Backups. They are there for your convenience should something disastrous happen. People get hacked, systems get infiltrated, and sometimes, just sometimes, there are times when you’re messing around with the settings on your phone, and you erase your entire system by accident (yes, that was me….). Despite all the security features you may put in place, it’s still possible (however unlikely) that your system could be compromised, and it’s always better to be prepared. The best way to be prepared is to not simply have backups for your filing system, but also to make sure that you manage those backups properly.
1) Backup regularly – If you’re anything like me, you add stuff to your filing system on a regular basis. New bills that have been paid, Bank Statements that come in, report cards; there is always stuff that can go onto your system. If you schedule your time and make sure that you regularly back up your system, then you will never be too far away from your previous backup. If something gets lost or if your system gets wiped (again…raises hand guiltily), then having a recent backup will save you from trying to find documents and reassemble your system from scratch. Personally, I try and back up my whole system once a month. As I add things fairly regularly, it makes it so that I’m rarely more than 30 or so days from my last backup.
2) Keep your backups in one spot – One thing about managing your backups is that you really should keep them in one general location. I don’t necessarily mean that you should keep them on one external Hard drive (I like using 2, just for reference). The problem is if you were to keep some files in one place and some files in another. This can cause confusion, and if you aren’t able to keep track of whichever drives you’re using, you could end up losing the drives, and that would mean you’re basically without backups. In order to prevent this, I would not only keep your backups in one place (or external hard drive), but I would also advise keeping the hard drive in the same place. I was brought up with the Axim, “a place for everything everything in its place” (Thanks, mom), so keeping things in a spot where you can find them later is a simple and effective way to find what you’re looking for later on.
3) Figure out a date where you can delete old backups – Last week, I talked about taking time to get rid of older or no longer needed files. The same thing is true here. After a while, there are backups that you will have from a few years back that will not accurately represent your current filing system. Don’t get me wrong, most of the time, I like looking at where I came from and comparing it to now, but in this case, it’s not necessary. In the case of your backups, so long as you are comfortable with the timing of when you delete your backups, you can decide on your timing. For example, If you want to keep only a year’s worth of backups and are backing up once a month when you are doing your backups, you need to remember to delete the oldest one. If you want to delete from a few years back and keep all the newer versions, then you can do that. The trick is deciding on your timing for deleting your backups and sticking to your schedule.
If I’m being frank, I will admit that as I’m writing this post, I have not completely decided on a schedule for the deletions of my backups. Part of my problem is that because those backups hold some legal documents, I’m not 100% sure what the requirement is for me to maintain the backups. I am going to look into this issue and come back and update you all on this. For now, however, I would focus on making sure that you are at least backing up your system regularly so that, should the worst happen, all isn’t lost. Managing your backups is a key ingredient to Organizing your digital life.
How do you manage your system?
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