Our devices are a big part of our daily lives: work, fun, and staying in touch. Still, sometimes they make us less productive.
In this article I (Gareth “the tech guy with the ‘tash” Westwood) will give you a couple of tips for how to organize your device. You’ll learn ways to boost your productivity and get more done giving you more time to drink coffee or spend time with your kids (or both, who knows).
Why is device organization important?
Realistically we all know that we need to keep things organised right? Messy devices slow us down and make it tough if not down right impossible to find our stuff. A well organized device makes for a faster, much more productive experience AND it also reduces stress and preserves time.
Remember when your Mum told you to tidy you room?
Clutter on devices is essentially the digital equivalent of not tidying your room. No one wants to do it but you know t hat the world is going to be a better place if you do and you will be able to find clean socks when you need them. Spend less time looking for your socks (files…) and more time out and about (working productively) by keeping your room tidy.
Now let’s look into 8 ways how to organize your device for better productivity.
1. How can you declutter your home screen / desktop?
Remove unused programs and apps
Look at your home screen or desktop. Remove the applications you never use. This makes it easier to find the ones you need. Remember that just deleting them might not remove them, check settings then apps if you want to totally remove things from your device.
Group similar apps
Gather similar apps together or into folders. This keeps your home screen neat and clean. You can find applications much quicker this way. Consider using the windows 11 multiple desktop option (the Black and white button next to the windows logo) or different pages on your mobile
Use a minimalist wallpaper
Use a simple wallpaper. This helps you focus on your apps and tasks. Not much more to say about this…
2. How do you organize your files and folders?
Set up Logical Folders
Set up folders to logically split up your files and label them appropriately. This might take a bit of thought but will make access easier and faster. For example create a folder called accounts for all your accounting documents, then under accounts create 2025 for the current years documents, then one called “Purchase Invoices” for… well… your purchase invoices. Then when you need to find a PI from a supplier you know exactly where to look. You can also create sales invoices, bank statements, quotes, purchase orders etc folders too.
Naming your files descriptively
Building on the previous point, give your files sensible names. If you get a pdf invoice with number 24099 from Quietly confident technology then save it as “25099 – Quietly Confident Technology ltd.pdf
Fancy going on a date?
Use the date backwards at the start of a file or folder to automatically sort it based on the date, for example and invoice dated 29/01/2025 could be saved as “20250129 – 25099 – Quietly Confident Technology ltd.pdf”
House clean now and then
Trash the old and irrelevant files. Get some space cleared out to reduce clutter. Worried about compliance? Think back to the first tip in this section all your accounts from 2025 are now in one folder so in 7 years time you can delete or archive the 2025 folder whilst not affecting anything else. Do this once a year when you set up the new years folder and you have a constant “out with the old and in with the new” approach.
3. How could you organize your email?
Create Folders and Labels
Create folders for emails of different kinds. Label them and categorize them accordingly. This helps to keep your inbox organized. Similar to the file folders about I would go for a tree approach; for example create a “Clients” folder in your inbox then a “QCT” folder in there and move all of the lovely email from me into that folder (after reading it of course)
Unsubscribe to Unwanted Emails
Remove your name from email lists you never read. This cleans up your inbox. Again… Not mine though, you read mine… right… RIGHT!!!
Use the Two-Minute Rule
If an email can be handled within two minutes, then handle it immediately. This helps you avoid the piling up of small tasks. If not then add the task to your to do list (I recommend Microsoft to do or todoist) and file the email.
4. How Can You Optimize Your Browser?
Organize Bookmarks
Sort your bookmarks into folders. Delete ones you don’t use. This makes finding websites easier. I know a marketing guy (you know who you are…) who had hundreds if not thousands of tabs open and he couldn’t face replacing his computer in case he lost them… We are back on folders here, create logical folder structures in your browser bookmarks tool. Most of them will let you “bookmark all open tabs” (ctrl + shift + d on Chrome) and then you can right click on a folder to “open all. Get those 200 customer mood board tabs saved under “QCT – Website Project 2025 – Mood Board”.
