Whether you use your MacBook for school, business, or just for personal use, having random files scattered across your desktop can be overwhelming.

There’s nothing worse than having to spend hours searching through files looking for one specific one. Taking a few hours at a time to organize your documents can keep you productive and successful.

Not sure where to start when sitting down for a file organization day? Keep reading for some of the best tips to help you stay clutter-free and productive.

1. Declutter Files

The first step to organizing your files is to declutter and thin out the files you have stored on your computer. From old documents you no longer need to irrelevant screenshots, it’s important to delete files to organize your Mac.

Similarly, deleting duplicates, like videos, can help files stay organized. Follow these steps to help free up storage space.

2. Properly Label Files

Labeling your files is one of the best ways to keep them organized. It can be easy to save without naming your file. However, this can lead you to have “Document 1”, “Document 2”, and so on.

Be sure to take the ten seconds to label your file, and be specific! If your PDF is an invoice from a client, you’ll want to label it with the name of the client, the subject matter, and the date.

Instead of clicking through files for hours searching for one specific document, labeling your documents can save you time and stress.

3. Create Folders and Subfolders

Once you name your files, you’ll want to create folders to store different files in. Creating general files, like “School”, “Work”, or “Personal” is a great way to get started when organizing.

After creating general files, you should create subfolders for each. In the “School” folder, you would want to create a file for each class or subject. This can help you quickly access the file you need.

Be sure to cater folders to your specific needs. You can even change the file icon image to further personalize your computer.

4. Media Type

Another way to organize your files is by media type. This method is good for people who don’t want to click through layers of folders to find a certain file.

You can easily sort your files by type by launching finder, clicking documents, and selecting sort by kind. This will group all of your PDF files, Word Documents, images, etc., together for easy access.

5. Use Tags

For files you regularly access, using the pre-set MacBook color tags is a great way to keep certain files regularly accessible.

Creating color-coding is a great way to quickly sort and is great for those who rely on visuals. You can save files to different colors by left-clicking on the document and selecting the color tag

Start Your File Organization Process Today

While MacBook organization may not be at the top of your to-do list, this process can help you stay organized and ready to access any file.

Doing a digital declutter and file organization day can save you time, stress, and a headache when searching for a file. Be sure to create a system that works for you.

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