Index Card Bleachers

I operated a small business for several years and wanted to have a paper based system to keep me organized. I settled on 3 x 5 index cards as the best size and material. With them I worked out a way to  carry my calendar, task list and note taking tools all the time.


I checked different brands of cards and carrying systems. Mead index cards were and are my first choice with Oxford a close second. I used Scan/Plan pocket packs, binder clips, coin envelopes and Moleskine pocket organizers to carry the cards. A Fisher space pen or Parker Jotter with a space pen cartridge let me write on them at any angle.

When I got back to my home office I spread the cards across my index card bleachers. I had designed the bleachers and a friend had made them from scrap pieces of oak from his woodworking. The bleachers let me keep eight days' work in front of me.

With this simple system I kept on top of my clients' and my own projects. I made lists, notes and sketches in meetings, on planes, and at stop lights without opening my laptop or worrying if my phone was charged.


My current job requires managing more than ten tasks for several clients every day. The index card system has evolved to let me do that in a format that I will cover in a future post.