3 Keys Thursday: 3 Key Files

Dodgerton Skillhause via Morguefile

In yesterday's post, I shared last week's journey from piles to accordion file, and teased that the expandable file was half of my paper management system. The other half is a system of three folders, a master list and a to-do list. I've dubbed the three files my mini-tickler file.

In the past, I've had limited success, at best, with the tickler file, a set of files that allows me to sort papers day-by-day. At the suggestion of a friend who swore by them, I first considered a monthly tickler file (31 folders, one for each day of the month), but felt overwhelmed by the concept, so I dialed it back to a weekly tickler file (one folder for each day of the week -- color-coded, of course). Less overwhelming, but I still didn't use it regularly.

The most useful tool in my time management system is a single sheet of paper on which I write all of my obligations for the week. This allows me to see my whole week at a glance and to add tasks from my to-do list onto a daily schedule. During the semester, I keep this cheat sheet on a clipboard with my paper attendance records, a system I love.

My favorite pads from knockknockstuff.com

But this summer, the clipboard plan wasn't going as smoothly as it had during the semester. A stack of papers clipped together just wasn't working. I needed something that held relevant papers in a more organized fashion, but I also needed it to have the same simplicity that my clipboard system did.

Enter the mini-tickler file, which consists of four folders (different colors, of course) -- one for today, one for tomorrow, one for later (anything beyond tomorrow) and, since I'm a writer, one for ideas. This keeps things t as simple as possible while still providing a home for most, if not all, of the papers I tend to accumulate. I've also added a to-do list, which fits in the front pocket of my expandable folder and helps me keep track of things I need to do but haven't yet added to the daily schedule.

My simple took a little while to evolve, but I've limited it to the basics -- providing a way of keeping track of daily tasks, while still keeping things where I can see them. Built on tools that worked before (a folder that holds paperwork connected to daily tasks, an accordion file with an open top that lets me see what's inside), this system provides a home for the many homeless papers that would (and did) otherwise end up in piles.

It used to bother me that I couldn't transition smoothly from my school system to my home system, but I've decided it's silly to waste energy fretting over something that just is. My teaching days are very different from my non-teaching days, so it only makes sense that my systems need to be, too. A logical extension of my mail counter system (that took forever to evolve), I'm hoping this approach will plug the hole in the actionable items sector of my at-home paperwork. It wasn't until I started sorting through piles last week that I realized just how many homeless papers I had floating around in limbo -- not ready to be filed or trashed because I needed to take action on them first.

So, here I go. Time to dive in and put those papers in their homes.