I’m sure you’re puzzled by this title and are wondering what on earth I’m talking about. But all will be revealed and I can promise you that it will help you to be more efficient – both at home and at work.
The tickler system is, effectively, a rolling diary system. Pieces of paper (bills, reminders to renew insurance etc) that you need to deal with get filed under the appropriate date and are then pulled out on that date and dealt with. But, don’t panic – you don’t need 366 folders! All you need is one ‘container’ like a drawer, a lever arch folder, or a box and then 43 holders or dividers.
These can be whatever you feel comfortable using. For example:
- A lever arch file with labelled dividers and those clear plastic wallets that you can slip documents into.
- The drawer of a filing cabinet, with 43 suspension files for you to drop documents into.
- A large index card system.
- An expanding wallet.
- A collection of large envelopes stored in a cardboard box!
Use whichever storage system you feel comfortable with. You need to be happy using it, because that means you are more likely to use it. You then need to number your dividers, or tabbed index cards, from 1 to 31, representing each day of the month. The remaining 12 then need to be labelled from January through to December.
My tickler system is simply a large index filing card box. I then have tabbed index cards as my dividers. The numbered ones are at the front of the box and the monthly ones are filed behind.
Whatever piece of paper you have, you simply file it under the appropriate month when you need to do something with it. Then, when that month becomes the current month, you take all the documents out and file each one under the appropriate date. When that date arrives, you simply take out everything and deal with it. That’s it. That’s the system. I said it was simple, didn’t I?
The simplicity of this system is that you can set up an index card for any action. More importantly, this paper-based system will absorb any other paper that needs actioning on a specific date. For example, let’s consider your car, or home, insurance renewal form. It probably arrives in the post at the beginning of the month but you don’t need to renew it until the 15th. So simply file it in a date near the middle of the month, for example, the 10th.
This has several benefits:
- You’re not worrying about what you’ve done with the renewal form. It’s filed in your tickler system and can be brought out at the right time.
- If needs be, someone else could find this for you. Ask an assistant to find a piece of paper on a desk covered with piles of paper and they’ll tell you where to go! Ask them to look in your system and they’ll find it within seconds.
- Any paperwork that needs ‘actioning’ on a specific date can be included in this system; conference papers, reminders for the dentist, credit card bills, party invitations … anything.
As with any new system, it will take a while for it to settle in. It took me about three weeks to get used to mine and have confidence in it. But this system has now been working for me without a hitch since 1991. Most habits take about a month to establish themselves.
It may take you ten minutes to set up the system, but once it’s there it runs smoothly. All you need to do is take out the paper filed under today’s date and deal with it. It’s the first thing I do at my desk each day. And, if I happen to be going away for a few days, I take out the paperwork relating to the days when I’m away and I make sure that everything is actioned before I go away. Now, that’s what you call efficient!
Can you have a digital tickler system? I would advise against this. Trying to digitise your paperwork by scanning it simply wastes time. The tickler system is most efficient for paper-based items. If you don’t have much paper in your life (lucky you!), you should still consider using a tickler system. All you may need, though, is a small folder with dividers and some clear plastic pockets.
Well, there’s step one in running your life more efficiently. But if you want lots more tips and advice on how to de-clutter, save time, be more assertive and less stressed then what you really need is our Effective Time Management Course. It’s a gem – if I hadn’t read it, I’d never have set up my tickler system!
Author: Diana Nadin
