Alright, so today I wanted to share a bit about this little practice I’ve been doing. I kind of informally named it my “Raquel Stroll.” Sounds a bit daft, maybe, but stick with me, there’s a method to my madness, or at least, a story behind it.
You know how life just… accumulates stuff? Not just physical things, but digital clutter too. That was my big problem. My computer was groaning under the weight of years of downloads, photos I never looked at, documents from projects long finished, and just general digital dust bunnies. It got to the point where finding anything was a proper treasure hunt, and not the fun kind. My desktop looked like a yard sale. It wasn’t one big event that made me snap; it was more like a slow, simmering frustration. The final straw, though, came one evening. I was hunting for a specific old photo, something I really needed. An hour later, elbows deep in folders within folders, I just about threw my mouse across the room. That was it. I told myself, “Okay, this needs sorting. But not in a mad rush. More like a… well, a stroll.” And the name “Raquel”? Honestly, it just popped into my head. Seemed calm, methodical, just what I needed.
So, the very next Saturday, I decided to embark on my first official “Raquel Stroll.” The key for me was not to try and conquer the whole mountain at once. We all know how that ends, right? Overwhelmed and giving up after ten minutes. Nope. I picked just one small area to start. My infamous “Downloads” folder. Oh, the horrors that lurked in there. Years of forgotten installers, random PDFs, images I didn’t even remember saving.
My process was pretty simple, really.
First, I’d just open the target folder and just… look. Scroll through it, get a feel for the chaos.
Then, I started making decisions.
- Stuff to keep.
- Stuff to delete (oh, the satisfaction!).
- Stuff that needed a proper home in a different folder.
I made new sub-folders if needed, gave things sensible names. It was slow going, I won’t lie. Sometimes I’d get sidetracked by an old file, like an old holiday picture that brought back memories, or a really embarrassing piece of writing from way back when. That was part of the “stroll” too, I guess, revisiting bits of the past. Some parts were tedious, like renaming a batch of vaguely named files. But I just kept at it, one step at a time, just like a leisurely walk.
After I tackled the Downloads, I moved on. My “Pictures” folder was next – that was a big one, emotionally too. Then “Documents.” I got into a rhythm. Every weekend, I’d set aside a couple of hours for my “Raquel Stroll.” Made myself a cup of tea, put on some chill background music, and just… strolled through my digital life, tidying as I went.
And you know what? It actually worked! My computer genuinely feels faster, or at least, less clogged. I can actually find things when I need them, which is a minor miracle. But more than just the practical benefit, it was surprisingly therapeutic. It felt like I was decluttering a bit of my mind at the same time. There’s a real sense of calm and accomplishment looking at those neatly organized folders now. It wasn’t about using some fancy, complicated system or app. It was just about being patient with myself and the process, taking that slow, deliberate “Raquel Stroll” through the digital mess I’d made.
So, that’s the story of my “Raquel Stroll.” Might sound a bit quirky, but it genuinely helped me get a handle on things. Sometimes, the slow and steady way is the best way to tackle a big mess, even a digital one. Give it a try if you’re feeling overwhelmed by your own clutter; you don’t even have to call it Raquel!
