Streamline Your Digital Workspace For Productivity And Security
77% of Americans admit they have a problem with digital clutter, and one-third of them feel stressed, anxious, or plain overwhelmed when managing their digital files. The problem’s easy to understand: with too many accounts and open tabs, it’s easy to get distracted, lose track of information, and feel constantly behind. This can be especially costly for entrepreneurs and busy professionals who can lose hours every day to chaotic digital workspaces instead of focusing on important tasks. On top of that, cluttered devices and outdated profiles also leave you vulnerable to expensive security risks. In fact, a single data breach now costs small businesses nearly $3 million. So what’s the solution? Start by streamlining your digital setup. Delete unused apps and organise your tabs and passwords. These simple tweaks can make a huge difference to your productivity and security alike.
This is a guest post by the wonderful Lucy Rose. Thank you, Lucy, for writing this for me.
Delete apps you don’t need
Entrepreneurs waste 1.5 hours every day on unproductive tasks, with one of the biggest time-wasters now being switching between multiple apps. To reclaim your time, go through your apps, and delete any you don’t use regularly. For the ones you do use, ask yourself if they really do make your workflow easier. If not, it’s likely time to delete them. Although apps can help you get more done, too many can pull your focus in different directions and slow your productivity. Also, check if you have any apps that do the same thing. You probably don’t need two different task managers or two apps for notes, for example. Keep the one that works best for you and delete the other. Just remember to backup or export any important data before you get rid of anything.
Digital clutter is a major problem for security as well. The more apps you use, the more accounts and logins you need to keep track of, which is where things can get messy. Reused or weak passwords, for example, can create opportunities for hackers to access your accounts and personal data. Although it helps to keep apps and logins to a minimum, you also need to take other steps to protect your cybersecurity. Interestingly, human error is now the biggest cybersecurity risk of all as people often reuse old passwords or click suspicious links without knowing any better. The good news is effective security awareness training can help you spot these threats and develop better cybersecurity habits. This in turn lowers the potential for security breaches.
Take control of your browser tabs
Most people are guilty of having a ton of tabs open at once. If this is you, you’re probably aware it slows down your computer and makes you less productive. In fact, a Carnegie study found that 25% of people had their browsers regularly crash because of excessive open tabs. All these tabs can also be a source of stress, as they’re a constant reminder of unfinished work. To solve this problem, close the tabs you don’t need, or save them to revisit later. Browser extensions like OneTab or Tab Manager Plus can help you stay organised here. You can group similar tabs together and colour-code them based on project or topic, which makes it easier to switch between tasks without losing your train of thought. Another trick is to work in full-screen mode. This allows you to concentrate on the task at hand without getting distracted by other things on your screen.
Save time with smart password management
Aside from being a security risk, badly managed passwords can hinder your productivity. If you constantly forget passwords or have to reset accounts, your focus breaks and tasks take longer to complete. A password manager is useful as it can generate and store strong passwords for you. According to the latest NIST guidelines, passwords should now be at least fifteen characters long, unless you’re also using a one-time code to log-in for extra security. In that case, eight characters is the minimum. To make life easier, you can also enable autofill on your most commonly used accounts. This way, you can log in quickly without having to remember or type your passwords.
Don’t let digital clutter ruin your productivity or security. If you take steps to streamline your apps and take control of your tabs and passwords, you can reduce unnecessary stress and get more work done in less time.