This Simple File Management System Changed My Life!
Summary
TLDRThis video script offers a comprehensive guide to effective file management, emphasizing a balance between organization and functionality. The presenter shares a personal file hierarchy system with a maximum of five folder levels and up to 99 folders per level, advocating for a structured yet flexible approach. Key tips include naming files with dates for easy searchability, utilizing file manager features, and creating shortcuts to shared folders. The script also touches on the importance of consistency in naming conventions and the use of digital and physical decluttering tools, aiming to enhance productivity and efficiency in managing digital files.
Takeaways
- đ Limit the number of folder levels to a maximum of five, with each level having up to 99 folders, to maintain an organized yet navigable file structure.
- đą Use a numbering system for folders, with frequently accessed folders having lower numbers, and reserve '99' for an archive folder.
- đïž Create a 'Quick Share' folder (level 04) for temporarily storing files that need to be shared with others without duplicating within the main project folders.
- đ Incorporate dates into file and folder names when they are time-sensitive, using year, quarter, month, or specific dates as needed.
- đ Leave non-time-related and equally important folders to be sorted alphabetically for easy searchability.
- đ·ïž Use consistent naming conventions with keywords such as 'doc', 'meeting notes', 'working trix', 'briefing', 'slides', and 'form' for better search results.
- đż Emphasize the importance of organizing files by where they will be used, not just where they were originally stored, to enhance productivity.
- đ Utilize native file manager features, such as search operators and filters, to quickly locate files within a cloud storage platform like Google Drive.
- đ Attach keywords to files or folders to enhance searchability, especially when you cannot change the original name.
- â Prioritize which folders to star or flag, ensuring that only the most essential files are easily accessible for daily use.
- đ When a folder is shared, consider creating a shortcut to organize it within your own file management system without altering the original structure.
Q & A
What is the speaker's approach to file management?
-The speaker advocates for a balanced approach between form and function in file management, suggesting a system that is both organized and efficient for quick retrieval of information.
What is the maximum number of folder levels recommended by the speaker?
-The speaker recommends limiting the number of folder levels to a maximum of five, with the sixth level reserved exclusively for files and documents.
Why does the speaker choose to have up to 99 folders at each level?
-The speaker chooses 99 folders at each level because it aligns with the numbering system from zero to 99, allowing for a structured yet flexible organization.
What is the purpose of the '99' archive folder mentioned in the script?
-The '99' archive folder is used for storing outdated or inactive files that are rarely accessed but not yet deleted.
How does the speaker use the '04 Quick Share' folder?
-The '04 Quick Share' folder is a temporary catch-all for files that need to be shared with others without cluttering the original folder or creating duplicates.
What is the speaker's strategy for naming folders and documents?
-The speaker uses either a date-based naming convention for time-sensitive documents or leaves non-time-related folders and documents to be sorted alphabetically for easier searchability.
What is the significance of the date naming convention in the speaker's file management system?
-The date naming convention helps in making files more searchable and provides a chronological order, which is particularly useful for time-sensitive documents like budgets, presentations, and training materials.
How does the speaker suggest organizing information by where it will be used?
-The speaker suggests organizing information within the context of its usage, such as keeping project-related documents within the project's folder, to streamline access and sharing.
What are some native features of a file manager that the speaker recommends utilizing?
-The speaker recommends using search operators and filters within a file manager, like Google Drive, to quickly narrow down search results and find files efficiently.
What is the benefit of adding a keyword to a file or folder according to the speaker?
-Adding a keyword to a file or folder allows for more targeted searches, making it easier to locate specific files even if their names are not unique or if they are part of shared folders.
Why should one be ruthless in prioritizing which folders to star or flag according to the speaker?
-The speaker advises being ruthless in prioritizing starred or flagged folders to ensure that only the most frequently accessed and important files are easily accessible, preventing information overload.
What is the recommended action when a shared folder is received on a cloud storage platform?
-The recommended action when receiving a shared folder is to either make a copy for future reference, add a shortcut to organize it within your own system, or do nothing if it's a one-off request.
