3 Easy Ways to Get and Stay Digitally Organized
If you’re dreaming of having a more productive digital organizational system and filing method then these three tips will change your life
Having the most productive digital organizational system and filing method on your computer requires creating a quick and sustainable system. If you’re stuck on how to quickly organize your computer files, and keep them organized? Keep reading for my three top tips.
1. create a simple system
As with most of my advice, creating a system is the first step. Although you might be feeling like it’s too late, and that you should have created a system before you had so many files, it’s never too late to start. Our systems always need to adapt and change as our computer needs and jobs or tasks do, so it can actually be easier to start when you already have a lot of files because you already have patterns established and will see what categories to divide your files into more easily
To create a system, look at your files and start with putting them into two categories: work and personal. From there, determine the major themes that arise from both. These should be the titles of your filing systems.
2. Adopt a digital minimalism mindset
I preach about removing clutter in all facets of your life, and this includes your digital files. How often do we keep files or items on our computer that we don’t need before getting a warning that our email or computer memory space is full? We all hate these pop ups as they can cause stress and feel like one more thing to add to our already-full list of to-dos, so ensure you are regularly deleting old files to reduce clutter in your mind, as well as your computer!
I do have a cloud back-up system, but that does not mean I keep everything since I don’t want to waste time reviewing files that I don't need. Another option is to use an external hard drive for files you need to keep but don’t need to access daily, such as accounting files.
3. Set weekly digital organizing time
Once a week, set 20 minutes (or however long you need) to organize your digital life. Go through all the items you’ve saved to your desktop and put them in their respective folders. Deleting and cleaning up all of your files will help you feel productive each time you open your computer.
I also recommend scheduling time to back-up your files quarterly. Put aside time in your calendar to ensure all of your files are backed up onto an external drive so that you can delete things more often.
Click HERE for a free guide on how to store your receipts digitally to save hours and frustration during tax prep season!
