8 Ways to Keep Your Digital Space Organized

How to Keep Your Digital Space Organized

Like your personal space, your digital space can become cluttered, disorganized and overwhelming. Save yourself the headache by implementing the tips below on how to stay on top of your document storage and maintain the cleanliness of your devices.

Declutter Your Desktop

Saving documents directly on your desktop is easier than filing them away accordingly within your drive, but can lead to a lot of disorganization in the long run. Ensure that you set aside a time to clean up your desktop and not allow more than three files to clutter your screen. The more proactive you are with keeping the main page of your laptop organized the easier it will be to maintain a neat digital space over time.

Use External Storage

If you feel like the documents, you are currently storing on your computer are too much or you would rather keep the entire device clean of any files then opt to store your data on external storage. This can be an external hard drive that you take with you wherever you go, a USB stick that fits compactly in your bag, or with a virtual data room provider during arduous and complex deals.

Set Up Designated folders

The simplest way to stay organized is by starting with how you structure your folders. Be sure to create a new folder when necessary rather than storing somewhat relevant documents in an already cluttered folder and be willing to delete those that are no longer necessary. Whether you create your folders for months, weeks, or with specific names you will always know where your documents are when searching your device for them. This principle applies to email too.

Revisit Your Documents Weekly

Once you download or save your documents to your hard drive it can be easy to just forget about them and let them build up over time. Instead, schedule a weekly revision of all your documents in order to decide which are necessary to keep for longer and which can be deleted, creating more space on your disk and keeping your device clutter-free. By having a designated day, you will always stay on top of your data organization before it becomes too overwhelming.

Delete Distracting Apps

When it comes to trying to get some work done throughout the day on your devices, consider deleting unnecessary and distracting apps from it in order to maintain organization and focus. This could be a gaming app that you spend too much time on or all the social media platforms that you don’t need constant access to and are filling up your phone’s screen. Not only will this keep your digital space organize, but it will allow you the clarity of mind to maintain organization and efficiency within your personal life.

Develop a Filing System That Makes SEnse

Everyone is different, which is why it’s important to create a document filing system that makes sense for you and your purposes. When it comes to staying organized, you need to be able to locate all your data instantaneously and without confusion so that you can be sure everything you are storing is worth the space it takes up on your device. Whether you are color coding, naming, or numbering your folders, find what works best for you and your memory in order to maintain digital organization.

Always Know Where You're Saving Downloads

Downloaded documents can often be stored in difficult files to find, making it harder to maintain the organization of your device. Always be aware of where your downloads are going and manually designate a folder for them to be stored in so that you never have difficulty locating important information or deleting any data that does not need to be taking up space on your hard drive or virtual data room.

Clear Out Your Notes App

The notes app, much like the photo app, can quickly become cluttered and disorganized when not maintained. Put aside some time regularly to go through all the notes that you have saved and determine which are necessary for you to keep and which are creating more of a mess on your smartphone and any other synched devices. This can include any old grocery lists, to-dos that have already been done, and any notes you’ve jotted down in a hurry that might no longer make any sense.