We’ve all experienced unorganized files and documents casually spread over our desktops and other devices. Think of it as an unorganized room with clothes and other things scattered all across it.
Going into such a room looking for a pair of AirPods can be a hard task. Suppose you need them for a morning jog - you can spend your entire morning tearing up that room, looking for them.
This is precisely the same as sorting through your digital files. Finding exactly what you want and when you need it might be time-consuming, especially without some form of organization.
This influx of digital files on any of your devices, be it a computer, mobile phone, or even TV, can be overwhelming. Your efficiency in organizing these files will ultimately save you time and a mountain of frustrations, especially regarding work-related files and personal media.
In this guide, we’ll show you how to save time through the step-by-step process of organizing your digital files and implementing a system that ensures quick access and efficient file management.
Before we get to it, it’s essential to familiarize ourselves with some of the most common systems for organizing digital files.
While there are many methods of organizing digital files, we'll focus on one approach in this article – the folder structure system.
This system is practical and user-friendly, making it an ideal choice for many people who use computers for various reasons.
Here’s an overview of the systems that fall under the folder system organization method:
Chronological system: As the name suggests, this type of organization system entails sorting out files or documents based on the date they were created, modified, or downloaded.
This system is excellent for people who need to access their files in order to create quickly. This could be anything from created photos and videos to project files with deadlines.
Project system: Speaking about projects, another popular type of file organization involves sorting them under the project they are associated with.
This system is best suited for project managers, graphic design agencies, construction companies, marketing agencies, and software development teams, just to mention a few.
By Tag: Tags are flexible organization tools that use descriptive labels and keywords that are typically attached to files to make them easier to search and find. They work like digital sticky notes that you can sort of ‘stick’ to your files.
This system works best if you need to locate a file quickly by simply searching it using keywords. People with research materials, articles, and other collaborative documents use this type of system to organize their files and find them quickly.
By Type: As the name suggests, this type of system is best suited for individuals who have documents, music, photos, and videos and need to locate these files based on the type of content quickly.
Unlike the other methods, which utilize keywords and names, files under this system are sorted according to their format or type. It emphasizes sorting files based on their characteristics. It also makes it easy to share files.
People with diverse content and media collections like documents, videos, images, and audio files use this system. You can also use it to organize your home entertainment videos like movies and TV shows.
As mentioned earlier, this type of system is incredibly convenient and easy to use. But it’s not the only one.
Here are some other systems that you should consider in addition to the folder management system:
Cloud Storage Solutions: Other possible ways of organizing your files involve using cloud solutions such as Google Drive and Dropbox to store your files. These solutions are ideal for people who want easy access to their documents from anywhere, adding that aura of accessibility to valuable storage space.
Automatic File Organization Software: As the name suggests, automatic file organization entails using software apps to organize files and folders automatically.
Most people who use software to sort their documents use it for emails, business and personal finance documents such as statements, receipts, and client invoices.
It’s not news for digital files stored on devices to go missing, corrupted, or downright difficult to find. And sometimes, your files will get lost even after you’ve organized them.
Why?
Here are some of the most common reasons why your digital files get lost even after you organize them:
Inefficient file management: Although you might have carefully organized your files, you might lose your files because of inefficient file management practices.
There’s a proper and efficient way to store your files (as shown below) that will minimize your odds of losing files to inefficiencies in file management.
Accidental deletion or overwriting: Accidents happen all the time. You can accidentally delete a file because of human error. Simply hitting the delete button is one of the leading causes of missing files.
You can also unknowingly overwrite some of your files with new versions, erasing the previously known files with valuable data in the process.
Having too many files without a proper filing hierarchy system: Even with some level of organization, having too many files without having a hierarchical system can lead to the loss of files.
This issue can leave your digital workspace in a mess and make it incredibly challenging to locate and manage important documents. In simpler terms, having too many files can make it difficult to find documents when needed.
It also increases the risk of misplacement and loss of digital files.
Software or data corruption: When your digital files are compromised because of a breach in data, malware, or even hardware failure, it can make it harder to find your files, even if you’ve organized them well.
Fortunately, using the best antivirus software and a reliable VPN (check out these best VPN deals) prevents your files from being lost due to data corruption caused by malware or viruses, or stolen by cybercriminals.
We use our phones, computers, tablets, and TVs for so many different purposes. In the process, digital detritus and clutter can pile up, making our workflow a living hell and slowing down our devices in the process.
Organizing your files can reduce stress and save time. Here’s a step-by-step guide on the entire process of organizing files.
As with anything, before you start, you need to take a step back and think about your organizational needs. In other words, not everyone will have the same objectives when organizing their digital needs.
For instance, a contracting writer might need to organize their files better than a student might need to. For this reason, it would be beneficial to assess your file types and how you plan on organizing them.
It would be in your best interest to act according to the universal rule of thumb governing file organization: decide which files you need the most and how frequently you need them.
Take a moment to evaluate all your files. Identify what's essential and what can be archived or deleted
It’s easier to choose a central location to store all your digital files rather than many decentralized hubs. The choice of your storage location will be based on your personal file needs.
Most people choose to store their files on their computers, but you could also go for cloud storage or even an external hard disk.
As this title suggests, proceed to create a main folder that will host your digital files. It's as easy as right-clicking your mouse on your preferred storage location and hitting the ‘create new folder’ button.
This new creation should serve as the main host for your file organization system. If you’re planning on creating multiple subfolders, this will also serve as the foundation for a hierarchical system.
After you’ve created that main folder, proceed to create subfolders that will serve as a logical hierarchy for more folders.
For example, under this main folder, you might have one folder (a subfolder) labeled Work, Movies, or even Travel Photos, etc.
However, you might not need to have a folder hierarchy if your storage needs are simple. For instance, if you’re simply looking to create a folder to house one or two documents, you might not need a hierarchical system.
The next step that goes hand in hand when creating your file is all about naming conventions. This step is monumental as it ensures you establish a clear and perfect system of naming your files.
This ensures that you have overall clarity and ease of locating documents. For instance, you can have a file called Vacation Photos with subfolders named Italy Vacation Photos 2023 and Bora Bora Vacation Photos 2023.
After you’ve created your files and updated them with the relevant documents, it's important to back them up. Backing your files ensures continuity and accessibility even in the event of file corruption, hardware failure, and accidental deletion.
Here are some of the most practical tips to consider when organizing your digital file(s).
Make Decluttering a Part of Your Organization Routine: If you’ve been using your device for over a year, you’ve probably accumulated some clutter. Clutter can be in the form of paper clutter, downloads, cookies, and other related data.
To be organized and stay organized, you should consider decluttering frequently. Is that a duplicate file? Have you used it in the near past? Can I update the file? Is it corrupted or infected with malware?
These are some of the questions you should consider asking yourself when decluttering to make it easier to arrive at a clean and organized device.
Name Files Using Names Like “In Progress,” “Final,” and “Raw”: This tip is for people working with software and digital media files such as videos and audio. Naming folders like this will make tracking your progress and locating your files easier.
Use Descriptive File Names: Folder names should be as descriptive as possible to make them easily searchable. It also reduces the risk of having your files scattered.
Regularly Backup Your Files: Google Drive, Dropbox, and iCloud are popular solutions people use when backing up their files. As mentioned before, failure to back up your files might come back to bite you because you risk the chance of permanent file loss in the event of data corruption or hardware failure.
Set Up a Clear Folder Structure: File management is all about having clear structures that complement your digital filing system. Set up a clear folder structure that outlines a file’s name and describes its contents.
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