The state of that flat surface around your computer says a lot about you, according to a study from Hunch.com – which found that those with organized desks “tend to be more tech-savvy” and are 5 percent more likely to put their personal and social life first.
Who are the messy ones? The Hunch study says they’re “mostly self-described entrepreneurs who are 12 percent more likely to have a stronger aptitude for mathematical concepts and numbers.”
Not to fret – you’re in luck. Not only do we have some advice for what you can put on your physical desktop to help make it more organized, we also have a couple tips for tidying up the inside of your PC – as well as practical advice for clearing the clutter, or at least starting the process.
YOUR PHYSICAL DESKTOP
There’s no question that the right technology can go a long way toward organizing your physical desktop and clearing the clutter. Today’s PCs and printers are all about streamlined design, less real estate, and more power, so there are lots of options for any budget.
For example, the HP Pavilion Sleekbook 15 delivers smart technology at a smart price in a trim little package. Thin and light, the Pavilion Sleekbook is not only mobile for productivity on the go, but it’s also fully customizable – from color to components to accessories and more.
Prefer a low profile desktop? All-in-one machines are a great solution; try the HP ENVY 23 Touchsmart All-in-One. It’s got power, style and more in a smart package that won’t take up a lot of space on your desk.
Getting organized also means having a printer that doesn’t take up a lot of space. The HP Officejet 150 Mobile All-in-One printer regularly gets nods for its smaller form factor and ability to print from just about anywhere.
Finally, external media storage is the way to go when it comes to de-cluttering your disorderly desktop. Try the HP USB 3.0 500GB Pocket Media Drive for a practical storage option. The Pocket Media Drive is just a little bigger than an index card, yet has plenty of room for storing files, photos and more.
YOUR VIRTUAL DESKTOP
Experts say it’s wise to regularly review and reflect on your commitments and interest level – and weed out what’s not important or necessary anymore. After all, the New Year is a clean slate in many ways, and there’s nothing like starting out fresh. So let’s see how we can clean up the inside of your PC a little.
Back up your data. All that organizing and purging is great, but not if you get rid of valuable files. Having a backup eliminates that issue. Load it onto an external hard drive – a flash drive….anything safe and secure will do!
Clean your virtual desktop. We all save items to the desktop when we’re in a hurry and need to find something immediately – and that adds up. Get rid of documents you don’t need, and organize everything into files.
Take inventory. Programs like WinDirStat will let you see what’s on your hard drive – like apps or programs you never use. Delete the ones you don’t need. While you’re at it, move data-heavy files like music, movies, and photos to an external hard drive to lighten your space load.
Be less iconic. The more icons that open up when you fire up your PC, the more difficult is it for your machine to wake up and perform. Disable automatic startup for data-heavy programs, and just open when you need them. It’s actually really easy in the new Windows 8 Task Manager to see which apps load at system startup – and disable the system hogs – according to Darren.
GETTING STARTED
Sometimes the hardest part of getting organized is taking the first step to clear the clutter, but once you do, the rest is a lot easier. Here are tips to finally push that organizing train out of the proverbial station:
Pick three things to throw away now. We all have things on our desks that we don’t need – so why are we keeping it? Recycle those old files, turn in those receipts for that long overdue expense report, and toss those old coffee cups.
Weed through one file drawer. In the movie Finding Nemo, Dory tells Nemo’s dad Marlin to “just keep swimming.” You can do the same when it comes to getting organized. Start with one file drawer, and go to town. Then tackle the second – and so on and so on. Pretty soon, you’ll be swimming through a lot less clutter.
Clear off your bulletin board. The office bulletin board is a lot like the refrigerator door. It ends up being the go-to for random papers, receipts and all kinds of things you likely don’t need. Clear it off – and free some space.
Your Turn: How are you getting organized for 2013? What kinds of technology (hardware, software or peripherals) are among your top picks? Have any clean-up tips that you recommend? Let us know – we’ll feature your picks in a future post.
