43 Folders

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43Folders.com is Merlin Mann’s website about finding the time and attention to do your best creative work.

How do you use 43 folders for filing?

Jon500 | Apr 22 2007

Great site... Thank you.

HOWEVER: I am very surprised how difficult is has been (at least for me) to find information on how to actually use a filing system that is composed of 43 folders. All I know is that you have 12 months and 31 days. But for a site that is eponymous with this system, I would expect to see a prominent link on the home page that says something like:

--> How To Implement A Filing System Using 43 Folders

I just purchased the book "Getting Things Done" as a result of this site--but as far as I can tell this book makes no mention of a system that uses 43 folders. In fact, Mr. Allen seems to suggest that a 26-folder A-Z system is adequate.

Can anyone point me to a link or two that would instruct me how to use the 43 folders? How, for example, does it get "integrated" into the GTD system? I understand I can place items in a folder, such as "15" for April 15th, but how does that tie in to a Project or Action? Must I have two filing systems, one from A-Z and the other 43 folders, making 69 folders in all (no jokes here, please)?

Searching Google did not help me. I saw only links to your URL, and from there I can't find the information I'm looking for...

Thanks in advance... I'll be checking this board often for replies.

Jon

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Jon500's picture

OK, but...

Submitted by Jon500 on April 22, 2007 - 12:34pm.

Thank you for your reply.

Well, then I have some additional questions:
1) If we're in June and a bill is due on the 15th, would I place the bill in the folder labelled "15", or would I put in in, say, the folder labelled "7" so that I can send the bill before the past due date?
2) This system seems a little flawed because it does not provide a good opportunity at the end of each month. For example, let's say that it's June 28th. Now I have a critical bill due on July 2. I would need to peek into July's bulk folder ("bulk" because it has items for all days in July that have not yet been distributed to the numeric "day" folders) in order to see it. If I get to July 1 and distribute July's bills to the appropriate day folder, I could be "blindsided" by some that I need to do either on July 1 or the next day or two...
3) I'm not sure I like the idea of having to scan the contents on numbered folders each day in order to do a "look-ahead". It seems very tedious to me.

Does anyone actually "enjoy" this system? Mr. Allen does talk about filing systems and that in order to be effective they have to be enjoyable to use.

But I also don't want to get away from my original point: If this site is called "43 Folders", shouldn't there be an explanation about it here??? Or am I just not seeing that link or those links???

Thank you,
Jon

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