Organize Paper Photos Quickly and Browse them Easily in the Future

When going through accumulated piles of papers, photos slide out from among the stacks. At the office, these might be pictures of the new warehouse's stages of construction, the company Christmas party, or an employee's family. The common theme is that people do not know where to put them, so those shots have joined the papers stacked around the room.

If someone is asked to make a decision about the photos, the majority of the pictures are either tossed or go home. Then the talk turns to the accumulation of home photos and how to handle them. Dealing with the multitude of home photo packages from past years can be a major challenge. The more you have collected, the more of an energy drain it is as you contemplate creating meaningful order from the piles.

When vacation plans are finalized, a camera is usually included in the packing - adding more to the project pile. If you number yourself among the group with photos as a future project, let's consider some typical questions and answers.

Q: Why do you take photos?

A: To preserve the memories of trips, to look back at stages of our children's growth, and to share those memories in future years.

Q: How do you and your family enjoy these reminiscences?

A: We haven't ever looked back on them because they're scattered in drawers and boxes.

Q: What are you planning to do with the photos?

A: I'm going to sort them and put them in albums as soon as I have time.

How many years of photos have accumulated so far waiting for the right time? To treasure past photos and continue to add to your collection, you need a plan. You cannot simply buy a scrapbook and start putting in old prints because nothing is sorted yet.

In order to get started on the project, you can use an easy, two-step solution that gives you quick control over the huge backlog.

Step One: Place photos in boxes by year.

You could buy photo boxes or use shoeboxes. Unless you plan on making this your permanent file, it does not have to be attractive at this stage. Once you have your boxes labeled by year and easily available, go through one room at a time. Gather all the photos from that location. Drop them into the appropriate year. If you have not labeled or dated the photos, guess the approximate year. When all of the photos are grouped, it will be easier to recognize a photo that does not match a particular time frame.
Step Two: Develop an index.

After the photos are chronologically categorized, make a master list detailing the contents of each box so you can easily locate a past event. It could be done by hand or with computer software. If you choose a software package, good indexing tools include:

* Easily adding to the list

* Using a "Fast Find" feature to locate any past event within seconds

* Cross-referencing to find related items, such as all your Cancun trips

* Producing printouts for each box with its specific contents and then also producing a master list of all the boxes

As with any project - home or office - you must schedule the time or it will not get done. You might set aside thirty minutes each Sunday evening. Week by week, collect photos from each room and place them in the boxes. Do this until all the prints are gathered in the containers. When that step is done, in your thirty minutes of evening time, make an index for one box at a time.

By following these steps, you have taken a major project and subdivided it into manageable sections. You are then ready for the albums and memory books, as time permits. The photos now become an enjoyable hobby because the clutter and confusion are gone. Even if you choose not to create albums, or if you want to put that off for the time being, the photos are "under control" and accessible.

For upcoming vacations, if you have switched over to digital photos and CD's, continue to maintain this same procedure. Keep the CD's grouped by year. Number them and list them on your index.

Don't allow your photos to linger as a burdensome chore. Let your pictures be available as special memories for future years so you can reminisce together and share those times with your children and grandchildren.

© Denise Landers, Key Organization Systems, Inc

Article Source: http://www.wahm-articles.com

Tired of running out of time each day and never getting enough done? Discover simple systems which really help you lower your stress, stay organized, and finally get ahead of your work from Denise Landers of Key Organization Systems.

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