Practice · 2 min read
Making room for maintenance
Keep a little time for the ordinary work that makes everything else easier.
Maintenance is rarely dramatic. It is the loose cable put away, the old draft labelled clearly, or the backup checked before it is needed.
A short list is enough
Choose a handful of things that matter: keep a copy of important files, remove things that are no longer used, and check that the things you rely on still do their jobs.
Make one change at a time. If something becomes less reliable, a clear record of the last change is usually more helpful than a long list of changes made together.
Finish with a check
After tidying a folder, open the files you expect to find. After making a backup, restore a small item. After changing a routine, use it once as a newcomer would.
The aim is not a perfect system. It is a dependable one, with enough room to notice when it needs attention.