#digital declutter

hey lovelies! ✨

confession time: i used to be a chronic pinterest scroller with absolutely nothing to show for my hours spent in the app. i'd save hundreds of pins to boards with vague names like "aesthetic" and "vibes," never to look at them again. sound familiar? but over the past year, i've completely transformed how i use pinterest from mindless consumption to an intentional tool that actually enhances my life. here's exactly how i made the shift!

⋆.ೃ࿔:･ the pinterest mindset shift ･:࿔ೃ.⋆

the game-changer for me was realizing that pinterest isn't just for collecting pretty pictures, it's a visual search engine and planning tool. now i approach it with purpose:

i ask myself "why am i opening this app right now?" before i even click the icon or enter it into the search bar

i set specific time limits for browsing (15-30 minutes max)

i focus on quality over quantity with my pins

i treat my boards as action plans, not just digital hoarding spaces

i regularly revisit and implement ideas from my boards

this shift transformed pinterest from a time-waster to one of my most valuable tools for planning, creativity, and personal growth.

⋆.ೃ࿔:･ my board organization system ･:࿔ೃ.⋆

the foundation of intentional pinterest use is thoughtful organization! here's my current system:

𝘮𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘨𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴: i group my boards into categories using board covers in the same color palette (lifestyle, home, fashion, etc.)

𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨: instead of vague names, i use specific titles like "meals for busy weeknights" or "bedroom refresh ideas 2025"

𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯 𝘣𝘰𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘴: i break down larger boards into sections (my "morning routine" board has sections for drinks, movement, journaling, etc.)

𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘷𝘴. 𝘱𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘤: i keep boards private when they're in planning stages, then make them public once they're curated

𝘴𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨: i archive boards that aren't currently relevant (like christmas decor in july) to reduce visual clutter

⋆.ೃ࿔:･ my favorite intentional board types ･:࿔ೃ.⋆

here are the board categories that have added genuine value to my life:

𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵-𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘤 𝘣𝘰𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘴: whenever i start a new project (room redecoration, event planning, etc.), i create a dedicated board with sections for different aspects

𝘴𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘣𝘰𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘴: i create a fresh board each season with sections for recipes, activities, outfits, and decor i want to incorporate

𝘤𝘢𝘱𝘴𝘶𝘭𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘳𝘰𝘣𝘦 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨: i pin actual items i own alongside new pieces i'm considering to visualize combinations

𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘭 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘺𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘮: i maintain boards for different meal categories and actually reference them when making grocery lists

𝘨𝘪𝘧𝘵 𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘴: i have a board for each important person in my life where i pin potential gifts year-round

𝘨𝘰𝘢𝘭 𝘷𝘪𝘴𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘻𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯: i create boards for specific goals with both inspiration and actionable steps

⋆.ೃ࿔:･ my pinterest workflow ･:࿔ೃ.⋆

this is my personal step-by-step process for intentional pinning:

𝘴𝘦𝘵 𝘢 𝘤𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘱𝘶𝘳𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘦: i decide what specific question i'm trying to answer or problem i'm trying to solve

𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘢 𝘴𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘩 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘨𝘺: i use specific search terms rather than browsing the home feed (which is designed for endless scrolling)

𝘤𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘭𝘺: i only save pins that: • provide clear value or inspiration • lead to actual content (not dead links) • represent ideas i genuinely might implement

𝘢𝘥𝘥 𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘴: i write specific notes on pins about why i saved them or how i plan to use the idea

𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨: after a pinning session, i schedule time to actually try one of the ideas

⋆.ೃ࿔:･ from virtual to reality ･:࿔ೃ.⋆

the most important part of intentional pinterest use is implementation! here's how i ensure my pins actually translate to real life:

𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘬𝘭𝘺 𝘱𝘪𝘯 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸: every sunday, i spend 10 minutes reviewing recent pins and selecting 1-3 to implement that week

𝘱𝘪𝘯-𝘵𝘰-𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘳: i keep a simple journal noting which pins i've actually implemented

