Tidying up your PC has many advantages: A better overview, more focus and usually a faster device to have the best access to National Casino.
Digital minimalism is about bringing order to your file chaos and ridding yourself of digital clutter. You may have accumulated a lot of data junk on your PC over the last few years, or you may have stored files without a system.
With a new structure you can work more stress-free and handle your device sustainably, because you save your nerves and the capacities of your PC.
A tidy PC includes:
- Reduce software and delete unnecessary files.
- Creating a clear folder structure.
- An (almost) empty desktop.
When you tackle the project of cleaning up your PC, take enough time. Spread the tasks over several evenings during the week or over a free weekend. This is the only way to achieve a satisfying result in the long run.
Important: Make a back-up before you start cleaning up your PC to avoid losing important data. Alternatively, you can store data in the cloud or use a tidying service like memoresa (for a fee) to secure your documents against a failure of your PC. Note, however, that it makes sense to clean up a cloud on a regular basis, because storage space consumes server capacity and running many servers unnecessarily consumes a lot of energy.
Inventory And Reduction
Good preparation is important to develop a tidy structure on your PC. Before you start cleaning up your PC, you should find out what is on your PC in the first place. What software and apps are installed on your PC or laptop?
Uninstall what you don’t use.
Note: If you’re not sure what you need certain programs for, it’s better to leave them installed. Don’t end up uninstalling an important graphics driver. But if you notice that you never play pre-installed games, for example, or that it just distracts you – get rid of it.
Now turn to your folders. Which folders are currently on your PC or laptop?
Write down your current folder structure. You can do this with a piece of paper and a pen, or you can create a mind map with your current structure. This can also be done digitally, for example with the free tool Mindmeister. Then it’s the turn of the desktop.
Empty Desktop is Important
Your desktop should always be tidy and – if at all – only contain the most important programs that you need to work. It’s just like your desktop, you can find tips for it here: Minimalism at your desk: 3 steps to success.
After all, less clutter at first glance means less stressful feelings.
One of the first things you see when you turn on your PC is the desktop. Try to have only a few shortcuts on your desktop so the clutter doesn’t overwhelm you.
Most importantly, no files on the desktop! This attracts attention and causes stress. Try to avoid saving files on your desktop “quickly” because they are interesting. Instead, put the files in a folder immediately. If you’re not sure where the file fits, create an inbox folder on your desktop that you sort out once a week or once a month, for example.
Empty your desktop as soon as many shortcuts and files have accumulated there. To do this, delete all the shortcuts and then move all the desktop files to a new folder called Desktop_Cleanup. Then you can sort and partially delete the contents of the folder.
Creating New And Clear Folder Structure
In digital minimalism, the 7-folder rule is very common. This rule was derived from the knowledge of cognitive psychology that people can only store seven units in their working memory. Moreover, with this number, all folders can be grasped at a glance.
In addition, it makes sense to create a maximum of two additional levels for each main folder. This then looks like this: Each main folder (level 1) has a maximum of seven subfolders (level 2), and each of these subfolders in turn has a maximum of seven subfolders (level 3). The idea behind this is that each folder can be opened with a maximum of three clicks.
