How to Set Up a Reminder System

What if there existed a magic system--one that always told you what
bills needed paying or birthday cards sending (and when), where to
find directions to the company retreat and when the cutoff was for
buying season tickets? Relax. It exists--and in a format that works
the way you do. Train yourself to use a reminder system and you'll
never forget to take care of a critical item again.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Buy a wire step rack or accordion envelope and folders marked with the months of the year. Number a set of plain folders for the current month, one for each day (you'll reuse these every month). Slip all folders into the rack or envelope.

2. Pull all time-sensitive notes, stickies, papers, bills and invoices from their scattered locations. File each in the folder that corresponds to the date on which you need to deal with that item. Slip bills into folders 15 and 30 for payment on those days (see 229 Simplify Bill Paying). Stash your smog certificate in the folder for the week before it's due. Follow suit with all other paperwork.

3. Jump to the monthly folders for those items that require action next month or later in the year. Put year-end bank statements and 1099s in the March or April folder, your cruise tickets in the June one and a list of back-to-school supplies in September. When you get to the end of the current month, pull out the next month's file and stick all those items in the appropriate daily folders.

4. Make efficient use of your calendar if you're in the habit of checking it regularly. Sit down once a week and pencil in all the dates and deadlines you need to remember in the week (or month) to come. Or write action items on colored sticky notes for easy transfer to another day if plans change. Each day, move stickies onto your to-do list and take critical information with you.

Tips & Warnings

• Tie your reminder system to your planning calendar and to-do list so that you coordinate all three systems at the same time every day. See 3 Write an Effective To- Do List and 266 Coordinate a Family Calendar.
• Get in the habit of taking a quick look at today's folder every morning.
• Include names, addresses, phone numbers and directions when you're penciling in items to remember.
• Let your computer be your personal assistant. Set up automatic reminders with scheduling and calendar software. Synchronize your software with your PDA and take your reminder system with you.

[remember]

on 4/24/2008 Alternatively you could join www.thesitetoremember.com
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The site has a unique contact-driven facility which gets your friends birthday dates for you. We won't send unsolicited texts or emails or sell your data.

on 8/8/2006 Keep a list of things that can be done while you are on the phone sitting near the phone. Things like; clean junk drawer, find pencils that need sharpening, check pens to see if they work, etc. Just imagine yourself at the phone and think about what would work best for you.