Organizing Electronic Files

The rules of a good filing system are as follows:

Maintain fewer files with broader headings. It’s better to have 20 files with 40 documents in each file than it is to have 80 files with 10 documents in each. The fewer files you have, the more likely you will only need to look in one file to find the document you need. If you have to check more than one file to find the document you need, you will learn to not trust your filing system, because the document could be in any number of files. Keep it simple!

All files should be divided into no more than five categories. Just make the categories broad enough that everything can fit into that five. No sub-categories. Keep it simple!

Note: You do not want to have sub-categories or mini-categories within your three to five categories. That complicates the process and makes it more difficult for you to remember all the exceptions. Keep your system very basic--up to five categories with each file alphabetized within each. No sub-categories. By keeping the filing system extremely simple, you will come to trust the filing system and will dare to file documents away, knowing you will be able to find them again.

All files should be alphabetized within each category. This way, you only have to remember it’s in one of the five categories and its alphabetized. This will help you to figure out where a document you need may be located. Keep it simple!

So the first thing you need to do is review the file headings and see if there are any files that can be combined so you have fewer headings. Also, make sure the headings are based on your way of thinking, so it makes sense to you.

Next, you need to divide those files into three to five categories. No more then five categories please! Research has found that the human mind can remember up to five distinctions automatically without giving it any thought. Any more than five and we have to stop and think for a minute in order to keep it straight. The effort of having to stop and think each time you file is just enough effort to make you stop filing and start piling. No more than five categories! Most of you will struggle with this, trying to add just one more category; but don’t do it. You simply need to come up with broader categories so everything can be contained in five or fewer categories.

Organize electronic files much like you organize paper files. Whenever possible, you want to use the same folder headings that you used in the paper file folders.

1) Look through every document and decide if it can be deleted, forwarded to someone else, renamed, or put into a folder with an appropriate heading.

2) After you have looked through every document, look through every folder for any contents that can now be deleted, forwarded, renamed or put into a different folder.

3) Once every document and every folder has been sorted, look them over and see if there are any files that can be combined so there are fewer folders. Double check for accurate folder headings. When you have done that, create folders for the same five categories you made for the paper files. Click and drag every folder into the category’s folder it belongs to. When you are done you should have five folders and within those five folders are a number of other folders in alphabetical order. Each of those folders is full of alphabetized documents.

While you may utilize a different filing system for organizing your computer files (such as by file type or oldest to newest) it is my strong recommendation that you maintain your computer files in the same manner in which your paper files are kept (alphabetized by category). This way all your filing systems are consistent and you won’t have to stop and think where things are located.

4) Organize email by first doing your Inbox and then go through all your email folders. Sort through and decide what can be deleted, forwarded, renamed, or put in different folders. When you are done, double check to see if any folders can be combined so there will be fewer folders and if they all have accurate headings. This should really streamline your emails.