How to Declutter and Organize Your Digital Life

When asked, half of Americans said they would rather reorganize their house than their computer desktop. Are you one of them? Spring cleaning doesn’t have to be just for spring—if you’d like to reorganize your digital life, there’s no time like the present.

Decluttering your desktop can be a daunting task, but there are things you can do to make the process a little bit easier. Read on to learn some simple tips to help you create a more organized digital life.

1. Table of Contents

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   Set Aside the Time

The first step to take when you’re contemplating a major overhaul of your desktop is to set aside the proper amount of time to tackle it. Don’t try to do it after work when you’ll be tired, or on a day you have plans later when you’ll be distracted.

Set aside a block of time—around half an hour should be a good amount—that is designated solely for reorganizing. You can do this on multiple occasions if you have a particularly big project on your hands or you’re short on time.

2. Have a System in Place

When it comes to reorganizing, it helps to be organized. What does this mean, exactly? Simply put, it means you should have a system in place before you being decluttering.

What taxonomy do you want to use for your files? Do you want to make use of any programs such as OneNote? If you’re wondering “what is OneNote?” you can learn more here.

3. Know What You Want to Keep and Delete

A trap that many people tend to fall into when clearing out their folders is wanting to hold on to certain files. When this happens, you can end up hardly getting rid of any stuff at all, and keeping files you never open or use.

Before you begin decluttering your computer, decide a threshold for what to keep and what to delete. You can use the Marie Kondo method, you can decide to delete anything you haven’t opened in over six months. No matter what it is, just decide it in advance and stick to it.

4. Take Before and After Screenshots

Taking screenshots of your desktop throughout the decluttering process is a great idea because it allows you to compare and contrast your computer before you reorganized and afterward. The transformation can be spectacular, so it’s worth documenting.

This practice can also serve as a motivation for future desktop deep cleans. Looking at these pictures will help you gear up to tackle your next file reorganization project.

Clean Up Your Digital Life Today

Yes, reorganizing your desktop can be a chore, and it can seem appealing to simply put it off for another day. But the feeling you’ll get when you actually do reorganize your files makes it all worth it. Take the plunge and begin your journey towards a cleaner digital life today—you won’t regret it.

If you’ve enjoyed this guide, don’t forget to check out the rest of our content.