THE EXTENSION

Exploring topics beyond our day-to-day coverage.

Messy Solutions to Messy Problems: Digital Cleanup and Organization Tips

• John

I head into every October with a mess on my hands. The late summer, early fall review season inevitably leads to letting good computing habits go. It’s never a pretty sight, but I’ve found ways to minimize the chaos and make October cleanup easier, which I thought I’d share today.

First and more important than any tip is to remember not to be too hard on yourself if your digital life gets out of control now and then. Everybody gets busy and has unexpected and stressful things in their lives, and if the worst thing that happens is that your email inbox is overflowing, you’re doing pretty well.