Much like a cluttered physical space, a messy digital life increases anxiety and makes it hard to focus. Just think about the overwhelming pent-up emotions you feel every time your inbox is overflowing and unmanageable.
As we become more and more plugged into our digital life, a cluttered system can quickly spread to other parts of your life. That’s why setting up a new sense of order by first cleaning up your digital clutter is so critical, says Justin Klosky, founder of the O.C.D. Experience, whose clients include Kim Kardashian, Sharon and Jack Osbourne, and Topher Grace.
Klosky tells Fast Company that he helps his clients regain control of their lives and set up effective time management skills with the approach below:
1. Scan and shred everything
One of the reasons people feel the need to keep physical copies of documents is because they’re afraid they might get audited one day. But the only physical copies you need to hold onto are cash purchases and large purchases you’re thinking of returning in 30 to 60 days. Otherwise, everything else can be scanned, labeled properly, and put on a hard drive.
According to Klosky, a filing cabinet is one of the worst things you can have in your space and 95% of the things people store are useless. Instead, he advises finding a scanner that is reliable and a no-frills, adequate shredder to jumpstart an efficient data storage solution.
Related: These To-Do List Methods Will Help You Finally Get Organized
2. Have a solid backup system that you control for digital assets
Cloud storage is an easy way to dump all of your files, but make sure you’re keeping the cloud organized, just like you would a physical space, or it starts getting expensive.