Don’t get me wrong, this old lady loves computing life to death! My computer’s the first thing I greet in the morning and it happens to be the only thing that sends me off to bed every night! I won’t even know where I’ll be without my computer or at the very least, a gadget to connect me to the rest of the world a.k.a the internet. When I’m home doing my usual chores, it’s my desktop computer; when traveling, it’s my laptop; when on the move, it’s the smartphone. Guilty as charged, my digital life has indeed taken over me and I’d be lost without it.
Facebook, Twitter, forums, emails.. name it, I’m absolutely on it however, in my attempt to “automate” my life with these tools, I found out that I actually lose half a day just to keep these accounts active. Not a really productive way to live your life right? Plus, with a senior like me whose brain is easily confused especially with all those fine prints, it is important that we maintain some semblance of order or we lose our sanity. So take it from me, you need a good time management plan, the ability to organize and the will to resist the temptation of checking your accounts every other minute.
To clear away the clutter that has become your digital life, here are some simple and very doable ways to do so. Best of all, you’ll be able to get most out of your digital life:
• Switch to web-based email service such as Gmail or if you don’t want to lose that dignified look of a domain-based email address, have it diverted to a web-based one. This way you’ll have backup copies of your emails if and when your computer crashes. Moreover, web-based email services are easier to use than a domain-based one.
• Use filters and folders to keep your inbox clean. It’s hard enough that you have to scroll down—and further down–just to find an email sent to you 5 days ago, especially if you’re subscribed to a hundred mailing lists, what more if the email thread has branched out from one recipient to another then back to you? By using folders and filters, you’ll be able to break your inbox down to categories and deal with it from there. Call it micromanaging with style.
• Set aside a time for it. As for me, I have installed a handy timer so I can monitor how long I have been in a site or if I’m already wasting too much time checking, reading and commenting on everyone’s Facebook posts. This way you’ll be able to stick with your time plan and finish your tasks on time.
• Log out and be off. This one is harder than you think. Do you think you can really get your mind off those threads you’ve been following and focus all your attention to your work instead? Of course no, but you have to do it anyway.
• Get your lists in order. Notice how social networks have adapted the concept of lists? It’s an attempt to centralize your computing life and also a way to prevent a person for creating multiple accounts. As for you, lists are a way to organize your people and interact with them the way you should be.
