for others with whom I have shared the idea.

What about you? Want to give tickler files a try? If you already use them, I would enjoy hearing about your experiences.

Master Paperwork With Tickler Files

I have been a user of tickler files for over 30 years recommend them in my "5 Keys to Organization & Time Management" workshop. I was delighted to see a colleague write about his experience with tickler files after attending a session with me.

You can read the entire post on the Inspiration from Others blog.

The Secret to a Clean Desktop

Tomorrow is "National Clean Off Your Desk Day." What better opportunity to clean off your desk not just today, but put in place a system that will keep it clean every day.

I frequently run into people who attended one of my workshops. Of all of the ideas we covered in the workshop, the one that seems to be the favorite is the tickler file. For me personally, it is the tool that has allowed me to work with a clean desktop and a clear head for over 20 years.

Wouldn't it be great if all of the papers that sit on your desk would go away and magically come back exactly when you need them? That is exactly what the tickler file does for you.

A set of tickler files consists of 43 folders. Take the first 31 and number them. Each file will represent a day of the month. Label the remaining 12 with the months of the year and your system is ready to go.

Wouldn't it be great if all of the papers that sit on your desk would go away and magically come back exactly when you need them? The idea is very simple. When paper comes your way that you will need to see again on some future day, slip it into the appropriate folder. If that day is going to be within the next month, slip the paper into the correct numbered folder. A piece of paper you drop in folder 17 will resurface on the 17th day of the month. For papers you will need to see again in a month or more, slip the paper into the correct monthly folder. The paper that you do not need to see again until sometime in November is filed in the “November” folder. You have earned the right to forget about that piece of paper! 

At the end of the month, you have a nifty ritual—opening next month’s file. At the end of February, you open the “March” file, make a decision about what DAY in March you need to see each item, and file them in the 1-31 folders accordingly.

I prefer to use hanging file folders. I have a file drawer in my desk where I keep the tickler files. Having the files handy is extremely important, because throughout the day as papers come your way, they are going to be slipped into the appropriate tickler files.

Here are is a partial list of the kinds of items you might put in your tickler files:

• You receive tickets to an event that occurs 3 weeks from now. Drop them in the numbered file corresponding to the date of the event. On that date, the tickets appear. You don’t have to carry them in your wallet for fear of losing (or forgetting) them. On the day they are needed, there they are. 
• You can buy birthday cards for all of your friends and relatives with one trip to the card shop. When you get home, address all of the envelopes and attach the return address labels to the whole batch. Pencil in the date each card need to go in the mail in the spot where the postage stamp will later go. Now you simply drop the cards in the appropriate folders. Throughout the year, cards will keep popping up on the exact day they need to go in the mail. You will never forget a birthday again! 
• You are attending a workshop and have a flyer giving you the driving directions. You will need that item on the day of the workshop, so put it in the tickler file. It will appear the morning of your workshop. 
• You are completing a report and do not have all of the information you need. Jot down in your planner what information you need to get and make a plan for how you will get it. Slip the report into a tickler file. When the report resurfaces, you will have the information and can complete the report. 
• You have prepared a “problem of the day” for your classes. Drop each one in the appropriate tickler file.
• You have prepared a test and need to duplicate it, but the copier is down until Thursday. Drop the test in the file for Thursday. It will be out of sight and out of mind until the day you can do something about it. 
• You duplicate the test on Thursday even though you won’t be giving the test until Wednesday of next week (because after all, that copier could go down again). Put the tests in a manila folder and put the whole folder in next Wednesday’s tickler. 

The list could go on and on. See if you don’t find this simple set of folders can do great things for you.

More Thoughtful or Just Better Organized?

Let's face it. On any given day, people do things for us they did not have to do. While we may be appreciative, how often do we forget to say so? In our busy day-to-day lives, we may not think about it. At least, we don’t think about it when we are seated with a blank note card in front of us!

I am reminded of a participant in a workshop I was conducting. We were talking about tickler files and their various uses. This participant explained that she had been using tickler files for some time. Like many of us, she wanted to get better about writing thank-you notes. Like many of us, it just never happened.

She explained that on one January day, she took 52 blank note cards, one for each week of the year. She scattered them through her tickler files. She had now structured a system that caused a blank note card to appear once each week. That was her trigger…her trigger to stop and use that blank note card to thank somebody for something.

She was already sitting down at her desk. She had the note card in front of her. Now, all she had to do was write the note.

...she was thoughtful and appreciative all along. She had simply become more organized. I suspect people began to think of her as more thoughtful and more appreciative. Actually, she was thoughtful and appreciative all along. She had simply become more organized. She had found a system which eliminated the forgetfulness problem.

What papers are piled on your desk, credenza, stacked in chairs, or lining the floor. You will not need them all today? While they are on full display to serve as reminders of the work we need to be doing, the truth is that system doesn't work. More than likely, on the day you do need a particular document, it will be seven layers down. It's out of sight and out of mind.

I have written about tickler files before. Through all of the advances in technology during my professional life, nothing has been more successful for making sure papers appear in front of me at the right time than tickler files.

