If you enjoy being a disorganized and chaotic person, you’re better off not reading this post.
For those of you who are under siege by out-of-control in boxes and too many apps, here’s some advice to make your technology world more zen.
Clear inbox = clear mind
Some of you won’t believe me on this — but this is a mantra I live by. I delete emails when I’m done with them and only keep the ones I absolutely have to have. This way, my inbox can serve as a to-do list of sorts. It reminds me of the things I need to do or wanted to look at but didn’t have time for. If you want to hold onto an email but don’t want to keep it in the inbox for forever, create folders that you can put different types of emails into. If something’s a long-term project and you don’t have the answers right now (or you just want to hold on to it), put it into a folder so you can look at it later. If you delete something you need later on, just search your trash folder for it. That’s what the search feature is for — to find things you’ve misplaced.
Too many apps = too much going on
Every once in a while, I think it’s good to go through your smart phone and take a hard look at the applications that you have installed. If you really don’t use something, then delete it. Not only will you free up more memory and battery for another application, but you’ll be able to sift through your phone more easily without having less junk to plow through. If you’re an iPhone user, try grouping your apps into folders so that you don’t have to see everything at once.
Get your professional email account ASAP
Once you graduate from college, most of you won’t have access to your college email addresses anymore. This is why you need to get a professional account — preferably one with your name in it. Once you create the account, make sure you use this to apply for jobs and internships and put it on your resume. You’ll be glad you started doing this once your university email gets shut down.
Exploring the interwebs
This may seem like an unimportant task, but it’s one that you need to take care of to stay organized. You need to keep your most important websites in front of you so that they are within your sight at all times when you’re browsing. Most browsers offer a bookmark toolbar for this purpose. For websites that are less important, place them in a folder. You’ll be amazed with all the resources you’ll be able to gather just by taking the extra second to add something to a folder. If you’re trying to follow too many blogs from your Web browser, try a Web reader like Netvibes or Google.
OK, so after reading this, I hope you don’t think of me as some insane neat freak. But try incorporating one or more of these organizational tips into your life and see how much easier things can become with just the click of a mouse.
How do you keep all of your technological world organized? Let us know!
