This Week’s Tip Sheet: Organizing Digital Files, Photos, and Passwords

Welcome to Week 22 of the Simplified and Organized Home Challenge.

This week we’re working to declutter and organize our digital files, photos and passwords.

Given these 3 areas can be incredibly time consuming, especially if you’re starting from scratch, it’s important to create a plan before you start.

It will help you save time and create a more efficient system in the long run.

Below, we’re sharing a few of our favorite tips and tricks to help keep your home computer files, passwords and photographs organized.

Now on to this week’s Tip Sheet!

Simple tips and tricks to help you declutter, organize and simplify your digital storage systems for files, photos and passwords

This Week’s Tip Sheet…

 Quote of the Week:

“To me, photography is an art of observation. It’s about finding something interesting in an ordinary place…I’ve found it has little to do with the things you see and everything to do with the way you see them.” ~ Elliott Erwitt

This Week’s Big To-Do’s:

  • Declutter and Organize Digital Files, Passwords and Photographs
  • List and Plan June Goals
  • Update June Calendar
  • Make Sunscreen Part of Your Daily Routine If It’s Not Already
  • Celebrate National Creativity Day
  • Smile More

This Week’s Tidy Tip:

Organizing Digital Computer Files

  • Carve out a designated time to declutter and organize your digital files and photographs.
  • Set a timer so you won’t be distracted, and you can fully focus on the task at hand.
  • Find a digital organization system that works for you and will be easy to maintain.
  • Discuss your file system with your digital beneficiary and leave instructions with your lawyer, estate planner or administrator so they will know what to expect in an emergency or death.
  • Keep your file titles short but descriptive.
  • Organize your main folders by year. Then create subfolders based on specific topics. Here are a few subfolder examples: personal documents, tax, property, vehicle and medical information, school year, house projects, events, photos, etc.
  • Bulk sort your files first, then place them into subfolders. For example: Move all the items related to 2025 to the 2025 main folder first. Then place individual files from 2025 into their designated subfolders.
  • Use the file finder or explorer feature to help you search for files.
  • Sometimes files get placed in the digital trash or recycle bin so don’t forget to look there too.
  • Delete files you no longer need.
  • Be sure to back up your files on a regular basis so you’ll have them when you need them.

Organizing Digital Photos

  • Organize your photos by year. Then by event. For example: Your main folder would be 2025. Your subfolder would be 2025 Photos. Then a subfolder of your subfolder would be a specific event or place like Garrett’s Vanderbilt Graduation, Piper’s 3rd Birthday, 2025 Trip to Normandy France, Japanese Botanical Gardens, Pink Sunsets in Florida Keys, etc. It’s important to think who, what, when, where as you’re choosing titles for photo subfolders because as we age so does our recollection of events.
  • Use extra moments throughout the day to go through the photos on your phone.  
  • You can also use the date as a reminder to go through the previous year’s photos.  For example, if it’s May 1, 2025, go through the photos from May 1, 2024, May 1, 2023, May 1, 2022, etc.. It only takes a few minutes, and you’ll be in the habit of organizing the photos on your phone all year.
  • Delete duplicate photos and screenshots.
  • Organize photos into digital albums.
  • Create physical books of moments you don’t want to forget.
  • Use a photo organizing app if you need to.
  • Be sure to back up your photos on a regular basis so you can keep those memories close.

Organizing Passwords

  • Use a password generator to help you create secure passwords.
  • Passwords should be changed every 30-90 days.
  • Make sure all your devices are password protected.
  • Enable multi factor authentication when possible and where available.
  • Use a password manager.
  • Identify a digital beneficiary to access your accounts should anything happen to you.

This Week’s Wellness Tip:

I know taking candid photos may not be everyone’s cup of tea.

Believe me, I get it.

We all want to look our best.

The thing is you may never have a chance to document the moment again.

So, grab the selfie.

Take the group photo.

Create the special moment.

And show up as your best self whenever you can.

Because the random memories you capture today will be the treasured photos of tomorrow.

As always, I hope this week’s Tip Sheet has helped.

Until next time, I’ll see you on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest.

Cheering you on as you work to simplify and organize your digital life,

CoCo

PS: You can find last week’s Tip Sheet here if you missed it.

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4 Comments

  1. Thank you for sharing these very helpful tips! Keeping digital files organized and saved in multiple locations is a must. Not necessarily fun, but so very important. I recently had my Macbook go wonky and require a complete factory restore… and I wasn’t able to use my time machine backup, as it was also likely corrupted. Thankfully we always create a secondary backup of all key files multiple times a year, so I didn’t lose anything important.

  2. This is very timely! My photos have gotten out of hand. I’ve been slowly working on them. Thanks for the tips!

    1. You are so welcome, Susan. I was shocked last week when I missed a software update because there wasn’t enough space on my phone. Thankfully, it was easily worked out but goodness photo and video files add up so quickly. Big hugs, CoCo

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