Do you want to get ahead in 2021? In a recent post I explained how you can develop your personal vision for 2021 and beyond.
If you do not have a clear picture of you personal and professional future yet, I strongly recommend to follow the link above and develop one. It can serve as a compass and guiding star for all your activities. It helps you to see clearly what is important and what is not.
Once you have set the direction, you need to set up a system that supports you. A system that is so simple it blends into your flow and does not interfere with your focused deep work. A system that at the same time gives you a structure to organize and prioritize your tasks.
When you have set up a personal productivity system which works for you, by all means stick with it. It probably already fulfills the requirements and best practices outlined here.
On the other hand, you could still see room for improvement or are just not satisfied with your status quo. Then, the dawn of a new year is always an opportunity to try something new.
The tickler file folders method can be your system to manage your tasks and follow-ups in 2021.
It helps you to get organized in your everyday life. It supports you to focus on only those topics that are relevant today. At the same time, it hides future responsibilities from your consciousness and makes sure to bring them back to you when their time comes. This way it keeps your to-do-list short and handy.
The tickler file method is very simple. I explained it in detail in this post.
In essences it consists of 31 folders for days and 12 folders for months. Whenever you get a new task or want to get reminded of something in the future, you put it into the appropriate folder. The system will automatically bring it back to you on the right day.
If one of your goals for 2021 is to get better organized, the tickler file method could be worth a try.