So I’ve been on a bit of a purge lately. Clothes, possessions, responsibilities… all being pared down, streamlined, and simplified. Scary, but exhilarating.

And I thought I’d share some of my heart-centered tech tips on managing electronic storage, since I’m also reorganizing and purging my computers, files, and databases.

Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/malias/ / CC BY 2.0

Tip 1: Electronic clutter is just as real as physical clutter. Take it seriously.

It’s tempting to just gloss over the chaos in your computer, because it’s just bits and bytes. Also, you’re probably the only one who sees your computer’s directory structure, so you don’t get the same real-world visibility (and possibly even approval) from cleaning up your computer desktop that you’d get for cleaning your physical desktop.

If you’ve ever had to search for a file because you didn’t remember its name, or couldn’t figure out where your computer put it after you downloaded it, or you just know someone sent you an email but you can’t find it, you’ve already discovered how frustrating electronic clutter can be. And if you can save yourself all that time spent searching? You get the idea.

Tip 2: Take advantage of the differences between electronic and physical clutter.

This tip doesn’t contradict Tip #1. The clutter is just as real, but it’s different.

For instance: The fact that “it’s just bits and bytes” means it’s far easier to rename, move, and recategorize files than it would be to clean up the equivalent paper versions. You don’t have to shift an entire file drawer — just drag and drop. You don’t have to print out new color-coded labels for 43 folders — just click and rename.

You can play with what works for you. Which leads to…

Tip 3: Your filing system is yours, and it’s allowed to be unique.

You don’t have to call your folders “projects” or “clients” or “accounts receivable” if those names are meaningless to you (or, worse, skeeze you out). You don’t have to organize by date or color or letter of the alphabet if something else works for you.

Examples? Well, Havi organizes her files by chakras. Me? I experienced a noticeable boost in mood (and a greater willingness to dive into my computer folders) when I renamed my “Employment” folder “Professional Services” and my “Clients” folder “Partners.” Also, strangely enough, within days of that renaming experiment, I lost a client (with whom I wasn’t getting along anyway) and I got contacted by two people who were genuinely looking for partners. Coincidence? Maybe. But I still feel better looking at a folder called “Partners” than I ever did looking at a folder called “Clients.”

(Of course, this tip applies to your physical filing system too, but with the electronic version it’s easier to run experiments and see how they feel — maybe then you can apply your new insights to your physical file cabinet.)

Tip 4: Archiving is your friend. Know when to move things into “dead storage.”

This is probably the biggest difference between electronic and physical clutter. The electronic kind doesn’t take up physical space, so it’s deceptively easy to end up with far more of it. You can just create more folders, get bigger hard drives, ad infinitum.

I’m not going to advocate weeding out files that you don’t use, for precisely this reason. With storage “space” for these bits and bytes so cheap, there’s hardly ever a reason to actually throw stuff away. The process of making decisions about which things to keep and which things to toss is probably far more time-consuming than simply creating an archive folder and dumping stuff into it when your desktop gets too cluttered.

How do you know when to archive? I don’t have a hard-and-fast rule here. My method is to notice when I get annoyed. When I have to click past multiple levels of folders to get to one I use all the time, that could be a clue that I need to move it up a few levels or create a shortcut, but it could also be a clue that some of the top levels can be archived (because I never use them).

When I have to scroll through a long list of folders to find the one I want, I could choose to re-order or rename them, but I also could archive the ones I always scroll past (I try never to have more than one standard window’s worth of files in any one folder, just because of the irritation of scrolling. If I start having to scroll, I know I need to either archive or create subfolders).

Tip 5: Even when you archive, keep a backup!

Of course, no archive is complete unless it’s backed up. You are backing up your stuff, aren’t you? As I’ve previously mentioned, I use an online backup service called Mozy.com that automatically backs up my files every day. You can put your archives on CDs or an external hard drive if that works better. Or if you have a web-hosting plan, your host probably provides some amount of storage (if not automatic backup). My preferred web host, DreamHost, offers unlimited storage plus an add-on paid feature called Files Forever (yes, you can keep your access to Files Forever even if you cancel your hosting plan).

Tip 6: There are a few things you can safely trash.

Yes, I know I said there was hardly ever a reason to throw stuff away. And I meant it. If there’s even the slightest possibility you’ll need a file (or email or photo or whatever), if you have the slightest doubt, keep it. Just tuck it out of sight in an archive folder.

But when you absolutely, completely, totally know you don’t need something, trash away. Don’t think of your trash can (or recycle bin, if you’re using Windows) as a holding pen for maybe-could-be-deleted stuff. Know it’s the black hole of no return. And use it accordingly. Have your computer empty the trash automatically every time you shut down, for instance. It’s nice to see it empty when you start up!

Spam, of course, goes in this category. There’s no reason to keep this stuff (well, unless you’re going to write a blog post about interesting spam subject lines or something). Old versions of software, too (if your upgrade process doesn’t automatically overwrite them).

But those forty blurred photos of your cat you took trying to get one good one? The 23-second video you accidentally took with your camera when you thought you were just taking a snapshot of your family? The dozens of seemingly meaningless emails from your brother? I’m a sucker for this stuff — I almost never delete a photo, video, or non-spam email (email forwards are close to spam and I do often delete them, though). Someday that fuzzy close-up of my cat’s tongue will make me laugh as I’m scrolling through the old photos.

Have fun playing with your electronic filing systems! Have a question or idea you want to share? Leave a comment and let’s have a conversation!

Until next week,

Wendy Cholbi, your friendly neighborhood swim-goggle-wearing technology-to-English translator