Digital Declutter Challenge

Back in July, I wrote a column about organizing your emails. Now, I’m challenging you to organize your computer desktop. If you don’t have your paper filing systems under control, you may find that your computer desktop is following the same pattern. It might look like a cluttered mess. 

Before there were computers, we had paper filing systems and if you had a good system, you would receive a paper and file it away in a categorized, labeled folder and be able to put your hands on it when you needed to locate it. You would also purge these files once a year to make room for new files.

Computers came along and some people who never maintained their paper files now had another area where they could store files, but this ended up being disorganized also because they had no systems in place to maintain the files. 

If you have a working filing system, you’re going to mirror that system on your computer desktop. Let’s dig into getting your computer desktop organized.

Delete. Delete. Delete. Delete any file that is no longer useful to you. As you’re coming across files that you’ll be keeping, move to the next step. 

Create categories and labeled folders. Just as you have your categories in your filing cabinet, you’ll create categories and label folders according to the information you have on your desktop. You can create subcategories within categories. 

Declutter existing folders. Go through your existing folders and declutter information that is no longer relevant. You may find that you might be deleting the entire folder. 

Save important files on a USB. If you have files that are important and maybe you don’t want them taking up space on your desktop, save them to a USB. You may have files in your paper filing system that are archived in a seal-tight bin in your home. For instance, you may have all your prior year’s tax returns in an archived file bin. Follow the same process with any files you want to archive on your desktop. Save them to a USB so they don’t clog up your active desktop. 

Maintain. Once you’re organized, now it’s time to maintain this space. When you have a document, you’ll be making the following decision: file it in a labeled folder, delete it, create a new folder, or send it to the archives on a USB. Maintaining this space will keep the desktop looking clutter free and you’ll be able to immediately find a file when you need it.

You don’t have to tackle this all-in-one day. Block time on your calendar to tackle a little bit at a time. It could be 15 minutes, 30 minutes to an hour. The choice is yours. Set a goal for yourself of when you would like this project completed and work towards that goal each week.

Don’t make the process more complicated than it needs to be. The process will initially feel overwhelming, but when you break the process into small steps, you’ll find that it’s manageable and wish you had tackled this years ago. 

Follow the same process on your computer desktop as you do with your paper files. Once this project is complete, you’ll feel a sense of accomplishment and every time you turn on your computer, you’ll feel a sense of calm looking at your organized screen.