We’re back for the second day of the Get Organized! Digital Declutter Challenge. Today we begin in earnest to start bringing some order to your digital clutter. The goal today is to label all of the cords in your home and office that are used to charge any electronic device you are currently using. Cords often look alike, so it is very helpful to put a label on each one to remind you:
- Which device it charges
- To whom the device belongs
For example:
A label can be made with a labelmaker, but if you don’t have one, you can write with a Sharpie on masking or washi tape and fold the tape over the cord. Another option is to buy labels like these.
Be sure to label the cords for:
- Laptop/Desktop
- Tablet
- Nook/Kindle/e-reader
- Notebook
- Phone
- Wearable (e.g. Fitbit)
- Handheld Game
- Gaming System
- Camera
- Toys
- Portable Battery
- Electronic Picture Frame
For now, don’t worry about old cords that you don’t use. Instead, focus on labeling everything that is currently in use by any member of the household, including any new devices that have arrived over the holidays. Going forward, label the cord for every new device you acquire.
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This is a small task with a huge productivity payoff. How many cords did you need to label?
I so need to do this and thank you for the reminder here, Seana!! 😉
Janine Huldie recently posted…Confessions Top 10 Books of 2016
I bet you have quite a few devices, and also label the girls toys. You are so organized, though, that you probably know exactly which cord belongs where! Happy “back to it” day!
We do this and to go a step further, do this with your TV cords as well, easy to know where they go if you have to move them.
Jill Robson recently posted…Merry Christmas & Happy New Year
TV – great idea, Jill. Anything that attaches one object to another. These get confused so quickly.
This is the organizing tip that single handedly saved my sanity as my three children entered their teens and the cords seemed to multiply every single night.
Susan recently posted…Day 3 Purging Tips – Plastic Containers and Lids
I’m right there with you on the teenager issue. Now I find clients with little ones are having this struggle as so many have electronic gaming devices and toys that need to be charged. It is just a good habit for everyone to make this an automatic part of acquiring and using any electronic device!
I really hate having labels sticking out from cords. I wonder if you could use different colored markers to indicate what chargers were for what, e.g. blue for the iPhone, red for the tablet, etc. Unfortunately, you’d have to put a mark on both the device and the cord to keep track of it all, and if you own a lot of gadgets, it might be hard finding good markers in enough colors to do it.
Janet Barclay recently posted…Innovative Ways to Stay Relevant in the Market
I think it comes down to personal preference. If you only need to keep track of your own items, a piece of washi tape on both the device and cord would work. This could be wrapped around so it doesn’t stick out, and the tape comes in so many patterns and colors that you could make a different “label” for each!
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