It is easy to remember to do some spring cleaning to our home, office, and even our cars. But what about doing some spring cleaning to your digital life too? Just because the clutter is not as visible doesn’t mean it’s not there. Here are some tips for doing some spring cleaning to your digital life.
Digital Spring Cleaning Tips
Remove Unused Apps
If you are an app junkie or even just a typical Smart Phone or tablet user, you may find that your device is full of apps that you don’t really use. Now is a great time to delete your unused apps and/or organize them so that you can find them more easily. One app that you should invest in is a good Password Manager that will create and/or store you passwords and logins in a safe spot.
Recycle your Old Electronics
If you have old cell phones, monitors, computers, or other electronics in your home or office, look into recycling them by donating them or trading them in when you buy new. Some options for recycling your electronics include Gazelle or Best Buy.
Organize your Inbox
If your email is unmanageable, set up some folders and/or filters to organize it as it comes in. You may also find it necessary to Unsubscribe from some email communications that you don’t read. To make things easier on yourself, make sure that you can access your email from all your electronic devices (phone, tablet, computers).
Spruce Up your Social Media
Now is a good time to review the basics on your social media sites to make sure your presence is clean and polished. Take a look at your profile images, about/descriptions, and review your overall content. Privacy settings and notifications are also something that people think they can “set it and forget it” but in reality you want to periodically ensure it is right for your changing needs. Here are more tips on Social Media Spring Cleaning.
Streamline your Notes
Evernote is a great tool for keeping lots of different pieces of media organized in one location. From text to screenshots, lists, photos, and PDF’s – Evernote is awesome for having all those important details with you wherever you area. Google Drive and Dropbox are also great for sharing documents and files without having to email them back and forth.
Be BackUp Ready
When you have an extensive digital life, you need to make sure you are prepared for the worst by backing up on a regular basis. As a Mac user, I love the convenience of automatic iCloud backups on my iPhone and iPad. I also use an external drive and Time Machine to make sure the photos and data on my laptops are saved somewhere else besides their internal hard drives. Safeguards such as Find my Phone will be appreciated if the day comes that you ever need them – but make sure you have your devices set up! Other products will have similar options – just find out what they are before hindsight kicks in.
Do you feel like your digital life is organized? I hope you found a tip or two here that will help you feel less stressed, more efficient, or just prepared.