Outlines
đ Finding the Perfect Balance in File Management
The author begins by reflecting on their early experiences with chaotic file management, having tried various systems from the 'just search for it' approach to more structured methods like the Johnny Decimal System. They propose a balanced approach that blends form (organization) and function (ease of search). The video will cover a simple framework for organizing and naming files, followed by five game-changing file management tips. Key points include limiting folder hierarchy to five levels, with a maximum of 99 folders per level, and assigning lower numbers (e.g., 01, 02) to frequently accessed folders. An 'archive' folder (99) is reserved for outdated files.
đ Naming Files and Folders for Quick Access
The author explains two methods for naming files and folders: date-based and alphabetical sorting. Date-based naming is useful for making files easily searchable by year, quarter, or month (e.g., 2025 Budget Spreadsheet or 2025-05-05 Sales Training). For non-time-related files, alphabetical sorting is preferred, with consistency in naming being crucial for searchability. Common keywords like 'doc,' 'meeting notes,' or 'slides' help streamline the process. They also share an example from a viewer who uses a more complex naming convention but emphasizes that the key is consistency, regardless of the system used.
đł Organizing Physical and Digital Spaces
The author discusses the importance of decluttering both physical and digital spaces, mentioning a product from Oakywood that helps manage cables and workspace organization. They highlight their favorite Oakywood products, like MagSafe-compatible shelves and Apple Watch stands, which help save desk space. These products are FSC-certified, ensuring sustainability. The focus then shifts back to digital organization, introducing David Allen's tip: organize files where they will be used, not where they were found. For instance, meeting notes should be stored within the relevant project folder for easy access and sharing.
đ Utilizing File Manager's Native Features
The author recommends taking full advantage of native features in file management tools like Google Drive. They highlight search operators (e.g., 'type:presentation') and filters to narrow search results. For files shared with you, using the 'Shared with Me' tab and inputting the owner's name can help quickly locate the file. They also suggest third-party tools like Alfred or Raycast for Mac users to streamline file searching. For Windows users, alternatives like 'Everything' and 'Wox' are recommended for better file management.
â Prioritize Important Files with Starred Folders
Tip four emphasizes the importance of starring or flagging critical files for quick access. The author uses a '5-Star rule'âonly allowing five starred files at a time. Files must pass three criteria: they are used daily, need to be accessed quickly on a phone, and must have high importance to warrant starring. This strategy prevents clutter and ensures that only essential files are starred, maximizing productivity.
đ When to Create a Shortcut vs. Copying Files
The final tip covers the appropriate use of shortcuts and copies when dealing with shared files. The author advises that, for files shared by others (e.g., a manager's meeting notes), it's better to create a shortcut rather than making a copy. Shortcuts allow users to organize the file within their own system while maintaining updates made to the original file. In contrast, copying a file can result in outdated information if the original file is edited. The video ends with a reminder not to over-optimize file management and to stay consistent with one system.
Mindmap
Keywords
đĄFile Management
đĄFile Hierarchy
đĄJohnny Decimal System
đĄNaming Convention
đĄQuick Share Folder
đĄArchive Folder
đĄSearch Operators
đĄProject-based Organization
đĄKeyboard Shortcuts
đĄStarred Files
Highlights
The speaker shares their journey in file management, from a messy approach to finding a balance between form and function.
A simple framework is introduced for organizing and naming files, emphasizing a healthy balance between neatness and quick searchability.
The file hierarchy is limited to a maximum of five folder levels, with each level potentially containing up to 99 folders.
The sixth level is reserved exclusively for files and documents, avoiding further nesting of folders.
Folders are numbered for easy access, with frequently used folders given lower numbers for quicker navigation.
The '99' folder is designated as an archive, storing outdated or inactive files.
The '04 Quick Share' folder is a temporary catch-all for sharing specific parts of confidential documents.
The importance of consistent naming conventions for folders and documents is emphasized for better searchability.
Date naming conventions are discussed, with examples ranging from year-only to specific dates for different types of files.
Non-time-related folders are sorted alphabetically, with a focus on consistency for effective searching.
The video introduces a personal naming convention example using keywords and numbers to categorize files.
The speaker discusses their use of Oakywood's MagSafe lineup for decluttering physical spaces, sponsored content.
