My husband keeps up with the tech of the day, but he still loves his papers and color-coded filing system, which is always neat and orderly.
But in an increasingly paperless business world, our files are accessed through a search bar, not a file cabinet, and keeping track of everything takes time and effort.
We easily lapse into digital disarray. Wait, where did I save this? What file name did I use? I thought I responded to that email. Where did it go? I've got 50 questions in my inbox, and I don't have time to deal with this right now. Ugh!
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Our digital house begins to feel like a dirty laundry pile on the bedroom floor with dishes piled up in the sink, but we don't have time to knock out the tasks. So they just sit there.
If you're like me, you're thinking about "spring cleaning" in April. You want to be outside and make sure everything around the house looks nice. Why not treat your digital house to a spring cleaning?
Here are some tips — or rather "reminders" — on digital decluttering. I'm sure you know all this, but it's so easy to lose focus and let a digital mess take over your house.
- Establish a Clear File Naming System: Just like my husband's color-coded system, your digital files need an organized naming system. Start by establishing clear, consistent naming conventions. For instance, use dates, project names, or specific identifiers that make sense to you. This way, you'll spend less time searching for files and more time being productive. Remember, the key is consistency; stick to your system once you've set it up.
- Utilize Folders and Subfolders Wisely: Organize your digital files into folders and subfolders, much like a well-organized filing cabinet. Group related files together and create subfolders to categorize them further. This method makes it easier to find what you're looking for and helps separate different projects or aspects of your work and personal life.
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- Regularly Clean Your Inbox: An overflowing email inbox can be overwhelming. Set aside time each week to go through your emails. Unsubscribe from newsletters you no longer read, archive important conversations, and delete what you don't need. Utilizing email filters and labels can also help manage the flow of incoming emails.
- Minimize Your Digital Footprint: Uninstall apps you no longer use and clear out downloads and redundant files. This frees up space and helps your devices run more efficiently. A leaner digital footprint means less clutter and less time spent managing unnecessary files or apps.
- Set Your Cleaning Calendar: Just as you would with physical cleaning, set a regular schedule for digital decluttering. Review your files monthly or quarterly and save what's needed while discarding the rest.
- Digitize Physical Documents: Set a regular time to digitize important physical documents and store them securely in the cloud or on an external drive. This reduces physical clutter and ensures you have digital backups of important information.
This sounds like housework, doesn't it? These duties are routine but essential, like maintaining clean clothes or dishes. Our work lives involve so many of these time-consuming digital duties.
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Thankfully, I have plenty of help in keeping the socks and T-shirts off the floor in that regard. I can manage my time more efficiently than most people because I've created systems to offload time-consuming duties. My husband and I run six successful businesses because we are pros at delegation.
In fact, sharing our delegating skill set is the focus of our business life these days. We work with hundreds of business owners across the U.S. to turn their office life clutter into sharp, tidy houses.
That's what our team at HireSmart does. We help you be in shape through the power of smart delegation.
Anne Lackey's Company Offers a Unique Virtual Solution for Staffing Issues
We find Filipino office employees specifically suited to your needs. We train and certify them, and then we work with you in onboarding those staff members and offer continued support as they help you keep your digital house in order.
We've done this for nearly a decade and are veterans in the business.
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Our clients love their VEs.
"Ina is the ideal employee — truly a marker for excellence in every single way," said one of our property management clients about her HireSmart VE. "She is one of the reasons I show up to work every day and why I love leading the team!"
"Tony is a hard worker, always available, kind, great team player, and cares about others," said a community association management client about their VE. "We are so happy to have him as part of our team!"
And yes, my husband has his color-coded file for comments like these. It's quite thick and keeps growing.
Click here if you'd like to talk with us about getting your business's digital house in order with the help of our virtual team.