If you've never used this tool, you are in for a treat. Empty a hanging file drawer in your desk. Get a box of hanging files and label 31 folders with the numbers 1 through 31, each one representing a day of the month. Take 12 more folders and label them January through December.

Start taking all of the papers piled on every flat surface and ask one simple question of each one: "When do I want to see this paper again?" The answer to the question provides the answer as to where to put it. The folder you will need for the meeting on the 15th goes in folder 15. The tickets to the concert on the 20th go in folder 20. The document you will need when you meet with that out-of-town client in June will go in the June folder.

For the first time since you purchased that desk, you may actually see what the top of it looks like! The uses for tickler files are unlimited. It's easy to get started. All you need is a drawer and folders. It's easy to manage. All you have to do is pull today's file at the beginning of the day. You are now looking at every piece of paper that at some point in the past you had wanted to come back to you today.

For the workshop participant, it meant people began to think of her as more thoughtful. What benefits could this simple tool offer for you?

How to Remember to Write Thank You Notes

In the last post, you heard Tom Peters talk about the importance of “thank you” notes. As you read it, you may agree with the sentiment. Yet in our busy day-to-day lives, we may not think about it. At least, we don’t think about it when we are seated with a blank note card in front of us!

Let’s change all of that. Let’s structure a system where we do think about it. Furthermore, let’s structure a system which causes us to think about it at a time when we are sitting down with a blank note card in front of us. It does not get any more convenient than that!

This idea actually came from a workshop participant. As we talked about tickler files and their various uses, this participant raised her hand. She explained that she had been using tickler files for some time. Like many of us, she wanted to get better about writing thank-you notes. Like many of us, it just never happened.

One January day, she took 52 blank note cards, one for each week of the year. She scattered them through her tickler files. She had structured a system that caused a blank note card to pop up once each week. That was her trigger…her trigger to stop and use that blank note card to thank somebody for something.

She was already sitting down at her desk. She had the note card in front of her. Now, all she had to do was write the note.

I suspect people began to think of her as more thoughtful, more appreciative. Actually, she was just as thoughtful and appreciative to start with. All she needed was a system which helped her let those qualities show.

If it worked for her, maybe it could work for others.

Clean Off Your Desk Day

Happy "National Clean Off Your Desk Day"! Yes, it is a real event, celebrated each year on the second Monday of January, The photo you see was sent to me by a friend...an actual photo of his desk. Today seemed to be the perfect day to share it.

Just for fun, take a look at these statistics related to the clean desk.

If you are looking for a solution to the paper blizzard, a very large part of the solution for me has been the "tickler file." If this concept is new or if you would like a refresher, here is a very old post from this blog which is right on point. Ask the question, "When do I need to see this again?"and file the paper for that day. Waiting on someone else to get back with you before you are able to move forward? Estimate when the person will be getting you the information and file the paper for the day afterward. When the paper resurfacing, you have the information you need to take the next step.

Do you have lots of slips of paper laying around or Post-it notes stuck to the computer monitor? Use your signature tool, explained in this post from a year ago, holds it all for you.

The picture to the right is the desk of a former workshop participant who put his tickler files to work!

Anyone have a photo they would like to share of their desk? I would love to see the good, the bad, and the ugly! Click here to e-mail an attachment.

Enhanced Tickler Files

Tickler files are great for papers that we need to see on a particular future date. Decide on the date, throw the paper in the tickler file, and forget about it. The paper comes back on exactly the right day. But what about papers which have no specific date associated with them?

I received this e-mail from a reader:

Dr. Buck,


I really enjoyed your session. I am ready to set up my Ticker Flies!!!


Should I may files like this:
Files….1-31
Files January – December


What about odd and end kinds of things that do not really fit in the above? Did you mention a alphabetized file? Would that be in the box as well or in a file cabinet? Suggestions, please???


Here was my answer:

What's in My Tickler File?

For those who have been to my workshops, the "tickler file" seems to be the tool that catches on universally. Today, I thought I would give you an idea what I kinds of things "pop up" on a Saturday morning in my tickler file. So, here they are:

• Envelopes which contained the Christmas cards we received this week. After opening the cards which came each day, I threw the envelopes into Saturday's file. This morning, I took the whole set and marked them all off on the electronic Christmas card list as being received. Handling the job once per week takes far less total time that handling the job daily. Throwing them in Saturday's file allows them to collect so that I can handle the whole batch at once.

• Application to present at next year's National Middle School Association Conference. The deadline for the longer all-day and half-day workshops is December 28. I figured today would be a good day to hash out the verbiage for the proposals.

• Birthday card to a friend. The cards were bought last December along with the cards for everyone else on my list. Putting them in the tickler file for the date they need to go in the mail means I will never miss a birthday.

• Gift cards. The gift cards we have received yet not completed used are together in today's file. My wife and I quickly look at them and decide which ones we might like to use during the next week. The rest get re-filed for next Saturday. Today, we were planning a shopping trip which would take us right past a Book-A-Million. I am getting my wife Steve Doocy's Tales from the Dad Side, so I pulled out the Book-A-Million gift card and put in the credit card wallet which I carry everywhere. (It's outfitted with my driver's license, two major credit cards, health insurance card, a few business cards, and a memo pad. Currency is in a money clip and I carry no wallet. I gave up sitting on that thing almost 10 years ago.)