A game-changing file management tip from David Allen is presented: organize information by usage location, not source.
Leveraging native file manager features like search operators and filters is recommended for efficiency.
The use of keyboard shortcuts in Google Drive is highlighted for faster file management.
The concept of ruthlessly prioritizing starred or flagged folders is introduced, with a maximum limit of five for quick access.
The importance of creating shortcuts for shared folders is discussed to maintain personal organization without altering the original file structure.
The video concludes with advice against over-optimizing file systems and the importance of sticking to a consistent system.
Transcripts
when I first entered the workforce this
is how my file management looked like
and since then I've tried everything
from bro it doesn't matter if it's messy
just search for it man all the way to
have you heard of the Johnny Decimal
System okay so first you just need to
memorize this totally not complicated
numbering structure and then you have to
Define your categories and wait where
are you going and I found the correct
answer to be a healthy balance between
form how neatly organized everything is
and function how to name your files so
you can quickly search for the
information you're looking for so in
this video we'll first go over the
simple framework I use to organize and
name my files then dive into five
specific file management tips that I
found to be absolute game changers let's
get started from a file hierarchy
standpoint I limit the number of folder
levels to a maximum of five meaning the
sixth level can only be files and
documents no more folders but each level
can have up to 99 folders so five levels
deep 99 folders wide for example this is
what I see at level zero in my Google
Drive we'll go over why I chose these in
a bit this is level one level two level
three
level four and level five and files
obviously you don't need to have five
levels but more than five we tend to
just get lost the reason each level can
have up to 99 folders is simply because
of the numbering zero one all the way to
99 but as you can see I rarely go above
zero nine the folders I access most
frequently have lower numbers zero one
zero two zero three because they're
closer to the top right and 99 is always
reserved for an archive folder I throw
outdated or inactive files into coming
back up to level zero the zero one
folder has all my personal stuff zero
two work related zero three our
documents are reference on a regular
basis for example a gym membership card
I plot on my phone or templates I use
every single week the zero four quick
share folder is something I came up with
myself and it works like this let's say
I have a planning deck with confidential
information meant only for myself but a
colleague needs a few slides from the
same deck instead of creating a new file
copy pasting the slides over and then
sharing what I would do is simply select
the slide my colleague needs file make a
copy selected slides and save this new
file in the zero four quick share folder
before sharing it with my colleague so
basically zero four Quick Share is a
temporary catch-all folder this way the
confidential slides are kept safe the
original folder is not cluttered with a
duplicate and I don't have to constantly
annoy my colleague to make a copy so I
can delete the duplicate because it's
already organized in my quick share
folder I have a backups folder at level
0 making it super convenient for me to
drag and drop files I know I should back
up on a regular basis and last but not
least the 99 archive folder files are
probably never use again but I just
can't bring myself to delete moving on
to how I name folders and documents
there are two ways I go about this I
either include a date or leave it to be
sorted alphabetically going right into
date naming examples for some documents
the year is enough 2025 budget
spreadsheet if you want to be more
specific we can add a quarter 2025 q1
qbr quarterly Business Review while more
level down add a month 2025 May monthly
presentation with director and the most
granular
2025-0505 inbox zero training for the
sales team as you can see the date
naming convention depends on the type of
file as a rule of thumb including just a
year or a quarter makes a file more
searchable I think we talked about it in
the Q3 presentation let me quickly
search for it versus the more granular
you go with the month and date the more
you need to know where the parent folder
is so you can find the specific file for
example I run a lot of workshops and
although I don't remember the date for
each one I know they're all within my
Jeff's sharings folder another example
is for invoices and receipts you're not
going to search for an individual one
but you should know exactly where they
are for all folders and files that are
not time related and are equally
important so no zero one zero two zero
three I leave them to be sorted
alphabetically but the rule is to be
consistent in your naming so the
documents are as searchable as possible
for example most of my files have one of
the following keywords doc meeting notes
working trix briefing slides and form
so 90% of the time if I put the project
name and one of the keywords I end up
finding the exact file a viewer of mine
Matthew he's awesome has a slightly more
complicated naming convention but it
works for him because he follows the
same structure for all his files he
