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The Tickler File
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Your action file organizes your “to do” items. It’s the time and
task management of your filing system. Examples of actions are:
to do |
to pay |
to write |
to go |
to send |
to call |
to read |
to compute |
to meet with |
to buy |
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The most complex action system is the tickler file, which consists
of 43 folders or hanging folders with tabs as follows:
31 Folders numbered 1-31 for each day of the current month.
12 Folders labeled January -December for each month.
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Organize your tickler system in your most convenient file drawer
or in a portable file holder kept on top of your work station as
follows:
Place the current month’s folder in the front.
Place the 1-31 folders behind the current month’s folder.
Follow with the other months folders in their correct order.
If you keep the tickler on your desk top, keep only the 1-31 folders
in the portable file. Keep the monthly folders in a file drawer
to save desk top space.
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Any paper requiring an action belongs in your tickler file. Papers
requiring action in the current month go in the appropriate numbered
folder. Papers requiring action beyond the current month get placed
into a month folder — the month in which you decide to take the
action.
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At the beginning of each day (or the night before), remove the
appropriate dated folder. Divide the contents into like actions
(calls, word processing, etc), prioritize them and act.
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At the end of each day, place that day’s folder behind the next
month’s folder. Ex: when August 20 is over, put the number 20 folder
behind the September folder.
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At the end of each month, sort the next month’s folder’s contents
into the 1-31 folders.
For example, on August 31, sort September’s contents into the 1-30
folders.
© Copyright 1993, Helen D. Volk, All rights reserved
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