Have a System

Like many colleagues, I am moving vast quantities of data right now. Downloading 20GB before breakfast is not unusual, and processing the audio and video I’ve been working on has pushed my two home computers to the edge of their capabilities. I bought a 128GB SD-card last week and it’s already almost full.

The challenge has been that I receive the data in about seventeen different ways. Multiple uploader forms, email, text, various cloud sharing methods, etc. Of course there are methods I encourage and others I just accept because it’s all I can do.

In the face of this, it’s been ever more important to have a system to manage the data. An organized file system, clear labeling, and a process for what I do when I receive a new file. (This includes, sometimes, completing the form they couldn’t figure out – uploading a file to my own form, even though I’ll only be re-downloading it later. At least it’s in the right place!)

What I don’t want is to leave out an important piece of information, or lose something along the way. It’s incredibly likely given the numbers I’m dealing with – and I’m relying on the system for keeping me safe.

It takes more time, in the moment, to organize all of this as it comes in. But in the long run, I’ve been saved hours by having everything precisely where I need it, when I need it.