What is a digital declutter?
If you took all of your digital bubble, physical and on-line, and turned it into paper, CDs or printer photographs how much space would it take up?
Honestly?
The digital revolution has given us some amazing devices and ways to store information in small easy to access boxes, but it has a hidden side effect. It means we are blissfully unaware of exactly how much we have...
How many photos do you actually have?
How many files of old out of date information are tucked away on that hard-drive?
How many emails do you have stored away in multiple accounts?
Our own personal bubbles are getting more and more filled with digital information from phones, to laptops, to cameras, to televisions and now even our fridges. It can be hard to keep up with the deluge of data that we have to deal with daily. We are amassing a large amount of both on-line and off, so much so it is understandable that is can quickly become overwhelming.
But how about if we break it down into 4 easy to manage areas, that we can focus at one at a time
1. Digital devices and data
Those old tablets, phones, laptops, USB drives, memory cards, folders of photos etc., it is easy to keep them tucked away but like a clear out of your wardrobe, it is really useful to declutter your digital data, and can unearth some beautiful surprises of long-forgotten memories along the way
2. Digital footprint
It is so easy to register to any number of accounts online, it makes it hard to keep track of our digital footprint. From online banking to email accounts, from social media to shopping accounts, we all have multiple lives online, and it can be difficult to keep a handle on it all. But an audit of what we have and making good choices in the future can keep clutter to a minimum
3. Digital legacy
Anyone with a presence on-line is leaving a trail of their digital lives behind them. Are you fully aware of what that is? Is it what you want to be known about you, not only as we move on from this world, but as you move from your school life to your university life, into the world of work and beyond into your social life. It is important to keep a handle on what image of you is out there and keep it under control with a regular review
4. Digital estate planning
We are all very much aware of the importance of writing a will, but what about keeping your digital estate in order. With so much going digital are all the important areas of your life accessible by your nearest and dearest, do they know where they are, how to access them? What about social media, what are the options there?
Over the coming weeks will explore these areas in detail and help you live a full digital life....