Tickler file revisited

As a GTD user, you have surely heard of the Tickler File, a.k.a. the 43 Folders. Now, this tool is very powerful, but requires building the habit of emptying the current day folder each and every day. If you don't do that, your mind simply cannot trust that you can use it for off-loading. I believe the habit is easy to build up if you have a lot of day specific items in theTickler File. The problem is, I generally have two or three day specific items every month, so learning the habit by repetition is difficult.

What I've come to use the Tickler File for, is mainly for storing temporary stuff. For example, if I get an invoice, I register it with my bank to be paid when it is due. Then I store it for reference in case any problem should arise. If everything seems clear a few months later, I'll throw away the invoice.

If you're like me, and don't have a lot of day specific items to get back to, I propose you simply decrease the granularity by removing all day folders. Retain the monthly folders, and add a reminder in your electronic calendar to empty it on the last day every month. It's more manageable and it certainly feels much more worthwhile.

So what do you do with the few items that actually are day specific? At home, I've labeled a couple of folders with "Temp 1", "Temp 2", etc. The day specific item is put in an empty temporary folder, and I write an entry in my calendar, where I reference the folder by name. On the day in question, I will get a notification and retrieve the item.