Nowadays, most of us (if not everyone) are on our laptops or devices all day long! Gone are the days of paper & filing in the office which has been replaced by PDF, after PDF, after PDF being sent through via email or Dropbox! Although we wouldn't have it any other way and the convenience of this technology is like no other, when you don't have an organised laptop - life can get crazy & chaotic, not to mention extremely cluttered! 

To prevent this un-needed stress, I thought I would pop together 5 simple ways you can organise your laptop files. Let me know what you think and good luck! x

1. The Weekly Declutter

A lot can happen in a week when it comes to your laptop! Out of nowhere you can end up with a chaotic desktop that's overloaded with x50+ screenshots you have taken in just a single day or a downloads folder filled to the brim. Get on top of things by allocating a time slot every week (I suggest Fri 5pm, or Mon 9am) to do a weekly de-clutter.

Start with your desktop. File or erase anything thats been placed on it. Be ruthless - if you don't need it - get rid of it. Once your desktop is looking top notch move onto your downloads folder and repeat this process. 

2. Create a folder system

If there is one thing you take away from this post it's the importance of creating a solid folder / filing system on your laptop. 

Don't rush this! Take your time to work out what will be relevant and most practical for you and once you feel confident with it, make sure you commit. 

For me - I can't go past a numbering system (see above & below). It's clear & easy to follow, not to mention extremely practical & user-friendly. 

3. Don't be afraid of depth

When it comes to the folder & filing system don't be afraid to take it to the next level. Sub categories, sub folder, colour tagging - what ever you need, add it in - just make sure you stick to your order system with the labelling. For me, I'm all about folders in folders, and colour tagging for different bits & pieces. For example - in my wholesale folders - I colour code depending on if I have sent the stores order, if I have received their payment or if they have an order still to be shipped etc. For me this is something I'm across daily & having a quick visual reference makes my life easier and saves me time. It's all about organisation. 

4. Pay attention to the details

It may sound simple but it's all about the little things when it comes to organising your laptop files. Below are a few tips to help

* If you're writing a big document or designing an invitation etc that will have multiple edits, make sure you clearly label them so you know what the most recent version is. The easiest way to do this is to label the end of the file name as V1 (version one), V2 (version two) etc. For example, AOL_2017 DIARY_V2

* When paying invoices, download the PDF and pop it into the Invoice Folder, followed by the 'month' it's being paid in. Once you have processed the payment, edit the file name at the start to say PAID_DATE_Invoice XXX_Company Name

5. Back Up

Last week, I had the horrible experience of my laptop completely dying! I couldn't turn it on and was told that I could loose all my files. I literally felt like crying! I had been so busy, I hadn't backed up my laptop in months! This was a huge wake up call (and thankfully I didnt loose anything on my computer when I picked it up a few days later.) Make sure you don't have the same experience - invest in a quality & reliable hard drive &/or utilise Dropbox or iCloud to store all your important files. Make this part of your weekly routine. If you don't need a file anymore - back it up and then delete it off your laptop to create more memory. 

Hopefully these tips help! If you have any of your own, I would love to hear them in the comments below

Enjoy x