A Follow-up File is the Best Friend to Your Day Planner

It's important to schedule time in your day planner - appointments with yourself - to work on the important tasks that must be done. But it's equally important to have any reference material, instructions or guidelines handy when you are ready to do the actual work.

Whenever you schedule time in your day planner to work on a priority task, place any relevant paperwork in your follow-up file so it is available when you need it. This also keeps your in-basket and desk clear of any paperwork.

Your follow-up file can be a set of 12 hanging folders, one for each month, and 31 manila folders marked 1 through 31, representing the possible days of the month. There should be only one set of these manila folders, placed in the current month's hanging folder. (You may need a couple of additional unmarked hanging folders to house them comfortably.) The manila folders are transferred, a day at a time, to the next month's hanging folder once the contents have been dealt with. This means you will always have 31 folders for future days as you continue to plan ahead.

When you schedule time in your day planner to work on a task, and there is material you will need to refer to when you do the work, include the note "See FF" as a reminder to check your follow-up file at that time. In fact, don't put anything in your follow-up file without first indicating that it is there. Let your day planner tell you when to look in your follow-up file. The more details you include the better, but even a simple "See FF" will remind you that something has to be done that day. If there are electronic files that must be referenced, add a note in your planner accordingly. Don't rely on your memory; let your planner be your memory system.

Your follow-up file can be used for invoices to be paid, tickets for future events, greeting cards to be sent - anything in paper format that must be used or acted upon in the future. Just remember to schedule enough time to actually do the task.

It is a simple matter to scan the pages of your planner if you want to find anything that is awaiting action in your follow-up files.

Coordinated with your planner, which is your guide to the future, a follow-up file will help keep your in-basket empty, your desk organized, and your mind at ease.


About The Author
Harold Taylor's website https://www.taylorintime.com
Harold Taylor has been speaking, writing and conducting training programs on the topic of effective time management for over 30 years. He has written 16 books, including the Canadian bestseller, Making Time Work For You. He has developed over 50 time management products that have sold in 38 countries around the world.