In a studio apartment, with its tiny closets and even tinier kitchen cabinets, it's essential to be disciplined about clearing clutter. But online? Where your Gmail inbox has seemingly endless storage space and you can hide your hoarding "in the cloud"? It's easy to amass an insurmountable pile of digital junk.
Just like the—ahem... collectors on A&E's Hoarders, you'll need to start small if you want to tackle your mountain of digitial trappings.
Here are 10 small tasks you can start today, tomorrow or on a lazy weekend morning that will help you clean up your online and digital life.
1. Pare Down to 2 Email Accounts
One work and one home email address, that's all you need. If you're still hanging on to your university account or an inbox from an old job, take the steps now to get rid of them for good. Move over important contact information and forward any useful emails to your main address. When you're sure you've gotten all you need, close the accounts for good.
2. Uninstall Unused Software from your Computer
Don't need OpenOffice freeware now that you splurged on the Microsoft Suite? Get rid of it. Make an uninstaller program the last software you use before trimming your software fat for good.
3. Purge your Mobile Device App Library
While you're cleaning out software from your laptop, make sure your mobile devices get the same love. Go through your smartphone or tablet to finally clear out those games, shortcuts and "productivity boosters" you never, ever use anymore.
4. Delete Old Documents.
Open up your computer's documents folder and sort everything by "date modified." If you haven't touched that spreadsheet in over a year, it's time to purge it from your machine. Save the stuff you think you might need onto an external hard drive designated for an unorganized "dump" (it's just an emergency backup, no need to get lost in a 3-day folder sorting spree), and permanently delete the rest.
5. Clear Your Computer Desktop
How many icons are on your desktop right now? If you can't finish counting them on two hands, it's time to sift through 'em. Move often-used programs to your taskbar or dock, and sort all your documents within a single folder. Soon you'll find a clean desktop can be as calming as a clean kitchen.
6. Cancel Accounts on Unused Social Sites
You check Facebook every day, right? But how often do you travel over to LinkedIn? Keeping profiles open on social sites you never visit can be a security risk, not to mention a big waste of mental space. If it's the type of site where you need a password reminder each time you visit, do yourself a favor and click the "close account" button.
7. Change Your Notification Settings
Now that you're only subscribed to sites you visit often, you don't need notifications to alert you of a new photo tag or direct message. Change your alert settings to the bare minimum and you'll be clearing out your email or text message inbox at the same time. You might actually be more productive at work, too, without Facebook popping up on your phone's screen every two seconds.
8. Clean Up Your Browser
Browser plug-ins are the donut holes of the online world; they're easy and harmless to add on one-by-one, but before you know it, you've tacked on some serious weight to your toolbar. Clean up your web browser of choice by deleting all but the necessary plug-ins, toolbars and add-ons. Make your web experience as minimalist as possible.
9. Unsubscribe from Unneeded Email Lists
Subscribing to a store's email list for the free 20 percent off coupon you get for joining is smart shopping. But staying subscribed to a list when you don't even open the emails before deleting them is stupid. Make this week your purge week and click "unsubscribe" at the bottom of each email as it comes in.
10. Clean Up Your Contacts
Using Siri on the iPhone 4S has brought to light a big problem: When we say "ring Sarah," Siri has to weed through about 12 people to figure out who we want to call. It's time we rid ourselves of unused contacts from old coworkers, long lost friends and ex-relationships—anyone you haven't spoken with in over a year is fair game.
(Images: Taryn Fiol)
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Great info!!!!! It's amazing that our New Year's resolutions have expanded from cleaning out our closets to cleaning out our phones, iPads, computers, etc. gotta love technology!!!!!
I've been trying very hard to de-clutter my inbox this past year. Now I only save emails with contact information, travel plans, e-bills, or other similar information. I do not need to save the email from my sister asking about paint colours.
I disagree with item 1 (only having a work account and a personal account).
