Simplicity Thursday – Organising computer files

As so many of us use computers for work and play these days it is a side of life which sometimes becomes neglected in our simplifying efforts.  Usually because all our computer files and online life is stored in a neat little laptop or a rather spiffy looking white Mac; a calm exterior which often belies the jumble of old and irrelevant files, draft typings, a bookmark column that stretches on forever and a desktop resembling a holding pattern in the skies around Heathrow Airport.

Sound familiar?

As it is very easy to go off on tangents when being online or working on the computer many things get stored without giving too much thought to whether it will be actually used.  With it being so easy to duplicate files it’s possible to end up with many drafts of different projects.

Organising computer files, especially if they have gotten a bit confusing, can take a while and whilst it is possible to do it all in one go it can be tiring and is easy to get distracted.  It’s best to do it in increments of 10-15 minutes a day starting just before you start your computer time.

Here are three suggestions to help you on your way:

Clear your desktop ~ Spending time looking for a file because you ‘know it’s on the desktop’ is not the most efficient use of your time and seeing a vast array of icons doesn’t make for a calm or organised computer experience when you first turn on your computer.

~ Have a ‘to delete’ file on your desktop.  As you download things to print off or temporary things that you do not need to keep, you can place them in this folder and empty it every month or so.

~ Remove everything from your desktop that doesn’t absolutely need to be there.  The desktop is a gateway not a repository.

Get rid of unwanted or non useful files ~ although computer space is not usually a problem now, it still makes for an easier life if there is not a bunch of things on your computer that are no longer relevant.

1. start a ‘to read’ folder.  Anything you come across you saved in order to read but never got around to it save into this, if you think you will definitely read it otherwise delete immediately.  When next downloading something you think you would like to read – this is the place to store it
2. start a ‘to delete’ folder.  It’s easier to just drag unwanted files into it rather than deleting one by one.  Also if you are feeling a pull at deleting things it can give you a grace period before actually deleting
   what to get rid of -
3. Delete any old drafts you created that you have finished versions of
4. Delete all those folders you opened but never put anything in
5. Anything that is no longer useful should be deleted
6. Sort out any duplicate files and delete as necessary
7. If you have files or folders which you feel you must keep for personal, tax or legal reasons then make a special folder for them and either store it on the computer or put in on a memory stick

Organise your computer files like you organise your paper files ~ that way your thought processes are similar and it will be easier to find what you are looking for.

Enjoy

image credit Katie@!

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