Dealing with Digital Clutter on your Computer
Do you remember floppy disks?
An entire generation of digital natives knows it only as the icon they click when they want to save. Some of us, however, are old enough to remember when the humble floppy disk was once the cutting edge of file organisation and storage. Our digital capacity has grown exponentially since then so we now have more bits and bytes that ever before and keeping them in check can be a challenge.
Digital space, just like physical space, can quickly become cluttered and untidy. Taking steps to tackle the build-up of digital clutter on your devices will help you get the most out of the time you spend using them. Here are some ways to keep digital clutter at bay on your desktop or laptop computer. Come back soon for another blog post on Dealing with Digital Clutter on your Smartphone.
Desktop
A cluttered desktop screen is as much of a hindrance as a cluttered desk. You can’t do your best work when you’re surrounded by chaos and distractions. Keep your desktop shortcuts to a minimum and save everything else into folders.
Files and Folders
Go through your files to make sure you know what you have and where it is. This goes for everything including documents, photos and videos. especially the ones that linger in the Downloads folder. Delete whatever you don’t need then clear out your Recycle Bin - you’ll be amazed at how much space you regain as a result. Archive anything you want to keep but don’t regularly access. And finally, organise the remaining files into folders remembering to give them sensible names so they can be easily located next time you need them.
Browser Bookmarks
Bookmarking your most used webpages is a great time-saver. When your tastes, interests and priorities change, refresh your list of bookmarks to ensure it continues to be a handy shortcut to your favourite content and not a cluttered catch-all.
Social Media
Streamline your feed by unfollowing the things that no longer interest you. If you notice that you’re consistently scrolling past certain types of content ask yourself whether you would miss it if it were gone.
If you’re managing a high volume of email traffic or multiple inboxes make sure to sort your messages into folders, filter the ones that can be filed right away so they bypass the inbox and unsubscribe from anything that’s no longer relevant or interesting.
Depending on the size and complexity of your inbox organising it could be a task that’s best left to a professional. Bring me in to help curate your inbox and devise a bespoke email organisational plan just for you.
