Virtual Paper Clutter: Organizing Your Computer

“If email had been around before the telephone was invented people would have said, “Hey, forget email–with this new telephone invention I can actually talk to people!”

~Author Unknown

Here’s exactly how I organized my own “virtual paper clutter,” and how you can too.

Before we officially begin, I’ll emphasize something you may or may not have already heard. DO NOT check your email at any random time of the day. This is a time waster for sure. Check it only after you have accomplished your important tasks for the day—those that must get done and really matter to you. Think of it as a reward for hard work if you need to!

Step 1: Simplify.

First, go through your existing e-mail and sort it into specific folders. Each e-mail system (Yahoo, G-Mail, Hotmail, etc.) has its own sorting system and all are fairly easy to figure out.

I started off with just less than 1,000 e-mails in my inbox. Before I started sorting through them, I would be overwhelmed every time I opened my e-mail to be greeted with a “mess” of e-mails that I’d never dealt with. Some were important, but it was impossible to find anything. Now, I never allow my inbox to get bigger than 25 emails.

For the simplifying process, you need to skim through one page a day of your inbox and click those e-mails you know for sure you don’t need.

DO NOT open each one and read them. If you’ve gone this long without them, you’ll know just by looking at the subject lines whether or not you should keep them. Hopefully, this will get rid of at least ½ of what’s there. All you’re doing at this point is deleting.

Step 2: Organize.

Now you’re ready to begin filing. You should go through at least 5-10 e-mails a day, depending on how much time you have and how much you have to sort through.

As you open each of the e-mails, skim them (don’t waste your time reading them word for word) and decide what type of folder they should be stored in.

Remember from the paper clutter series, no “miscellaneous”!

Here are some examples of folder names you could use:

• Forwards

• From Friends

• Social Networking (passwords and other information about your MSN, My Space, Facebook, Twitter, etc.)

• Business

• Personal

• Family

• Photos

• Videos

These are just some examples to get you thinking about what’s appropriate for your e-mails. Any e-mail that has to be dealt with (needs an immediate response, etc.) should be kept in your inbox and NOT FILED.

Step 3: Streamline.

Now you’re in the “sweet” zone. As each e-mail comes into your inbox, either delete it, file it, or leave it there to be dealt with.

There is an e-mail habit many people have that can cost you hours a day—the evil FORWARD . If you are someone that opens forwards, ask yourself if it is really worth the time, even if it’s only 5 minutes. By the time you click, download and then read or watch the forward you have wasted valuable time. Multiply that by how many forwards you may receive in one day and you’ve lost HOURS.

Some people will start a file called “Important” or something similar. I tried this. Anything I filed in there was forgotten about because it wasn’t right in front of my face as soon as I opened my e-mail each day. “Important” is just another form of “miscellaneous”.

That’s why I advise you to keep those e-mails that need to be dealt with in your inbox, where you are reminded of them each day.

I usually have between 5-8 of them in my inbox each day and I try to deal with them whenever I get a chance. If ever I see my inbox of e-mails grow beyond one page (25 e-mails) then I know it’s time to clean house!

Be sure to decide on your own cut off or “alarm bell” as well.

A word of warning. Don’t get so comfortable with your new filing system that you never delete any e-mail.

Here’s a trick: Keep a notebook (or if you’re like me, your Palm Pilot or something of the like) beside your computer. If you see one little thing in a long e-mail that you’d like to save or remember, don’t keep the whole message, write it down!

You could also start a file folder in your computer called “Important E-Mail Notes” where you can copy and paste such things. I often keep note of quotes I like, tips for my business, and useful websites. This way everything is all in one place and I don’t have to go searching through my e-mail folders to find one tiny bit of information.

Did you know that if you have more than one e-mail account most servers allow you to forward all your mail? This can save you from wasting time checking various accounts day after day.

Also, most e-mail accounts have an “add to contacts” option right on the message itself so you don’t have to enter new contacts in manually. Another time saver!

That’s it! Once you’ve mastered this routine of sorting your e-mail as soon as you receive it, you’ll never be bogged down again with an inbox full of e-mails that you don’t know what to do with.

(By the way, dealing with your word processor clutter pretty much works the same way. Delete what you don’t need, and sort what you do need into folders and sub-folders.)

I really hope this helped you sort through your virtual paper clutter. Starting each day with a clean inbox can clear your mind and allow you to be much more productive throughout your day.

Do you have any computer de-cluttering tips or tricks?

Related posts:

1. Invite Opportunity in by Organizing Your Paper Clutter (Part 1)
2. Organize Your Paper Clutter (Part 2)
3. Organize Your Paper Clutter (Part 3): Streamline