Checklist For Organizing Your Digital Files

January is "Get Organized" month, so this is a great time to organize your desk and also your computer files. We'll look at simple systems for organizing your digital files, and for keeping those files safe. Fun, right? 😀 I know, I know - don't groan! lol. It's definitely necessary. 😉

You might just be surprised at how much money is hiding on your hard drive! From half-finished products to complete & sell, PLR Content you can use or repurpose, or training material you can implement for quick results.

You're losing valuable time (and money!) if you feel overwhelmed every time you sit down to your computer. With multiple tabs & browsers open, files all over the place, or time wasted trying to locate files, and no real starting point or direction - how productive can you possibly be?

If you're like me, your digital work space gets cluttered and disorganized just as quickly as your desk and physical workspace! The key is to set up a good structure so that everything has a place, and you get in the habit of putting things IN their place.

Quick-Start Digital Cleanup

Before you start organizing your files, take a moment to do these clean-up steps:

• Uninstall any programs you don't use.
• Delete files you don't need anymore.
• Empty your trash.
• Run a virus scan.

While you're letting the virus scan run, go to your email program and unsubscribe from mailing lists you no longer want or need. Delete unnecessary emails. Empty your email trash folder.

I got a great pair of diamond earrings from Macy's recently for example, but I don't need to be on their mailing list or continue receiving emails. It was a one time buy, and I can always go back to the website if I want to order something else.

Things like this can really clutter up your inbox - fast!

Also See: Simple Browser Tricks to Increase Productivity to eliminate the distraction and overwhelm from multiple browsers and tabs. It's a simple "hack" you'll love! 😉

File Storage & Organization

Before you start organizing your files, you'll want to make sure you have proper file storage and organization programs set up. I use Evernote, Dropbox and Mozy because they are all off-site file storage systems that you can easily access from any computer or mobile device. Evernote and Dropbox are free, and Mozy is cheap:

• Install and set up Evernote.
• Install and set up Dropbox.
• Install and set up Mozy Backup/Restore.

These are three programs I cannot afford to be without! You'll want to make sure these are set up so you can easily organize your files in a way that keeps them secure and makes them easy to access from anywhere, anytime.

Evernote will be key in (finally) organizing your digital files for optimal efficiency and productivity.

Master Evernote: The Unofficial Guide to Organizing Your Life with Evernote (Plus 75 Ideas for Getting Started)

If you're using documents or paper notes & lists now, you'll LOVE Evernote. 😉 It syncs automatically so your notes and work are always saved, and you can install it on every device.

If you're already using Evernote, continue reading for some great tips for organizing your digital files very simply...

Evernote is free, although I have upgraded to the inexpensive Premium version. It's well worth it! There's also a free addon called EventNoted that allows you to sync your calendar with evernote. 😉

I'm very cross compatible (Mac, PC, Android, iPad, etc) and Evernote allows me to access my notes and files from ANY device, anywhere, anytime. I use it for everything from grocery lists to task lists, outlines, notes & ideas, and even to draft and create my digital products!

It's Time To Update Your System For Digital Organization

Methods for digital file organization have changed with the evolution of tablets, mobile devices and social media. You now need to access my files on the go, and you need to access images and photos from your mobile device for Instagram, etc.

You also want to make sure all of your important files and photos are stored off-site. An external hard drive used to suffice, but like any other hard drive - it can crash. And it does you no good if you need to access files while away from your desk, or in the case of a catastrophic event like a flood or house fire - which would destroy any on-site backups and devices as well. This is why Mozy is key. It automatically backs up your entire system off-site for you in the background.

If you have various files across multiple computers, you can easily back up each system to Mozy, then restore all of your files to one master computer. OR simply access individual files from any computer from your Mozy account.

On that note, the Chrome browser allows you to access all of your bookmarks from any device simply by logging in to your Google account. I highly recommend you organize your bookmarks in topical folders in Chrome. You can open a set of bookmarks all at once to work on a certain project, and they're backed up and safely stored for you at all times.

Organizing Your Digital Files

I'll share with you how I organize my own digital files to give you a base checklist to go by, but I encourage you to get creative - or find a simple method that works for you and your personality style. I'm very "out of sight, out of mind" so I like to keep my most important files and projects front & center.

• Create a "Back Burner" folder on your desktop, and a "Back Burner" notebook in Evernote. As you go through your files, place anything that is not immediately important in the Back Burner file for later.

The back burner file is a great way to store "ideas" or things you may need at a later date, but don't need to distract you now while you work on current priorities. I often place new ideas, or projects I want to work on "next" in the back burner file.

• Get all of your photos and images in one place. Organize them by date or topic. Copy this file structure and all of your digital images to Dropbox for off-site backup and easy access from any device.

Don't forget to back up and include photos from your tablet & mobile device.

• Copy all paper or digital notes, ideas, task lists, etc into Evernote. Delete the original files and throw away the papers/notes.

• Put all of your courses, ebooks, and training/study files into one folder labeled "Study". Create subfolders to organize by topic.

  You can also drag all of your PDF files into a new Note in Evernote, in a notebook labeled Read or Study.

• Create a folder on your desktop labeled "Websites" and put all of your website files in this folder. If you have multiple sites/projects, create subfolders for each.

• Create a folder on your desktop for "Products" if you have products in various stages of completion. For multiple products, create subfolders and include the master product file along with any notes or resources in that subfolder.

• Organize the rest of your files by topic or project.

Once you have a structure set up, you can place your files & downloads in the appropriate folders and keep things neatly organized from that point forward.

Tip: Copy your digital file structure by creating Notebooks of the same name in Evernote, bookmarks of the same name in Chrome, and labels of the same name in Gmail, to make it easy to remember & find files or notes anywhere.

Evernote Productivity Tips

My primary note in Evernote is labeled Current Task List. This is where I keep my prioritized time blocks, my time log, my task list and my "done list".

See: Using a Time Log and Time Blocks.

At the top is a list of my priorities and Time Blocks, with a checkbox in front of each. My goal is to check off as many things on that list as possible each and every day.

It's a fun way to "gamify" your priorities! 😀

Just below my Time Blocks is my "Done List". And below that is my running task list. As I complete a task, I move it to the Done List and use the "strikethrough" option to mark through it - just like I would on a paper task list.

At the end of the day I analyze how I spent my time, which of my priorities I achieved, and consider how I could improve - meaning, be more efficient and/or productive.

I often work in Time Blocks or note the amount of time a task or project took me on my Done List. This helps me better plan out my days going forward. It also allows me to easily see repetitive tasks I might automate or outsource.

I hope this has given you some ideas for better organizing your files. Now you're desk space will be clear, your computer desktop neat, and your browser is only showing you what you need to work on at any given time. Bingo. 😉

I would love to hear YOUR system, or any tips you want to share with us!

Best,