𝘱𝘩𝘰𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘰𝘤𝘶𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯: i take photos of my real-life versions of pinterest inspiration

𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘤𝘬𝘴: i regularly ask "do i have the time/budget/skills for this?" before saving aspirational pins

𝘴𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘤𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘵: i remove pins that no longer feel aligned with my taste or goals

⋆.ೃ࿔:･ advanced pinterest strategies ･:࿔ೃ.⋆

once you've mastered the basics, these strategies take intentional pinning to the next level! i hope you all enjoy them!:

𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘱 𝘣𝘰𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘴: i create collaborative boards with friends for shared projects or trips

𝘱𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨: for complex projects, i create flow charts showing how different pins connect to each other

𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘢 𝘦𝘷𝘰𝘭𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘣𝘰𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘴: i document my own progress by pinning "before" and "after" images of my projects

𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘳: i use pinterest to plan content themes for my blog and social media (i of course also use pinterest for images for my blog)

𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴: i create sequential boards that build skills in a particular area

⋆.ೃ࿔:･ final thoughts ･:࿔ೃ.⋆

pinterest is whatever you make of it, it can be a mindless scroll hole or one of the most powerful tools for intentional living and creativity. the difference lies entirely in how you approach it.

i still enjoy the occasional aimless browsing session (we all need that sometimes!), but transforming most of my pinterest time into purposeful searching and planning has genuinely enhanced my life. my spaces are more cohesve, my wardrobe more intentional, and my creative projects more focused, all because i stopped treating pinterest like social media and started using it like the powerful visual tool it truly is.

how do you use pinterest? are you a careful curator or a joyful browser? feel free to drop your thoughts in the notes!

xoxo, mindy 🤍

12/100 days of productivity!

I've got to remind myself to not lose hope...however difficult that might be :)

Log:16/12/24

#review_7

#get LCA Material

#read 30_1st thing in the morning

#CEEMDAN _mechanics

an all-inclusive guide for the chaotically digital girlies with a million screenshots and even more tabs open because "i will use this at some point"

1. quick clean (desktop)

start with a clean slate. drag everything on there into a folder called "sort later." we all know that you're going to spend hours looking through them and not actually cleaning, so starting off with a mostly blank desktop is the way to go. we can organize meticulously later.

delete those random duplicate files. you said you would get to them later. you didn't.

empty the recycle bin. i think that's self-explanatory.

2. a bit more thorough clean (finder/file explorer and browsing tabs)

screenshot purge. if you don't remember why you screenshotted it, delete it.

labeled folders are your friend. move important screenshots into labeled folders. move those downloads into labeled folders. put your cat photos in an imaginatively labeled folder: “cat."

close those random tabs. if you haven't looked at the opened tab in 2+ weeks, it's a good sign that you won't need it later either.

control-shift-D. if you're really that afraid to lose "potentially good stuff," just cntrl/cmd-shift-D. this creates a bookmark folder made of all your wonderful once-opened tabs. now, you can have peace of mind when closing the browser for good.

3. very thorough clean (notes app, downloads)

delete those untitled/randomly-made notes. a homework assignment you scanned a month ago? goodbye. grocery lists? gone.

delete those apps. if you haven't opened it in a while, it's probably just using up your phone/laptop storage.

clear the cookies (the website ones.)

go through the sort later folder. now's the best time, y'know?

restart your phone/laptop. since when was the last time you did that?

they say the spaces around you represent your state of mind, so how are our digital spaces any different?

I hope you can spend some time this week cleaning up your phone or laptop. I'm sure future you will thank you for it.

Then digital documents became all the rage. We were sold on the idea that going digital would save so many trees. Maybe it even did for a time. All the banks and government agencies and what-nots convinced us to sign up to receive digital copies instead of paper ones. Maybe some of them didn't even give us a choice. I didn't mind. I was on board. Keeping paper copies was cumbersome, took up physical space. 3-hole punching everything was tedious. Keeping paper in filing cabinets was so old-fashioned.

