When your computer files are disorganized you lose precious time and this can have a huge negative impact on your productivity. Instead of getting frustrated every time you sit down at your computer you can take steps to organize your files and folders so you can find the things you need in an instant.
Use the “Documents” Feature
If you use Windows XP you would recognize the “My Documents” feature, but if you have upgraded to Windows 7 you know that it is simply known as “Documents”. This is a powerful tool for organizing your computer because it is essentially home-base for all your files and folders. If you use it as the root folder for all your work then you simply have to figure out a cascading structure of folders that makes sense for your usage.
Store Like Things Together
Another tip is to store like things together. You might start out with the best intentions but somewhere along the line you may start saving documents in the wrong place. Giving in to this lazy approach to computer organization is a recipe for disaster. You will never be able to find your documents if you don’t consistently put things in the right place.
Choose Intuitive Names
It is important to come up with a standard naming convention for both your computer folders and files and of course to stick to it. This helps greatly when you have to remember where to look for a particular type of document.
Backup Your Data
Finally, you should backup data on some external device or on an online database. While it is perfectly acceptable to use an external hard drive for instance, it is much better to use Dropbox to store your data because then it can be accessed remotely and you don’t need to worry about it ever being contaminated.
Becky Esker is a certified professional organizer, national speaker, owner of Get Organized! L.L.C., and the forthcoming author of a new organizing book. Becky and her team provide hands-on services to those in the greater eastern Iowa area and also provide a wide array of products and service to businesses and individuals nationwide through their website. For more information access www.TheOrganizingChoice.com, www.SecondGOAroundAuctions.com; www.ItsSimplySerendipity.com; and www.OutstandingSeminars.com
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