I’ve spent a lot of time making my physical desk fit my work. I flip through new office supply catalogs with anticipation. That doesn’t mean my office isn’t a mess at the end of the semester, but I usually have a number of tools to get it in order. On the other hand, my Windows desktop is–well, out of control. Whenever I’m in a hurry, I fall into the habit of saving almost all files to my desktop for quick uploading or email. This week, I set out to excavate it out from under a mass of rarely-used icons and half-remembered files and found myself faced with the ongoing challenges of virtual organization. Here are a few steps that helped me along the way.

• Treat your desktop like your closet. The finite nature of physical space makes it easier to let things go. When cleaning out a closet, for instance, the standards are easy: does something fit? Do you need it? Will you ever use it…

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