Ever open OneDrive and realize it looks a little like the junk drawer in your kitchen — the place where everything fits, but nothing belongs?

I’ve been there.
Most of us have.

Digital clutter sneaks up on you the same way real clutter does — quietly, in the middle of busy semesters, long days, and “I’ll deal with that later” moments. Before long, OneDrive becomes a mix of old drafts, mystery PDFs, screenshots you meant to delete, and folders you absolutely meant to organize… someday.

But here’s the encouraging part:
You don’t have to become “an organized person” to feel more at peace with your digital workspace. You just need a few small habits — gentle ones — that help the things you use rise to the surface, and the things you don’t slowly fade into the background.

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Three Small Habits That Make OneDrive Feel Lighter

1. Move finished files into an Archive folder.
Not everything needs to sit in front of you forever.
When you wrap up a project, drop it into an Archive folder — out of sight, but still safely stored for later. It keeps your day-to-day view focused on what you’re actually working on, not everything you’ve ever worked on.

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2. Give your files a home: Working, Reference, and Archive.
A simple structure goes a long way:

• Working — active projects
• Reference — things you need to keep handy
• Archive — everything that’s finished

It’s not rigid or complicated. It just gives your files a place to land so OneDrive feels less like a junk drawer and more like a workspace.

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3. Rename files with purpose.
A quick rename can save you a surprising amount of stress later. Adding a date, a short descriptor, or the word “FINAL” brings instant clarity. It doesn’t take any longer than a deep breath, but “Syllabus_2025_FINAL” is a whole lot easier to spot — and trust — than “Document (7).”

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You don’t have to overhaul your entire digital world to feel more in control of it. Small habits — the kind you can do in a minute or two — add up. They help your files feel less scattered, your workflow feel calmer, and your day feel just a little more manageable.

And the best part?
Future You will thank Present You every time something is exactly where you expect it to be.

What’s one small habit you use to keep your digital life from feeling overwhelming?

#AllSuttonedUp

On campus, so much of our work depends on access—lesson plans, research drafts, committee documents, presentations, student feedback. For many faculty and staff, the laptop becomes the place where all of that lives.

Which means the laptop becomes:

– a vault,
– a single point of failure,
– and sometimes a source of stress.

But it doesn’t have to be.

When our work lives in OneDrive (or Teams or SharePoint), something shifts:
✅ the device becomes a tool instead of a vault
✅ work is accessible anywhere
✅ updates stay in one place
✅ collaboration gets clearer
✅ a hardware problem doesn’t become a crisis

Cloud-first thinking isn’t really about storage—it’s about confidence.

It’s knowing that your work is safe, current, and available when and where you need it, so you can focus on teaching, research, and serving students.

Technology should support the work we do as a community, not hold it hostage to a single machine.

That’s a shift worth leaning into.

How might cloud-first thinking change the way you work?

#AllSuttonedUp

If you work in higher ed, you’ve probably seen it: five versions of the same syllabus or committee draft bouncing around email — each one labeled “final,” “final-final,” or “REALLY_final_this_time.”

It’s digital chaos, and it costs everyone time.

One of the easiest ways to clear that chaos is to replace file attachments with links.

Why links make academic life easier

1. There’s only one version to work on.

No more digging through email threads to figure out which copy has the real edits.

When you share a OneDrive or SharePoint link, everyone stays on the same page — literally.

2. You protect your storage space.

Attachments duplicate files over and over again.

Links don’t take up any extra space, and they keep your inbox from turning into an archive of outdated drafts.

3. It works anywhere your faculty work.

Mac, PC, iPad, office, home, conference travel — links open consistently and securely.

No downloads. No hunting. Just click and keep working.

The guideline I share around campus:

If a file is living, shared, or collaborative… don’t attach it. Link it.

It keeps your courses cleaner, your committees saner, and your digital life a whole lot smoother.

How does your department handle file sharing? I’d love to hear what’s working (or not) in your workflow.

And if you’d like help getting started with link-based sharing in OneDrive or Teams, I’m always glad to walk through it.

#AllSuttonedUp

Friday evening after work was the inaugural podcast of the Iowa State University P&S council. I was privileged to be invited and I’m grateful to hosts Paul Easker and Maggie Shonrock for the opportunity. We had a lot of fun.

I’ll a link when the podcast is posted.