4 Strategies for Organizing Your Digital Workspace — From Cluttered Digital World to Peace of Mind
Have you ever felt overwhelmed with the virtual jungle you navigate daily?
That is your digital workspace, I am talking about. I remember those days when I was struggling with folders and files on my desktop, hunting for files lost in the depths of my cloud storage, and trying to remember which app I jotted down those brilliant ideas in.
Back in 2015, I was taken on a journey of thousands of folders and files, where everything was in its place — since then, I have never hopped off that journey. I organized my digital space and never looked back again. What did I feel at that moment? Relief, calmness, peace, excitement, like my body is ten times lighter and I can breathe.
That is why I want to share with you some tried-and-tested strategies to transform your digital chaos into a zen garden of productivity.
Decluttering: Out with the Old, In with the Organized
First things first: I declutter. Just like Marie Kondo teaches how to tidy up physical space, it’s time to Marie Kondo digital realm.
It is always hard to say goodbye to ancient files I haven’t touched since 2016 and that folder labeled “Miscellaneous” we all have. I will find myself lost on the old memory lane, thinking: “I will definitely need this… sometimes.” This creates an illusion of security. Most of the time, the truth is, that I will NEVER need it — instead, it will always create an unnecessary commotion and confusion when I try to find something important that I actually need.
I remember the embarrassment of searching frantically for a presentation during a meeting, only to stumble upon old memes and forgotten drafts.
Lesson learned: declutter regularly, and evade the illusion of neediness!
Organizing with APA method
Now that I’ve cleared the digital cobwebs, I start to organize!
Folders are my best friends in the digital world. For folder organization, I use something similar to the PARA method by Tiago Forte. I used his method as a basis and created my own — APA method.
It consists of:
- Active projects
- Perpetuum projects
- Assets
In short, Perpetuum projects are all the big projects that I have in my life (similar to Areas) and Active projects are small pieces (sub-projects) of Perpetuum projects. The Assets are the materials that I use to work on those projects, or they are some materials that I collected and that could be useful in the future (also called resources).
I organize my iCloud and computer folders using this method, and it works like a charm every time I need to navigate around my digital world.
One Toolbox to Rule Them All
Raise your hand if you have more apps and tools than you can count! It’s tempting to hop from one shiny new app to another, but trust me, it only adds to the chaos.
Instead, what I do is that I streamline my toolkit.
I have tested many apps over the years (some of them in beta) and I have chosen a few essential tools that cover all my bases and integrate seamlessly with each other.
I use:
- Notion to fulfill all of my project management needs
- Evernote to store all of my notes as a Second Brain
- Things 3 to handle tasks
- Bear notes to quickly capture my thoughts
- Notion Calendar to schedule anything under the sun
- Spark Mail for my email correspondence
These are my essentials and I use them daily. Once you have those essentials all sorted out, your brain will know exactly where the information it needs is stored.
Regular Digital Detoxe
Just like a car needs regular tune-ups, digital workspace needs some cleaning and maintenance too.
I always set aside time each week for a digital detox — most commonly known as Weekly Review. During that time, I clean up my desktop, empty my downloads folder, clean my email so I can reach Inbox Zero again, clean my Inbox in Evernote, check my calendar events (and schedule something if needed) and review my task list.
Pro-tip: Schedule recurring reminders to keep yourself accountable, or better yet find someone to do that with, on a weekly basis. I am a part of the Weekly Review group in Notion Mastery, hosted by Benjamin Borowski and Marie Poulin, and I am a regular there. Trust me, future you will thank present you for it!
By implementing these strategies, I transform my digital workspace from a chaotic mess into a well-oiled machine of productivity.
Remember, organization is not a one-time fix; it’s an ongoing process. So, roll up your sleeves, clear out those digital cobwebs, and embrace the tranquility of a clutter-free workspace.
Your sanity — and your productivity — will thank you for it!
