Pile of Index Cards

• stand up from chair and read document
• drink strong coffee
• go to for a walk

• … give up and sleep for a while :D

Understand ‘I understand’ : understood
Don’t understand ‘I understand’ : not understood
Understand ‘I don’t understand’ : understood
Don’t understand ‘I don’t understand’ : not understood

Anonymous

• David Allen, Getting Things Done, 2001.
• Jazzmasterson, Getting Things Done with Index Cards, photoset @ Flickr, 2004.
• Jazzmasterson, Getting Things Done with Indexcards 2.0, photoset @ Flickr, 2005.
• Jazzmasterson, External Memory, photoset @ Flickr, 2006.
• Rewl, Emory’s Hipster PDA, photoset @ Flickr, 2006.
• Dave Gray, Index cards, photoset @ Flickr, 2006.
• Umesao Tadao, Chiteki Seisan no Gijyutu, Japanese ed., 1969.
• Watanabe Shoichi, Chiteki Seitatsu no Houhou, Japanese ed., 1976.
• Kawakita Jiro, Hassouhou, Japanese ed., 1967.
• Itasaka Gen, Kangaeru Gijyutsu Kaku Gijyutu, Japanese ed., 1973.
• Noguchi Yukio, Chou Seiri hou, Japanese ed., 1993.
• Special Thanks to Thorsten von Plotho-Kettner for technical support

Also, a discussion about indexcard with Jazzmasterson, Dave Gray, Edward Vielmetti, vaXzine (Jamie Parks), and RJStew is helpful for me. Thanks a lot :)

Revised : 2006.11.26 additional references

All indexcards in the KM2P are reviewed, then compiled into dock on every friday. All cards in the KM2P is moved into the dock after Review process. I work like this on weekend.

Next Actions and Someday/Maybes are moved back to KM2P on monday.

The open-loop is “opened loop” as it means in my tagging method. This simplicity makes possible to find open-loop much easier, even in the chronological sequence.

If you find two-separated dots in the sequence, that is open-loop. After accomplishment of the GTD card, the open-loop is closed (filled) which looks like a bar.

As I write in ‘Date and Time‘, the time stamp is interpreted as ‘absolute name’ of each card. It provides easy and consistent way to spanning link between the indexcards.

To realize this, the time stamp must be unique, but not necessary to be accurate. Plus, it is easy to find a specific card, according to the stamp, if all cards are kept in chronological order as I do. As useful rule, you can omit year, month, date if the cards are written in same date.

This idea can be extended to any kind of documents. Actually, I put time stamp for all document I write/copy/printout. Sometimes a rubber stamp is useful.

The indexcards are kept in a card box in ‘chronological order’ in the dock. That is, the newest card comes at front of the card box. You will feel it’s natural and comfortable. A blog, for example, adopt this method (newer comes top of the page).

This is based on a simple law ‘Frequency of access to an information decrease with elapsed time’.

You will notice a certain pattern emerges from sequence of tags. That is your cultural genetic code. :)

I use Moleskine Memo Pocket for as mobile card box. Taking indexcard using Memo Pocket is rewl@flickr’s idea (photo at flickr).

But width of the pockets are just-fit for indexcard and inconvenient to put/pick indexcard inside. In order to overcome this problem, the characteristic accordion fold is reversed. I call it Kaizo (Modified, in Japanese) Moleskine Memo Pocket, or just as “KM2P”. I showed the detailed procedure with photo on the flickr.

Thanks to this mobile card box, I can use card system in my office and room seamlessly. To start working, all I need is to open the KM2P. I can start working in a second.

Any box is o.k. if it can hold index cards; made from paper, plastic, or woods. It’s true if a box is beautiful, you will be more motivated.

I use the Correct’s card box.

I call the card box as “dock” because all index cards I wrote gathers and stored there. According to increasing a number of index cards, the dock become important more and more, because it prevent your index cards from dissipation.

I own one dock system at my office, and another at my home. One dock system is consisted by three docks.

I’ll show tips and tricks I developed through my experiences.

It gives pleasure, enjoyment, amusement to the PoI system. This factor is quite important to keep writing indexcard in everyday life :)

Icon : Hat (something above)
Tag : 5th block

Quotation, cooking recipe from book, web, tv, anything about someone else’s idea, are classified into 4th group. What is important is dividing “your idea (Discovery Card)” and “someone else’s idea (Reference Card)”.

Source of the information must be recorded. A book, for example, author, year, page(s) are recorded.

Revised 2006.12.29 17:41 : “Cooking recipe” is moved from the Record Card according to nick’s advise. Thanks again ;)

Icon : Square (check box)
Tag : 4th block. Squared as open-loop first, and filled later as accomplished.

The GTD is advanced To-Do system. Next Action of your project is described and processed through GTD method. The GTD cards are classified into 3rd kind.

See David Allen’s “Getting Things DONE” for detail of GTD processing.

In my case a number of GTD card is less than 10 % of total index cards I wrote.

Revised : 2006.11.04

Icon : Electric Bulb (lightning)
Tag : 3rd block

Things from your brain, mind, spirit, everything emerge from inside you, are classified into 2nd kind. Your discovery, finding, understanding, cognition, detection, joke, good idea in your life and work.

I think this card is the most important in the four kinds of card. And you will enjoy the discovery card increases and becomes dominant in the card box because it is your own idea, finding and discovery through your life.

Revised : 2006.11.04