One way to make sure you’re ready for the year ahead is to get organized. And there’s no better way to get started then by organizing your digital life. Here are three easy ways to begin your journey toward a more efficient and productive digital life:
1. Clean up your desktop
I must admit this is a tough one for me personally because I always tend to save files to my computer’s desktop. But the hard truth is that messy desktops actually slow down the performance of your computer and ultimately make you less productive. So go through all those files chronologically, delete what you don’t need and make new folders for anything you do need. It’s also a good idea to get rid of unused shortcuts. And don’t worry, deleting shortcuts does not delete the program.
2. Use a password management tool
Trying to get a handle on all those passwords can be very stressful. And when you’re overly stressed out, you’re not going to be as effective at work. So why not take some time to get rid of all the sticky notes with secret passwords written on them? It’s time to get organized with a password management tool. There’s no shortage of smartphone apps that let users securely store passwords. A couple of good examples are LastPass and LockBox. Both offer free versions which are more than enough for most people’s password management needs.
3. Tag those family photos
Fair warning: This one will takes some time but it’s worth the effort. Anytime you upload digital photos from your smartphone to your computer, take some time to tag those photos. This will make them far more searchable and the time you spend looking at them will be more enjoyable. And while you’re at it, make sure those that all of your photos and files are automatically backed up with a cloud backup system like Carbonite. This will ensure that, not matter what happens to your computer or smartphone, your entire digital life will be safely backed up in the cloud.
Here's a great video I found with even more practical tips on how to get your digital life organized:
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