Beyond the Clutter!

My brain is a very well organized place. The information, my thoughts, behaviors and emotions are all well structured in defined areas. And whenever I want any information, I can access it with ease, by firing the right neurons. I can find the organization through the clutter.

My laptop, drawers and desk, not so. Over time, I have collected a lot of clutter. Pages with scribbled notes, screenshots on the laptop, downloaded files and multiple excel sheets, pictures I have taken and work in progress files. How do I get through this clutter? Somehow, I know which folder has which file. And if I forget, using a Mac has its benefits - I simply press Command+Space and through the spotlight search get to the file I need. If you don't believe me, my desktop has a folder called 'Misc' and within which I have Sort Later folders, numbered from 1 to 16 (the latest one I created last week).

Let's detox our cluttered academic brain. That's what the poet does. People call it daydreaming, detoxing our minds and taking care of that clutter. It's being able to let in call letters from the poetry universe. Juan Felipe Herrera, an American Poet

This clutter has also started to reflect in my personal and professional life. Over the years, I have donned multiple hats and given every task, role and responsibility my 100% to achieve the desired (and sometimes even better) results. I have grown through and with the clutter. And even though I am super comfortable with clutter, it's time to look 'Beyond the Clutter'. Simplicity. Clarity. Structure.

I want to explore that if I could grow so well through the clutter, how driven my growth will be if I can grow through the clutter.

To start looking beyond the clutter, I am not going to set unrealistic expectations and deadlines. I will take three simple steps and take it from there.

1. Clean my Laptop: The first step to 'Clean the Clutter' is to organize every single file on my computer. Currently, I have 48,684 files (pdf, docx, ppt, jpeg) and I know it's an arduous task but I am going to achieve it. Will keep you posted on the progress I make.
2. Organize my Surroundings (Desk, Study, Home): This is going to be a tough one but will help me be more efficient. The mantra to be followed here is that whatever I have not used in a while, needs to go to the trash. Less is more.
3. Inbox: And that's the final frontier. I hate unread emails but I have 50+ of them. I am going to find support in technology - use planners, to do lists, tools... anything to make my inbox clutter free.

How do you 'clean the clutter'? Are you already organized? Share your experience.