GTD Tip: Using a calendar as a file index to find files

I saw this productivity tip on TV by Koyama-san, a productivity guru and author of a Japanese book called Idea Hacks. His tip helps us find files faster. Here it is:

• First, when you save and name files, always put the date in front. For example, “2009-05-12 Presentation”. Regarding the date format, use a format you prefer, but remember to be consistent. Having the year in front gives you the benefit of sorting by file name chronologically by year.
  
  
• Second, let’s say you are looking for a presentation file for a client meeting. You’d go to your calendar (i.e., iCal, Google Calendar), and search for that previous meeting. Once you find the meeting or event, you will also know the date. In turn, you can use the date to look up your file or search for it. 
  

Usually, I would just use Spotlight to search for the files, but if I can’t find it, this tip is always a good backup solution to find a particular file for an event or meeting.

This would also work with physical files as well. Just make sure you put a date on your folders and arrange them by date. Once you find the meeting date in your calendar, you can easily locate the physical folder.