Spring is here, and that means that it’s time to do your Spring Cleaning!! Each spring I take the time to spring clean my computer, and I don’t mean just my supply folder. When I’m spring cleaning, I look at all the folders on my computer. Taking a few minutes to look through the other folders on your computer and getting them cleaned up and organized can save you room on your hard drive, and help keep everything in working order.
I commonly look in folders that I access often: Documents and Pictures on my computer, and from my hard drive I check out my Work in Progress folder, my Downloads folder, my Layouts folder, and my School folders. Here are some of the things I look for and try to take care of when I am cleaning out those folders.
- Any files I don’t need any longer go to the recycle bin. If I don’t need it any longer, adios! Last time I did a clean up, I found lesson plans from three years ago, when I was still teaching. It’s worth spending the time to get rid of the files that you don’t need any longer.
- Move files to where they belong. I am famous for leaving files in my Downloads folder because I am too lazy to figure out where they really should go. This is the time to do that. Once you have cleaned out what you don’t need, put what you do need in it’s right place.
- Consolidate folders where you can. I do this in my Pictures folder. Each time I upload it creates a folder with the date. At the end of the year, I put them all together in one folder for the year. It helps me keep everything together, and easy to navigate if I need to find something.
- Make sure files are named so you’ll know what they are. I can’t tell you how many “Untitled” files I have. They are absolutely useless when I am trying to find something I need. When I am going through cleaning up my files and folders, I take the time to rename anything that needs to be renamed.
- Make a list of any larger tasks you come along while you are working. Often times, when I am cleaning up my files and folders, I find something that I had been meaning to work on. When that happens, I jot it down to add to my to-do list. I can’t tell you how many tasks I have “remembered” like this.
- Remember, it’s all about making it work for you. Whatever organizational system you find to be the most productive is the best for you, whatever rules you have for keeping files is best, as long as it works for you. I always try to remember how good it feels when everything is all clean and organized, that usually prompts me to do these types of tasks again.
Do you go through and clean up your folders and files? What strategies do you use to keep your folders and files clean and organized? Let me know in the comments below.
cindy says
I’m actually doing this now. I cleaned out over 30gb of scrapbook folders I won’t use, and organizing them and my photo’s. Everything is being backed up to 3 hard drives. 3? because I’ve had them go down. I am so excited to finally be able to find things.