knows PM represents a file type 01
stands for the main file and if this
were 04 it would mean it's a
presentation file so there's no right or
wrong way to do this as we declutter our
digital space I also want to talk about
the products I've been using from Oakywood
to declutter my physical space they
are sponsoring this video but I would
have talked about them anyways mainly
thanks to their latest MagSafe lineup I
absolutely love their Shelf Mount I have
two because you can basically clip them
on anywhere with an edge and hide the
cables underneath the surface I have one
right by the front door along with the
Apple watch stand so super convenient
obviously and I have one right on my
desk so I can have my phone close by
without it taking up desk space it also
doesn't hurt that all their products are
FSC certified meaning the wood is
sourced from sustainably managed forests
and it guarantees that no other
materials are getting accidentally mixed
into the final product but for now back
to the digital world the first and most
game-changing file management tip comes
from David Allen organized information
by where you will use it not by where
you found it for example if you own
multiple projects at work you should not
have a separate folder for all your
project meeting notes even though it
looks super nice and tidy instead you
should have the project A meeting notes
document within the project A folder
itself because that's where you're most
likely to use it you open the project
folder and all related documents are
inside right and second this makes it
super easy for you to share the entire
project folder with someone else file
organization tip number two make use of
a file manager's native features for
Google Drive this means I can use search
operators like type presentation to
quickly search for Google slide files or
if that's not your thing perform a basic
search then use the filter chips down
here to quickly narrow your search
results Pro tip to quickly find a file
you know was shared with you go to the
shared with me tab and under the people chip
input the owner's name or email because
we generally remember the person who
shared the file with us for Mac users I
highly recommend installing Alfred or
raycast they're both free I have an
entire tutorial on how to use Alfred for
Windows users I've never tried these but
I heard everything listery and walks are
all great file management apps sticking
with Google drive though tip number
three is attaching a keyword to a file
or folder for example someone shared
this folder with me so I can't change a
name to whatever I want but I can press
D to bring up the details tab scroll all
the way down and add a keyword in the
description field here now if I search
for this keyword gradempower
only a few results show up if I research
for Empower which is part of the name of
the folder a lot more results show up
thumbs up if you didn't know this before
Pro tip number one I love keyboard
shortcuts and the two I use the most in
Google Drive is P to preview a file
without opening it and N to rename the
file instead of right click rename Pro
tip number two Mac users can bring up
the details view for file or folder by
pressing command I and you can add a
keyword in the comments field here and
now you can search for it directly using
Alfred raycast or Spotlight I'm sure
there's something similar for Windows as
well Windows users let me know in the
comments file management tip number four
ruthlessly prioritize which folders to
star or flag for all platforms there's a
way for you to Star file so you can
access it quickly from the sidebar in
order for a file to make it on here it's
Gotta pass three tests first I need to
use it every single day second is
something I need to quickly access on my
phone since there's a start tab there as
well and third I can only have 5 5 Star
files maximum at any given time because
if everything is starred nothing to starred
file organization tip number five know
when to create a shortcut whenever a
follow folder is shared with you on a
cloud storage platform like so you
should immediately take one of three
actions make a copy add a shortcut to
the original file or do nothing doing
nothing is the most common action to
take if the file is just a one-off
request you go into the file and put
something for your colleague then forget
about it you make a copy of the file if
you either want to use it as a template
or to reference it in the future but you
have to remember all new edits made to
the original file will not show in your
copy which brings us to the action we
should all take more often add a
shortcut to illustrate imagine your
manager creates a one-on-one meeting
notes document and shares access with
you you want to immediately create a
shortcut because this allows you to
organize a file any way you want under
your own file management system without
moving the document from its own
original location your manager has
organized it their way you have it your
way and the arrow icon here makes it
clear that this is a shortcut as you can
see there is no perfect file management
system but two things I can confidently
leave you with first over optimizing
leads to decrease productivity so don't
overthink it second pick one system one
naming convention and stick to it if you
enjoyed these tips you might like this
video on my top productivity tips for
work see you on the next video in the
meantime
have a great one
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