Folders, folders, and more folders. It doesn't matter what you do for work, you are managing files and documents in some type of folder system. It may be directly on your computer or your device, or it could be in a cloud service such as Dropbox or Google Drive.
But over time, folders can become very frustrating because folders often lead to subfolders, and then there are subfolders of subfolders, and then even more subfolders of subfolders. And although you may have started out with a particular theme or a particular structure, often things can get very complicated, and long lines and long branches can branch out from your file folder structure.
I'm sure you've had the experience of getting to the bottom of one of those long lines and then being frustrated discovering that the file or the document or the picture you are looking for does not reside there at all. And then you have to back up and go looking elsewhere. Where would I have put this particular file?
Today, I want to show you a simple but very powerful way to structure all of your files in what I call the ABC folder method. What exactly is the ABC folder method?
Let me jump to my folder structure right here. We're actually looking at my actual Dropbox folder. You will notice at the top level, I have 26 file folders, all of them listed A through Z. I've got the entire alphabet here in front of me.
The way that the ABC file folder structure works is that we want to be able to quickly get to the files that we are after and not have to expand and collapse multiple file folders to get to the thing that we're looking for. In fact, we only want to click twice to get to the file that we're looking for.
The reason that we start with the alphabet is that we want to group our subfolders beneath based on the letter in that alphabet. Let me expand my C folder to give you an example.
Within my C folder, I have coaching resources, completed contracts, content outlines, and courses. These really are not related to one another in any way except for the fact that they all begin with C.
So if I'm looking for information about courses, I know it's going to be under my C folder. I don't have to look anywhere else. When I click on my C folder, I have my files right there. Only two clicks: I can click on the C and then the courses, and then directly to the file that I'm looking for.
Let's take a look at another example. Let's expand my P folder. Here we have payment, pictures, pricing, products, and public speaking training. Again, not really related to one another except that they all begin with P.
So I don't need to think about what other subfolders or what other groupings. I can just go to the P folder and find exactly what I'm looking for.
This may take a few minutes or even a little longer for you to convert your existing file folder structure into the ABC method. But you will be amazed at how quickly you can retrieve, how quickly you can find exactly the file that you are looking for.
If I open up my Links folder or my L folder, for example, here you will find my Links. Makes sense, links start with L, that's why I put it there.
I don't have to second guess myself and think, "Did I put links under website because it's web related? Did I put it under Online Resources because that would also be related?" No, links start with L, that's where the folder is, so it's going to be under my L folder.
I would encourage you, whether you manage your files directly on your computer, or use Dropbox, Google Drive, regardless of the application that you're using, consider the ABC folder method. Remember, we are not talking about a website design or menu structure, so it doesn't have to make sense by a particular theme.
What we want to be able to achieve is to get to the information that we're looking for quickly and easily, and in as little as two clicks. If you enjoyed this video, I would encourage you to like, subscribe, and comment below.
What has your experience been with managing different folders? Have you used the ABC folder method before or not? I would love to hear your comments.
Please be sure to subscribe, and remember, being productive does not need to be difficult. In fact, it's very simple.
