The Most Important Thing You Haven’t Organized…Yet ~ Your Photos!

We spend a lot of time decluttering, cleaning, and sorting our belongings. Living in an organized and tidy space impacts our lives in significant ways: we can focus better, sleep better, and feel better. And when we feel better, we are more motivated to take action on what matters to us the most. 

When you think about getting organized, the first areas that occur to you are probably your closet or workspace. But consider this question: in the case of fire, flood, or another natural disaster, what would you grab after your family and pets? If you’re like me, you would race for your photos.

Are they organized so you could easily take them with you if you only had a few minutes to flee your home?

Many people keep their photographs scattered in closets, stuffed under beds, or piled in the basement. There may be stacks of albums or random boxes spilling over with precious memories. Of course, we all have every intention of organizing our photos but the project never makes it to the top of the To-Do list. It is such a daunting task that grows by the day when we pull out our cellphones to document another milestone, the puppy’s eyes, our first reunion in years, and the sun setting on another beautiful day. 

Four reasons to organize your photos! 

~ Keep your memories safe

With just a box or two in a designated place, you can quickly evacuate your home with your photos in hand. Searching through all of your things to find the keepsakes you want wastes precious time. They are likely to be lost in a disaster. 

~ Easily share your memories

Bringing your stories to life with images makes your relationships rich and interesting. When every photo is in an organized collection, you can spend your time looking at them, not looking for them. Your kids, especially, will love seeing who you were before they came along.

~ Rediscover forgotten memories

Once you dive into your past, you’ll remember so many happy days and moments, which was the purpose of taking all of those photos. Family and friends who may no longer be with you will live again through those unearthed treasures.

~ Clear up space in your home and digital devices

Organization equals fewer boxes and lumpy bags. You can store your photos in a small amount of space and free up areas for other items. Once your digital devices have been backed up and cleared out, you can stop buying more storage and start snapping more photos.

Pam’s friend and client Linda finds joy in organizing her photos and memorabilia!

Rachel’s Expert Tips to Organize Your Photo Collection

You may feel overwhelmed by the idea of organizing all your photographic memories, especially if you hold an impressive collection. A professional photo organizer can take this task off your hands and save you stress and valuable time. But if you want to go the DIY route, follow these simple steps:

  • Delete unnecessary “stuff” such as duplicates, screenshots, that delicious lunch.
  • Organize them in folders and boxes, by year.
  • Use dividers to separate groups of photos, such as by event or month.
  • Scan your print collection to reduce or eliminate paper copies.
  • Backup your entire collection in 3 places (at least one in the cloud)
  • Repeat on a regular basis.

Sadly, we are all just one accident or natural disaster away from losing precious links to our past. Preserve your memories for yourself and for generations to come by taking the time to simplify, sort, and scan them before the month ends.

About the author: Rachel Arbuckle is the founder of 2000 Paces Photo Organizing, a San Diego-based photo organizing business dedicated to providing authentic, compassionate solutions to transform the chaos of photos and memorabilia into an organized, preserved collection that can be easily shared and enjoyed for generations.