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My GTD Digital File System - I.P.R.

I recently realized that the disorganized file and folder system I've been using was slowing down my ability to find the data I needed for various projects and next actions. I needed to find a method to organize my digital files in a more efficient manner.

A quick search online lead me to several file management systems like Johnny Decimal and the PARA‌ Method. All interesting and useful systems in their own right, but after trying each of them out for several weeks, they just didn't fit for my method of task and project management-- GTD.

I've been using the GTD paper filing system for several years. It works and it's what I'm most familiar with, so I decided to try and re-create GTD's paper filing system on my computer in a digital format.

I.P.R. Framework

Inbox (N.O.W.), Projects (A.T.), Reference (A-Z)

There are three top level folders that manage all other files and folders. The Inbox is anything related to more immediate or priority task(s) I'm working on, Projects is anything related to multi-step long-term projects I'm currently managing, and Reference is for everything else structured by category alphabetically. 

/Inbox
/Projects
/Reference

NextActions, Organize, WaitingFor Under Inbox

Within the top level Inbox folder are three sub-folders: A NextActions folder for any data needed for current tasks (e.g., tax documents I'm preparing to file), an Organize folder for any files that need organizing within the file system (if I'm unsure where to locate a file, I move it here for clarifying later), and a WaitingFor folder for files that need or are waiting for follow-up from others (e.g., a project proposal my supervisor is reviewing). 

/Inbox
/Inbox/NextActions
/Inbox/Organize
/Inbox/WaitingFor

Archived, Templates Under Projects

Directly under the Projects folder are folders for each project I'm currently managing (e.g., a folder named "2023InfrastructureUpgrades"). When a project is completed, I move the specific project folder under the Archived folder for future reference. The Templates folder contains project document templates I re-use frequently when starting new projects (e.g., a project proposal form). 

/Projects
/Projects/Archived
/Projects/Templates

Reference

The Reference folder keeps everything else I'm not immediately working on for tasks or projects. Everything is organized by categories and sub-categories. I can have as many categories as I need to suite my organizational needs. For example, when I'm done filing my annual taxes, I move the supporting documents from "Inbox/NextActions/2023Taxes" into the "Reference/Finances/Taxes/2023" folder. 

/Reference
/Reference/Finances
/Reference/Finances/Taxes
/Reference/Health
/Reference/Health/Insurance
/Reference/Media/Photos

CamelCaps (or PascalCase) Naming Format

All folder and file names should use a CamelCaps4 no-spaces naming format for consistency, operating system independence, and to make it easier to find files. CamelCaps uses upper case characters at the beginning of each word and lower case in-between. Using a dash (-) is also acceptable for dates or numbers. 

/Projects/SpamEggs
/Projects/EggsSpam2023/EggSpreadsheet2023-02-13.csv

Alphabetical Ordering of Folders

Most operating systems will automatically alphabetize your folder and file names for quick retrieval. However, it's a good idea to manually organize folders and files alphabetically for cross-system compatibility. Organizing folder and files by year or month is also a good option in cases where dates are a better index than names.

Additional Optional Guidelines

Areas of Responsibility

You can separate each I.P.R. instance into two or more areas of responsibility like Personal and Work related files. 

/Personal
/Personal/Inbox
/Personal/Projects
/Personal/Reference

/Work
/Work/Inbox
/Work/Projects
/Work/Reference

I use these areas because I prefer to keep my work and personal data separate from each other.

Limit Folder Depth When Possible

Try to limit the total folder depth to the files you need to access to three or four, if possible. This makes it faster to find and access the files you need, and simplifies the overall directory structure. In some cases you'll need more folder depth to keep things better organized. Don't fret! It's perfectly fine to do that so long as you do it sparingly.

Clean-Out All Files and Folders During a Yearly Review

I use daily reviews for NextActions and Projects, weekly and monthly reviews for Organize and WaitingFor, and I use a yearly review for cleaning out all folders and files that may no longer be needed. My personal rule of thumb is, if I haven't needed it in the last two years, then it's probably safe to delete. Of course, this doesn't include things like family photos, tax or legal documents, or anything I may be required to keep longer than two years.

Multiple Character Reference ID

Use capital letters for parent folders and lower case for the final child folder. Use the first letter of the I.P.R. level, then one or more for each successive level in order to differentiate locations. Here are two examples: 

Pse = Projects/SpamEggs
PAse = Projects/Archive/SpamEggs

Then you can use the letters to reference the location of the supporting files. For example, add them to the end of an email subject line that relates to specific files. This is still an experimental idea, so you may find that you need to experiment with this yourself.

Make It Your Own!

This is my humble no-frills system and it works well for my specific needs. Of course, your needs will be different than mine. Take what you want and make it into your own.

Footnotes