How to take that clutter out of your digital footprint
TECHNOLOGY moves fast, very fast.
I spoke with Deb Lee, a digital business coach and productivity consultant, to find out which tools she relies on to stay organised. • The proper tools
Ask yourself these questions: Where do you run into problems with your work, i.e., do you miss deadlines, spend too much time looking for documents or emails, or have a hard time prioritising your tasks? Do tasks take more time than they should? Only after you’ve identified problem areas is it possible to map out a solution. • To-do lists and calendars
If you struggle with missing deadlines or forgetting tasks, Lee recommends apps such as Evernote or Any.do for taking notes and keeping lists. Each of these apps is available across platforms and has free and paid options. • Inbox
Lee says, it’s OK to give up on the concept of having zero emails in your inbox at the end of the day, because it’s difficult to make the transition and it requires a lot of time to achieve. Instead, she recommends focusing on decreasing junk email and organising emails that you want to keep.
Many people have no idea that apps can help manage their inboxes. Astro gets high marks for its email and calendar functions but works only with Gmail and Microsoft’s Office 365. The Gmail app is also well regarded if you use Google services, and the Outlook app can sort and show only the most important emails from those you interact with most often, keeping them separate from bulk emails.
Washington Consumers’ Checkbook recently recommended a free app called Unroll.Me to decrease junk email. • Digital maintenance and backup
Just as our physical spaces require maintenance to keep them decluttered, so do our digital spaces. Set aside time each week for filing documents, updating to-do lists, and deleting unwanted emails and duplicate photos. If you have a busy week, just do a little more the following week. It may take longer in the beginning, but once you’ve developed a system, maintenance will be more straightforward. — Washington Post/ Anzia is a freelance writer and owner of Neatnik.