Organization extends beyond your desk and onto your desktop. You should only see what you want to see as clearly as possible, without distractions. Here are 5 more tips for how to have a pleasing workspace while getting the most out of your monitors.
1. Don’t put sticky notes on your monitor. Instead, put them on your desk or use onscreen digital ones like the Sticky Notes app or something similar.
2. Avoid overcrowding your desktop with shortcuts, programs, and files. I try to maintain only two columns, selecting only what I launch regularly, and group similar items into folders.
3. Use a microfiber cloth to clean the monitor when you see it needs dusting. Keep it nearby.
4. PC users, please connect your monitor cable to your graphics card output, not your motherboard for best visual results. (Check the specs of your graphics card and monitor, as well as what external ports are available when deciding on cables: DisplayPort vs HDMI vs USB-C).
5. You may want to have your monitor go to sleep after a certain amount of inactivity to save a little on your electric bill. How long does it take you to read one blog post or article? That’s a good reference point, since you wouldn’t want the screen to turn off while you’re reading. Mine is set to 10 minutes.
Photo Note: My Home Office in 2022 – Work Macbook on a stand connected to 1 monitor and personal PC connected to both monitors. Don’t worry: my setup became less cluttered afterwards as you’ll see in future posts.