This is a great post! I use a Franklin Planner, which I find fairly useful although I know I’m not using it to the fullest extent (I’ve been through FC training and I know how borderline cultish some people can be about using the planner)

What I’d like to know is how people organize filing systems. How do you create files for projects, develop files for your filing cabinets, keep track of what’s in those files, etc. This is a real problem for me!

David Allen’s audio seminar is helpful to read for those interested in GTD. For implementation of GTD. 43 Folders is a great site for summarizing GTD and tips/tricks on implementing the system. I use a program call memoleaf on my Treo650.
If you’re a mac user, iGTD with Quicksilver works well for many people.

I’m decidedly low tech as these things go; keep most files electronically, very little paper. I’m a compulsive list maker. I set a kitchen timer for 30 minutes and then do nothing but file for that amount of time — about once a month. I pay every bill except my rent electronically and automatically if I can. Thankfully, my life is not all that complex… I also have started to give myself a margin for things falling off the table. It has increased my sanity level 100 percent and have begun to discern what stuff HAS to be done and what stuff just doesn’t matter.

I loooove creating organizational systems for my office. I’ve been using the following:

1) Jobs binder:
-open Invoices
-paid Invoices
-completed Timesheets
Once a week I print out a current Project Tracking sheet (open jobs, invoiced jobs, paid jobs)

2) File cabinet 1:
-current project files

3) File cabinet 2:
-completed project files (I move them to storage when they are 1-2 years old)

I also have binders for Font/Stock Photo reference, computer/general reference. I file my design samples in a file cabinet and move them to storage after a few years as well (or when I run out of space)

I try to limit the amount of “stuff” I take in (paper samples/swatchbooks, design mags, etc) as it tends to add up fast!

Great topic. And look at all the great feedback that’s already been posted.

I have not finished David Allen’s book and at this point, I doubt if I ever will. But I have finished Free Prize Inside (which should’ve taken no more than 2 days and has been on my nightstand since spring). I’m just happy to have finished a book!

While I’m not as organized as Lidia (so impressed!), I have started purging paper, files and magazines.
My intern files away all receipts and paperwork several times a month, so those files no longer wait till income tax time to be filed.

For daily work, once a client enters “former client” phase… or for individual projects where there’s not ongoing work, files go into a file cabinet.

Current work is kept in two small bins on a table which is right behind my desk. So I can pull folders without getting up…very convenient if I’m on the phone. Also convenient since I can easily be working on 3 or more clients on any given day.

I’ve also streamlined my billing. I keep a work log for all clients in a binder. Each client has a tabbed section. Each section has a page for each month. At the end of the month, I just add up my time on that sheet and bill out the work. Yes, I know that I could do this in an excel sheet, but I don’t always have it in front of me…so this works fine.

I agree with Rickey on the handwritten timesheets (love the idea of a section for each client, will do that). I log my hours daily on a calendar, then transcribe to a timesheet for each project. Ive tried computer apps, but find that this is more fool-proof, as I can’t always remember to start/stop the little timer…

I am not a neat person. There. I said it. I hate files. I hate keeping track of things. That said, I did read GTD, at least the summary my husband gave me. And for awhile I was into index cards to track projects, also known as a Hipster PDA. It’s on 43 Folders and also http://www.diyplanner.com. That sort of fell apart, but was good when I was in an agency and really juggling. Now that I am home-based, I use binders for really big projects and folders for everything else. I also use a good old notebook for tracking time and taking client notes. I find that sometimes being totally organized puts too much focus on the process of being organized and not enough focus on accomplishing tasks.

I talked about this last night, but a couple extremely useful organizational things I do:

1. Every Friday I go through my email and copy/paste each email to a project folder on my flash drive. That way when I go to a client’s folder I can immediately call up the notes file that has all email correspondence, and I can quickly see where things were left.

2. I use my flash drive as the go-to place to save things. That way, I can back it up on my hard drive each week, and always be current when I move from destop to laptop.

3. Friday is my day to organize. Most afternoons I cut and paste emails, ensure my invoices and billing are up to date, back up my files, update my website with any major new stuff, and generally get caught up on where I’m at in my business. It’s a great way to end the week and start Monday off right.