CLEAN YOUR COMPUTER’S DESKTOP
If you’re like me, you probably spend a fair bit of time on your computer/iPad/iPhone, etc. If you’re even more like me, you probably have a little more screen-clutter than you’d prefer. Documents, downloads, random folders, and other who-knows-what junks up your screen and prevents you from diving into your work in a clean and calm digital environment.
There’s a productivity method I live by for dealing with email called “Zero Inbox” (originally called “Inbox Zero” but whatever). I could write about it for hours, but it boils down to properly storing or deleting emails to keep your Inbox empty as if finishing all of the tasks on a to-do list.
Your computer’s desktop, or in the case of Apps on your phone or tablet, should be treated similarly to your email inbox. The more clutter you remove, the easier it is to focus on the items that need more attention. If you’ve ever had a hard time finding a file because it’s surrounded by fifty others that haven’t been needed for months, you know what I’m talking about.
Instead of letting old items accumulate in your most visible of digital spaces, be sure to store things like documents in appropriate folders, photos in whatever photo organization software you use such as iPhoto, music in iTunes (or similar), or if you’re done with that file forever, delete it entirely. You could almost call it “Desktop Zero.”
The trigger is simple: if you see it on your screen, do something about it.
The major benefit is that by making this little thing into a daily (or even constant) habit, you’ll find it carries over into other parts of your life such as donating old books once you’re finished with them or know you’ll never read them. It lets you truly enjoy what’s in that library because you’re able to focus on the best without being distracted by the unnecessary.
