Getting Things Done Explained - Part 6

📍 My reading notes for getting things done - Part 6..

A calendar reminder can serve that purpose. Some typical decision areas in this category include Hire fire, merge acquire sell, divest, change job career, potential strategy redirection. The tickler file. One elegant way to manage non actionable items that may need an action in the future is the tickler file.

Essentially, the tickler file is a simple file folder system that allows you to distribute paper and other physical reminders in such a way that whatever you want to see on a particular date in the future automatically shows up that day in your intray. If you have a secretary or assistant, you can entrust at least a part of this task to him or her, assuming that he or she has some working version of this or similar system.

Typical examples would be, hand me this agenda the morning of the day I have the meeting. Give this back to me on Monday to rethink, since it applies to our board meeting on Wednesday. Remind me about the Hong Kong trip two weeks ahead, and we'll plan the logistics. I use my tickler file to manage travel documents I need at hand on a certain day.

Reminders of birthdays and special events upcoming. I would take up too much visual room on my digital calendar. Printouts of interesting things to explore when I might have more time in a couple of months, etc. Checklists, creative and constructive reminders. Whenever you have to think about anything, either because of some regularity of a refreshed view at the end of every calendar year, I won't need to, or a specific situation that requires more detail than you can easily recall, before I deliver a seminar, I need to, you should entrust those jobs to your external mind, your management system that holds the details you need to engage with.

At appropriate times, there are an infinite number of possible checklists that allow you to have more relaxed control in various situations across your life and work, things you want to pay attention to. Often, when we are working with people to clear up what is on their minds, what shows up are things like this.

Exercise more regularly, spend more quality time with my kids, do more proactive planning for my division, maintain good morale on my team, ensure we're in alignment with corporate strategy, keep the client billing process up to date, focus more on my spiritual practices, pay more attention to the individual goals of my staff members, keep myself motivated in my job, keep current conversations and updates going with key people in my company.