• A coupon for a free video. It expires at the end of the month. Today is a good time to drop by the video store and enjoy one "on the house."

• Tutorial on Photo Story. I was planning to create a Photo Story this week now that school is out for the holidays. Throwing the tutorial in the Saturday folder serves as a reminder to refresh my skills before creating the project. If you are not familiar with this program, click here to see a Photo Story that my colleague and friend Pattie Thomas and I created for our system's District Accreditation a year ago.

• Tutorial on Camtasia Studio. I still consider myself a novice at this very powerful program and wanted to make some improvements.

For me, the tickler file folder at home for any given Saturday tends to have more items than the other days. Since I have more discretionary time at home on Saturday, I like to use that as a place for similar items to "pile up." Bills to pay or the Christmas card envelopes serve as examples. Items I want to simply examine periodically, or for some other reason have no real date attached, are other good candidates for Saturday's folder.

For 30 years, tickler files have kept my desk clear of paper and have ensured that paperwork appears exactly when I need it.

Organizing Your Gift Cards

Christmas day has passed, and if you are like me, you have your share of gift cards to your favorite restaurants and book stores. Figures I am seeing keep talking about $8 billion in gift cards going unspent because people lose or simply forget about their gift cards.

Wouldn't it be great if you had a place where you could put these little gems, a place where every so often they would hop up and say, "Remember me? Spend me."

For those who have adopted the "tickler file," that place already exists. Take all of those gift cards and put them in an envelope. Pick a date you would like to see them again. Drop the envelope in the tickler file for that date. The envelope with all of the gift cards magically appears on the desired date and serves as its own reminder to look at the cards. During that quick scan, you and your spouse can make decisions on what restaurants you might like to visit over the next week or two. (I like to see them once a week. The ones we plan to use over the next week go in the credit card case I carry at all times.) I throw the the envelope back in the tickler file to resurface a week later.

Examining the gift cards takes only a minute, and the process insures that the gifts given to me will be used and not become part of that $8 billion that is wasted.

Tickler Files

I frequently run into people who attended one of my workshops. Of all of the ideas we covered in the workshop, the one that seems to be the favorite is the tickler file. For me personally, it is the tool that has allowed me to work with a clean desktop and a clear head for over 20 years.

Wouldn’t it be great if all of the papers that sit on your desk would go away and magically come back exactly when you need them? That is exactly what the tickler file does for you.

A set of tickler files consists of 43 folders. Take the first 31 and number them. Each file will represent a day of the month. Label the remaining 12 with the months of the year and your system is ready to go.

The idea is very simple. When paper comes your way that you will need to see again on some future day, slip it into the appropriate folder. If that day is going to be within the next month, slip the paper into the correct numbered folder. A piece of paper you drop in folder 17 will resurface on the 17^th day of the month. For papers you will need to see again in a month or more, slip the paper into the correct monthly folder. The paper that you do not need to see again until sometime in November is filed in the “November” folder. You have earned the right to forget about that piece of paper!

At the end of the month, you have a nifty ritual—opening next month’s file. At the end of February, you open the “March” file, make a decision about what DAY in March you need to see each item, and file them in the 1-31 folders accordingly.
 

I prefer to use hanging file folders. I have a file drawer in my desk where I keep the tickler files. Having the files handy is extremely important, because throughout the day as papers come your way, they are going to be slipped into the appropriate tickler files.

Here are is a partial list of the kinds of items you might put in your tickler files:

• You receive tickets to an event that occurs 3 weeks from now. Drop them in the numbered file corresponding to the date of the event. On that date, the tickets appear. You don’t have to carry them in your wallet for fear of losing (or forgetting) them. On the day they are needed, there they are.
• You can buy birthday cards for all of your friends and relatives with one trip to the card shop. When you get home, address all of the envelopes and attach the return address labels to the whole batch. Pencil in the date each card need to go in the mail in the spot where the postage stamp will later go. Now you simply drop the cards in the appropriate folders. Throughout the year, cards will keep popping up on the exact day they need to go in the mail. You will never forget a birthday again!
• You are attending a workshop and have a flyer giving you the driving directions. You will need that item on the day of the workshop, so put it in the tickler file. It will appear the morning of your workshop.
• You are completing a report and do not have all of the information you need. Jot down in your planner what information you need to get and make a plan for how you will get it. Slip the report into a tickler file. When the report resurfaces, you will have the information and can complete the report.
• You have prepared a “problem of the day” for your classes. Drop each one in the appropriate tickler file.
• You have prepared a test and need to duplicate it, but the copier is down until Thursday. Drop the test in the file for Thursday. It will be out of sight and out of mind until the day you can do something about it.
• You duplicate the test on Thursday even though you won’t be giving the test until Wednesday of next week (because after all, that copier could go down again). Put the tests in a manila folder and put the whole folder in next Wednesday’s tickler.

The list could go on and on. See if you don’t find this simple set of folders can do great things for you.