December 1 - Clean up your computer's hard drive

December 1 - Organize the photos, documents and other files on your computer's hard drive. Read the February 2004 Family Tree Magazine for help.

I have to admit, this was the best tip I every decided to do. My computer's hard drive is a very organized and I now I have no problem finding stuff. You need to decided on an organizational method that works for you and then you need to use it. At first it may seem overwhelming as with any organization task. So take baby steps. First decided on the file folders you want to create, remember to place them all under a main folder titled Genealogy. Then move some of the files you may already have on your computer, flash drives, back-up drives and placed them into their proper sub-folder within your Genealogy folder. Next, spend a few minutes before starting any new genealogy research and scan a few documents or pictures and place them into their proper folder. Before your know it, you will have everything scanned and filed. Don't forget to back up your folder once a month or after doing some major work.