But I'm so over it!

Digital documents still take up space. Not physical space but space on my phone, in my email Inbox, on my external hard drive, in the "cloud". In my head! 🧠

Digital documents create digital clutter, except unlike physical clutter you don't see it. You're only aware of it when you get the dreaded "you have run out of space" message. I don't know about you but this state of constantly fighting to maintain a couple of gB of space gives me chronic low-level anxiety. That can't be good for my health.

And they said that digital documents would be searchable. They're not. They lied.

Plus, Idk, I'm just better with paper documents that I can physically handle and look at. I find it easier to look at and understand and do whatever mental work I am trying to do with the information on multiple sheets of physical paper, as opposed to trying to look at multiple windows of documents open on my computer screen. I'm not sure how to explain it but maybe you understand. It's the clicking and scrolling back and forth and losing the spot you're trying to look at that does my head in. Spreading the documents out on the kitchen table armed with a pen, highlighter and sticky tabs is so much easier for me 📑

Clear desktop

Delete apps you don’t use

Delete downloads/screenshots

Organise everything into folders

Give every document a clear name

Delete your emails (!!!)

Unsubscribe from email lists

Check and install updates

Turn off any social media notifications you don’t need

Organise your pictures into folders

Do the same with apps

Go through your Facebook friends list/people you follow on Instagram

Unfollow anything that makes you feel insecure

Clear browser history and bookmarks

ʚ♡ɞ 𝕯𝖎𝖌𝖎𝖙𝖆𝖑 𝕰𝖝𝖔𝖗𝖈𝖎𝖘𝖒 𝖙𝖔 𝕰𝖒𝖇𝖔𝖉𝖞 𝖞𝖔𝖚𝖗 𝕭𝖊𝖘𝖙 𝕾𝖊𝖑𝖋 ʚ♡ɞ

I decided to make a series of posts dedicated to mental dieting, even if you're not really into manifestation/law of assumption and you're just into your journey to become your best self.

We spend so much of our time on our phones, tablets or computers that it has become our way of life. Most of the daily content we consume and most of the people we interact with every day come from the internet. We basically consume content like we consume food every day.

We talk about digital detoxing and digital decluttering constantly, but sometimes we have to become extreme to live our best life. We have to be mindful about the content we consume since like I mentioned earlier, we consume it like food and if we can be mindful about the food we consume to nourish our body then we can do the same to nourish our minds and hearts. So basically a digital exorcism is what we need to hold ourselves accountable, including myself.

In fact, I am guilty of this and as soon as I'm done with my own post I'll start doing my own digital exorcism as well to be mindful of my own mental diet since I've been neglecting it for the longest time.

∘•···············•∘ʚ ♡ ɞ∘•················•∘

Here is a list of things to do to start your own digital exorcism with things I've come up with and some ideas I've compiled over the months from reading around:

back from the dead🌨️

Merry Christmas :)!🎄

Drove around aimlessly on the night of the 23rd and somehow ended up in a small snow storm, I guess that’s what happens if you drive up a hill🏔️But I got down safely despite the road being icy and having very little gas left in my car. The adventure was worth it though, I had a lovely time singing and driving (and facing my fear of driving at night lol)

Today I finally decluttered my phone and iPad (new wallpaper, deleted stuff etc.), it brought me long sought peace. Felt like something was missing before that…Now onto watching Home Alone 2📼 and then continuing my book. I got 5 new ones for Christmas and even though I do not have enough space to store them I am more than happy about my gifts :D!

I hope the holidays treat you well!

In today’s fast-paced world, staying organized and stress-free can feel like an impossible task. But with the right strategies, tools, and mindset, you can transform chaos into calm and create a life that feels manageable and fulfilling. Whether you’re juggling work, family, or personal goals, these tips will help you stay on top of your game. Let’s dive into the best ways to keep your life organized and stress-free!