Stay Organized by Starting Small

September 2025 — Tip of the Month

I've published a few previous tips about keeping your PC organized and performing monthly file maintenance. But sometimes life gets busy and your desktop becomes so cluttered with icons, it seems impossible to clean up.

The good news is you don't have to organize all your files at once. Moving or deleting a few files at a time can go a long way in keeping your desktop clean.

I've found that organizing a few files at a time helps keep my desktop (and other folders) from getting out of control. Moving or deleting 5 to 10 screenshots after completing another task gets me that much closer to a clean desktop. The same is true with images — even deleting 2 or 3 photos after an event or at the end of the day is better than nothing.

Small Steps Make a Big Difference

The notion of "small steps" is rooted in the idea that incremental progress is still progress. Taking a few minutes each day to organize your files can create a more manageable workload and prevent burnout. Instead of facing the daunting task of cleaning out your entire drive, working on a small subset makes it feel achievable. Over time, those small efforts add up to a more organized PC.

Important: The same theory holds true for real-life clutter. If you can pick up and put away a few things at a time, it will help keep your home or office from getting too messy. ☺️

- Per Christensson