How important is digital organization?
You probably have noticed by now how difficult it is to stay organized in your day-to-day life, let alone your digital life.
It is always such a nuisance to search for a lost password, and it can also break your flow and seriously affect your productivity.
In this article, I'll mention the best tips and tricks I have learned from years of working in a digital-focused career for staying organized and productive.
1# Use a password manager.
Don't store your passwords in plain text or remember them in your head. For ultimate security and convenience, there are plenty of free and cheap password manager options to choose from.
A password manager stores your passwords and other important information in a secure encrypted vault. Then you only need to remember one "Master password" to access all of your information.
Password managers also often include options to automatically fill in your log-in information when you go to sites you have saved. This feature alone can save you countless time throughout your life. Password managers can even save your details to fill forms in a single click or automatically change and save outdated passwords keeping you extra secure!
My personal favourite is LastPass. I find them to be the most robust, and their mobile app makes it easy to see passwords if you are trying to log in to a new computer.
2# Use a task management tool.
With dozens of great options to choose from these days, there is no reason why you shouldn't be using some tool to prioritize your digital life.
With a task management tool, you can get much more granular with your tasks than a simple notepad. You can set due dates, add your team to assign members to tasks, colour code, set priorities and much more!
Often a situation that arises when working as part of a team or doing client work is a lack of communication. Specifically, trying to get a hold of someone who is not available to ask them a simple question which is preventing you from moving forward with the task you are working on.
Suppose everyone who is part of the project commits to using a task management program. In that case, it can help team members gain access to information asynchronously, significantly increasing productivity and reducing frustration.
Using a task management tool has saved me so much time and has become an invaluable part of my digital life.
I chose ClickUp, a super powerful tool that can be intimidating to a new user; if you do not want to commit to learning such a powerful piece of software at first, Trello, Asana, and Monday.com are all also great options.
3# Experiment with automation.
This one might be for the more advanced users, but if you are willing to take a crack at it, it can help to improve the quality of your digital life. These days, computers are really just super advanced artificial brains, so why not put them to work doing the things our brains find difficult or repetitive?
There are many forms of automation. Setting rules in your email software is an excellent way to keep track of your projects and declutter your inbox so you can focus on what matters.
The next step up would be using a tool like Zapier, which can essentially automate anything! No, really, if you did not know a tool like this existed before, it will blow your mind!
It's essentially just programming without having to know how to code. Want to send emails with a specific keyword to your task management tool? Want to sync two different calendars automatically? Want to generate invoices from a timesheet automatically? The sky is the limit; once you become proficient at using a tool like Zapier, you can't go back.
As I mentioned, Zapier is the current leader in the automation space. Make.com and If This Then That (IFTTT) are good also options.
4# Use naming conventions and stick to them.
I've seen too many people's computers with files strewn all about with Seemingly Random file names and unnecessarily nested files. It doesn't seem like an issue at the moment to quickly save a file whatever you want, wherever you want, but as you probably know, this decision will probably come back to haunt you later.
I recommend being conscious of how you save and organize your digital files and coming up with a standard naming convention. It's important to build this habit and stick to it even when it's 3 am and you just want to shut down and go to bed. A little proactiveness can go a long way next time you try to find your files and will save you a lot of time in the long run.
I prefer to use underscores between words and use a title for files that is simple and descriptive.
5# Real Estate matters - use as many screens as possible.
You wouldn't want to work on a desk with only 10 square inches of space; the same goes for "Digital desk space."
It's super helpful to use as many screens as possible and use all of the available space. Don't try and squint to see your project or constantly minimize programs. Invest in one or two extra monitors and see the difference it makes to your productivity and peace of mind. There is a reason "tech bros" always have a million screens!
6# Sometimes, the advanced section will save you in the long run.
What do I mean by this? Well, for example, if you were to sign up for a new google ads account and try and create an ad, you would be shown a simplified dialogue to go through to launch your first ad. However, at the bottom of this section is an option to "Switch to advance mode." Although the basic mode is easy to use, more often than not, it can lead to more issues down the road; once later on, you realize you want to change something about your ad that the basic mode does not have access to.
Companies like Google often have options like this and are incentivized to make it as easy as possible to introduce new users to their platform. The issue is that the "Easy" way is often not the easiest or best way in the end. It usually pays off to take a step back. Do some research and ensure you do not pigeonhole yourself into any one way of doing something whenever you start using a new tool or service.
This can be extremely important when it comes to what website management system you choose to go with. Or, if your organization grows in the future to the point you want to start offloading tasks to other employees or contractors, having started on the right foot can save you time and a world of pain.
7# take advantage of software and browser extensions.
Whenever I start a new project, I like to see if there is some kind of tool or piece of software to help me. In today's day and age, there is nine times out of ten. Learning how to use a simple new tool and incorporate it into your workflow can save you time over just doing the "tried and tried" method.
For example. Instead of looking forever through company documents to find the exact colour code for the company's brand colours, why not just install a colour picker Chrome extension and grab the precise colours from the company website in less than one minute?
The possibilities are endless here, but the core message is to keep your eyes open and don't just do something the way it has always been done. Thinking outside the box can be a massive time saver!
The more thought and attention you are willing and able to put into organizing and streamlining your digital world can come back to benefit you in the end. Upfront preparation can dramatically impact your productivity and peace of mind.