I have several email address, each for a different purpose. One for personal friends, one for banking and bills, one for shopping, one for all those websites that require you to set up an account (like AT), etc... (I also have an address for each of my websites as well.)
I find it imperative to keep my personal emails separate from my other emails, and all the semi-spammy-advert emails (Gap or CB2 anyone?) all go to a single place where it is easy to quickly review and delete. With my iPhone (or any smart phone you may have) it is easy to keep track of all of the accounts individually or view then all together in a general inbox.
Also, I no longer sort and move emails into folders. I find that it is just easier to leave them in my inbox, and use the search feature to find what I need.
I agree with @Devyn to a degree. Having five email addresses is a little extreme, but you need at least one for spam.
I agree with @Devyn. Of my personal accounts, there is my main one, which is for my online username, then one which is Real Full Name at gmail, one for spam, and one for semi-official things which uses a different handle than my goofing-on-the-internet id but not my actual full legal name. I also have an old yahoo of my username, which mostly collates spam and maybe could be purged now, but that's neither here nor there. I find it very important to keep separate ones for my private internet use (hi, AT) and my two distinct careers.
That said, they all aggregate to my main account so I don't miss things, because I certainly don't keep track of that many web-based accounts the long way!
These are some really great tips! I am definitely going to have to bookmark this article and use it as a checklist to clean up my digital life! It should definitely go into this Organization Resolutions list. Because digital life can get just as cluttered and overwhelming as living spaces!
Some handy tips here, but I'm with @Devyn and @Quarterlifestyle re: number of email accounts. I have one main account for most of my personal commercial/online activities, one that's for close family/friends, one each for my website and a side-line of business (that aggregate to my main account), two accounts for work (I have no say in that!), and a never used .me account that Apple seems to think I need. These all are used for different reasons and I like that they are separate. Aggregating the feeds makes it easier to stay on top of things.
Excellent tips. I actually think just 2 email accounts should be enough, but then having one for spam you sign up for for whatever reason isn't such a bad idea. But only if you're attached to the spam..?
I've been unsubscribing ruthlessly from newsletters, announcements, store sales, etc. And, ironically, unsubscribed from AT's daily email eons ago. One word: bacn
Close the Facebook.
An alternative perspective on Clean Up Your Contacts: anyone you haven't spoken with in over a year: call them now: it's been too long
In regards to the comments stating the need for multiple email accounts - if time is taken to research what some email servers can do, only one is needed. Gmail has the capability of sorting email for you and you can utilitze variations of your email address for different things. For example, gmail doesn't recognize "." within the name. Therefore I can tell someone my addresses is "abc.123" or "abc123" and they both come to me. But if I set up a filter for this, they go to two places within the same account. It gets more detailed but suffice to say that I do actually agree with using a junk account and a main account plus work account. I just don't think we need more than that.
I agree with having two emails accounts, gmail has a good spam filter and you want your bill info going to the email you check everyday. I also agree with downsizing your contacts, especially on your phone.
But DON'T delete your linkedin accout. It's 2012, every professional should have a LinkedIn profile. Also unless you have total job security (no one does) you may be job hunting one day and you don't want to have to start from scratch.
Also you should try to consolidate your passwords, one you would never share with anyone for your main email, one for all things money that you can share with a spouse(bank accounts, credit cards, 401k, Mint, etc). and one for everything else.
Also create a google doc with all your usernames and login info...frequent flyer numbers, etc. Very helpfull for things you only log into once or twice a year.
I'd also add an email account for any club or society that you're an 'officer' of.
I'm currently on the board of my HOA and it's great to have a separate email address for it rather than it all going to my personal one.
In regards to the multiple email boxes, I consolidate three on my iPhone.
Two gmail and one from solar gardens since it is one of my jobs.
I have addresses that point to my.name@gmail, but there isn't a real box behind them that I'm aware of.
I have the throwaway address, which was my account prior to the world of google.
I pop there once a month and mass delete.