Use browser extensions wisely
Browser extensions are tricky. They are very very powerful tools that have full access to everything that you do on and in your browser. Every site, every page. Only ever install them from reputable sources and only keep the ones you use often and that save you time. Too many can slow down your browser AND be a security concern. If in doubt contact your IT provider or… if you don’t have one, or want a second opinion then drop me a note.
Clear your cache
This helps your browser run faster, frees up space on your device and can prevent page load problems. It can also be frustrating if all of your saved logons and your “yes I accept your blinking cookies because that’s how the internet works so why am I having to do this oh yeas because some idiot somewhere doesn’t understand the internet” preferences. (sorry)(not sorry). Use this sparingly but if something isn’t working it’s a good place to start (ctrl + shift + delete on Chrome)
5. What are good ways to manage passwords?
Use a password manager
This tool securely vaults all your passwords. You only have to remember one master password. We recommend using Bit Warden which has a free tier (for none commercial use) or paid tiers for businesses. Give us a shout if you need a hand setting this up for your organisation
Generate strong, unique passwords
Use a different password for every account. Make them long and complicated. This will keep your accounts secure. The beauty of a password manager is that you don’t have to remember them so they can be really long and really complicated.
Enable two-factor authentication
This adds an extra layer of protection to your accounts. It makes them harder to break into.
Want more info about password managers? Check out this previous blog post specifically about this topic
6. How can you streamline your notifications?
Turn off unnecessary notifications
Only retain notifications from important apps. This decreases distractions.
Set specific times to check notifications
Don’t view notifications throughout the day. Decide on certain times of the day to view notifications. In this way, you will be able to concentrate on your work.
Use ‘Do Not Disturb’ mode
Switch this on when you really need to focus on something. This blocks all your notifications for a certain period.
7. What is the best type of data backup?
RTO and RPO… Understand them.
The Recovery Time Objective is how long you can afford to be without your data before significant harm occurs to your business. The cloud is great but if it’s going to take 2 weeks to download your backup data then there might not be much point.
Recovery Point Objectives look at how much data you can afford to loose before it causes significant harm. If you lost a week of work would that be ok? How about a day?, 1/2 a day?, an hour?. You have to weigh up the COST of the backup against the COST to rebuild what may be lost whilst also factoring in reputational damage.
The 321 principle
You want 3 copies of all data, they should be stored on 2 different types of media (hard drive, DVD, tape, cloud)(yes… DVD and tape are still viable options depending on use case!) and at least 1 copy should be stored off site.
Set up automatic backups
Backups should be automatic… If you have to remember to do it and make time to do it then it won’t happen. Make your device backup files on a regular basis. This ensures you don’t lose important data.
Versioning
If someone in accounts accidentally wipes out a spreadsheet and no one notices until an audit 18 months later then you are going to need multiple versions of the file to refer back to.
8. How can you maintain your device’s health?
Update software regularly
Keep your applications and operating system updated. This will enhance the performance and security.
Keep an eye on available disk space
Running out of space when you are in the middle of recording an important call or when you are trying to save that 500mb power point presentation can be a real pain in the bum
Clean your device physically
Grotty Screens, crumby keyboards and cat hair in your fans will all cause you problems long term. Dust and dirt can slow down your device. Cleaning it regularly will help in keeping it in good shape.
Summary
It takes some time and effort to organize your devices, but none of this stuff is rocket science and it is really worth the investment. You’ll be more productive and less stressed. Try at least one from this list and then, once you get comfortable, try some more.
It’s also worth noting that a good IT / Technology partner will be looking after some of these things for you already.
Remember, everybody has different needs, so do what will work best for you. If you need help organizing your devices, feel free to reach out to us. Contact us now for personalized advice on boosting productivity.
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