10 Ways to Simplify Your Digital Life for the New Year

Speaking from firsthand experience, clutter does not suit the life of a small NYC apartment dweller. A crowded kitchen, an overstuffed dresser and a “junk drawer” are too much for a semi-neat freak to handle. But, an overflowing inbox…that is another story. Something about your cyber life not being a material item in your path to cleanliness makes it seem, well, like it is not there at all.

But every time you open your inbox you are reminded that your online life is out of control. And then you get a bit queasy.

Unless you are one of the few people out there that is on the cyber-godliness list, you probably need some tips to manage your 3 email accounts, 10 social networking profiles and your ”when was the last time I synced you” external hard drive. These days our lives are more and more connected to the web, so cleaning it up is a must. Are we right?

Simplify your digital life, streamline your real life. Here are 10 ways to clear the computer clutter:

1. Clean Up Your Digital Environment

If you are in a digital dump, it will show in your work. Get rid of everything you don’t need or use. This means apps, files, programs, emails…the works. You will be more productive when the unused/old stuff is out of your way. Dedicate a few hours (or days) to cleaning up so you start from a fresh space. And don’t depend on external hard drives! This is just a separate space to store clutter and ultimately does more harm than good.

2. Challenge Yourself to Get your Inbox to Zero

It is not impossible. Once you get the general nonsense away from step 1 it will be much more manageable to see the big zero. Create a slew of relevant folders and get down to the nitty gritty of what is left. Little by little you will turn off the pesky alerts, unsubscribe from the copious amounts of newsletters you don’t read and have a process in hand of what to pull into the folders you created.

3. Schedule a Purging Routine

Once you get to zero, don’t look back 3 months down the road and have to start all over. Schedule a digital clean up like you would spring cleaning so you never have to do a huge dump again.

4. Set a Time to do Your Digital Chores

Your inbox isn’t your only digital stressor. Set aside an hour a week to take care of your digital chores like paying your bills, syncing your phone or emailing your friends back. We run the rest of our chore life by doing it all in one go. Your digital time is no different.

5. Use a Single Calendar

Having multiple calendars is just setting yourself up for disaster. Make a Google Docs calendar and share it with the people who need to track your every move. Eliminate the chance for double scheduling and still stay on track.

6. Pretend that Facebook Doesn’t Exist

We know it is hard, but the best advice we can give you to ensure you get your work done is stay off The Book. Focus on checking things off your to do list instead of consuming stories. If you have to set a timer to cut yourself off, do it. On that note, cancel your unused social sites. Did you sign up for LinkedIn because everyone else was, but you never really use it? Delete, delete, delete. Keeping unused social sites is a huge waste of mental space. Close the account. You won’t even miss it.

7. Clean Up Your Browser

Oh, how we love fun plug-ins, but before you know it those harmless add-ons have caused your toolbar to be in double layers. Make your web experience as minimalist as possible and delete those unnecessary plug-ins. Instant lightness.

8. Stop Going App Crazy

How many word games can one person have? Okay, maybe this is a rhetorical question, but remember that at its base your smart phone is used to make calls, not rule the world. Get rid of all of those unused apps that are supposed to simplify your life or entertain you when you are bored. It is just tech clutter and a clean looking phone is a clear mind.

9. Clean Up Your Contacts

Rid yourselves of your high school yearbook phone numbers. Let’s be real, most of those numbers are unused long lost friends, ex-relationships and old co-workers. Think of your contacts as you would your clothes. If you haven’t spoken with them in over a year, say buh-bye.

10. Disconnect from the Digital World

This is a MUST. Once a week take a few hours where you leave the digital world behind and focus on the people and the things that are in front of you. Don’t check your emails. Don’t even browse the internet. This will make a huge difference in your quality of life in just a short period of time. Try it.

What is your number one source of digital clutter? Do you have any tips to clean up your digital life?

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