Digital Organization: Real Systems That Actually Work
- Jen Martin
- 1 day ago
- 5 min read
When people think about organization, they usually picture closets, kitchens, or pantries. But for many of us, the most overwhelming clutter lives on our phones, computers, and inboxes. Digital organization can feel intimidating because it’s invisible. Until it’s not. Suddenly you can’t find a photo, your inbox feels suffocating, and/or your phone is buzzing nonstop.
The good news is, you don’t need to be “good with tech” or start from scratch to organize your digital life. You just need simple systems you can maintain. In this blog post, I’ll walk you step-by-step through how to get your digital life under control with systems that will actually work.
How to Organize Your Digital Life
1. Start With Photos
I’ll be honest: photo organization is the bane of my existence. I’m not an expert, but I have found a few systems that make it manageable (and that’s the goal). Just don’t overthink it!
A Simple Album System
I rely heavily on albums with consistent naming. For example:
Vacation - Cabin 2025
Vacation - Hawaii 2023
For work projects, I use the same labeling structure every time so I can easily filter by project type.
You don’t need dozens of albums, just clear, predictable names you’ll actually remember and be able to search for when you need to find something.
Use Face Recognition
Face recognition is amazing. Once it’s set up, it becomes one of the fastest ways to find and organize photos of specific people, especially kids. I like creating albums of favorites for each kid each year on their birthday.
Try a “One-Year Photo Declutter” Project
This is one of my favorite ideas, each day you:
Look at photos taken on that same date in previous years
Relive the memories
Delete duplicates, blurry shots, or photos you no longer need
It’s nostalgic and effective, and far less overwhelming than trying to do everything at once.
2. Phone Organization: Create a Peaceful Home Screen
Everyone organizes their phone differently, but this system has worked incredibly well for me.
Design Your Phone’s Home Screen With Intention
My main home screen is meant to feel calm and reflective of my priorities, not cluttered.
I use widgets that take up most of the space:
A daily scripture
Rotating photos of my kids
The weather
Then I keep only the apps I use constantly:
Maps
Google Calendar
Camera
Oura Ring
Notes
Todoist
Gratitude Plus (my favorite gratitude journal app)
One Folder for Communication
Instead of notifications everywhere, I keep all communication apps in one folder:
Voxer
Marco Polo
Google Chat
GroupMe
Telegram
FaceTime
This alone has significantly reduced feeling overwhelmed by communication coming from all different places in my phone.
Second Screen = Categorized Apps
My second screen holds everything else, grouped by category:
Entertainment
Work apps
Work dashboards
Health
Finance
Stores
Restaurants
School
Kids
Travel
Church
Photos
Passwords
Utilities
Some apps get their own spot because I use them often:
ChatGPT
Clock
Voice Memos
Settings
Paprika (more on that below)
Every quarter, I spend a few minutes doing a quick audit of the apps I have in all of my folders. If apps start creeping onto a third screen, it’s time for a reset. Once a quarter, I delete anything I’m not actually using.
This next tip isn’t technically organization but it changes everything. Be ruthless with your notifications. A few boundaries I have set up with my phone are: I allow very few apps to show notification badges, I don’t allow banner notifications on my home screen, and my phone stays on Do Not Disturb most of the time. Try it. I promise you won’t miss nearly as much as you think.
3. Google Drive: Keep It Simple and Searchable
Consistency matters more than perfection. Here are a few best practices:
Create top-level folders like:
Personal
Family
Work
Finances
Inside each folder, use clear, boring names (future-you will thank you)
Stick to one naming format (dates, project names, versions)
4. Email Organization: Inbox Zero Is Possible
Inbox Zero doesn’t mean deleting everything, it means nothing is undecided. Here are a few simple ways I have an empty inbox at the end of every day.
I love using the labels feature in Gmail. If I’ve read an email and don’t need to act on it, but may want it later, it gets labeled.
Some of my labels include:
Recipes
Fitness Tips
Purchases / Receipts
Vacation Plans
Invitations
Work-specific categories
The star is a function. A starred email means action is required. Starred emails automatically go to the top of my inbox. When I have blocked out time to respond to emails, I only look at starred messages.
The rules I live by as I tackle a very full inbox is to first select and delete any emails I know I don’t need. I do not select any emails that I wish to unsubscribe to. I try to be pretty ruthless and consistent in carving out the few extra seconds it takes to unsubscribe from anything that has creeped into my inbox that I don’t want. I do not leave emails unread.
Every time I check my email, one of these five outcomes occurs:
Trash
Unsubscribe
Read
Star
Label
It takes discipline, but it works.
5. Computer & Downloads: Don’t Create a Digital Junk Drawer
Your desktop and downloads folder should not be a dumping ground.
Create folders for:
Documents
Photos
Work
Personal
Empty your downloads folder regularly
Organize your browser bookmarks the same way you would a drawer: by category
6. Other Tools That Keep My Digital Life Organized
Google Calendar
I manage multiple calendars:
Personal work calendar
Company wide project calendar
Birthday calendar (auto-populates every year)
Family calendar (each child has a color)
Custody calendar shared with my ex
A yoga calendar that auto-fills my favorite classes
Every week, I review the family calendar with my kids so nothing slips through the cracks and I plan the classes I want to attend and delete the ones I won’t be able to make it to. I have found it is easier to delete classes, then cross reference a yoga schedule each week.
Notes App
I love the flexibility of my iPhone Notes app and how easy it is to share lists. Here are a few lists I always have running on my phone:
Goals
Daily, weekly, and monthly habits
Packing lists
Gift ideas for every family member (year-round)
Vacation notes and lessons learned
Books, movies, and podcasts I want to check out
Todoist
I’ve tried every task app imaginable, and Todoist wins for simplicity.
I use Todoist for:
Personal tasks
Family to-dos
Home projects
Business operations
Team collaboration
Everything lives in one trusted place.
Password Management
I use a password manager so my brain doesn’t have to. It’s non-negotiable. My favorite is Lastpass.
Paprika: My Favorite Recipe App
Even though I cook far less than I used to, I still love using Paprika. It organizes recipes beautifully, keeps the screen on while cooking, and lets you rate recipes so you remember what’s worth making again.
Digital organization doesn’t need to happen all at once. As you have read through this blog, ask which area of your digital life could use the most help and which one sounds the most doable. Start with the easiest project first and then move on to the bigger ones. Whether it is your photos, phone home screen, email inbox, or calendar, I know that small systems, consistently used will help you create massive mental clarity.
And just like with physical organization, the goal isn’t perfection. The goal is to curate an atmosphere of ease, peace, and confidence in yourself and your home because you know you can find what you need when you need it.
Jen is the founder of Reset Your Nest, a Professional Home Organizing Business in Utah (servicing Salt Lake City, Park City, Ogden, Alpine, Highland, Mapleton, and St. George). She loves creating order and systems out of chaos and is known for bringing a beautiful aesthetic as well as easy to maintain function to any space. She shares her tips and tricks on Instagram @reset_your_nest.
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