Digital Decluttering Tips for the New Year

By now, your social media feed is likely overloaded with “New Year – New You” thoughts and ideas. Though some of the tips may be new and thoughtful, most may come across as stale and more of the same. The start of a new year is the perfect time to harness new ideas and cut through the noise on your screen.

While we’re busy going through our closets and drawers to find unwanted items to donate (a great idea!), we often neglect other areas where a good deal of our daily attention goes: our computer/device screens, online profiles and our inbox. The new year is the perfect time to undertake a Digital Declutter.

Here are seven areas to tackle during this new and productive month of 2019:

1. Computer Desktop, Digital Files and Photos

It’s the first thing you see when you power up for the workday. A few simple ideas for a more serene screen include corraling files into folders, deleting or archiving old files/downloads, emptying your trash bin and setting a new background. You probably have an enormous amount of photos saved to your camera, desktop or in a Dropbox. Look for specials at Snapfish or Shutterfly and follow through on your plans to print a few of your favorites. Develop a system for keeping images organized and modify as needed (and don’t forget to backup your favorite files).

2. Smart Phone

Two of the most impactful areas to tackle on your device are the home and lock screens. Don’t forget to take inventory of your apps, curtail your notifications and organize your notes and text messages. Alerts can be an unnecessary distraction – adjust settings as you see them pop up or pause for a full notifications audit.

3. Office or Home Inbox

Organize, archive, unsubscribe or delete to your heart’s content. Be honest about which e-newsletters you consistently read. What is adding value to your professional skill set and what is taking up space? If your office uses Gmail or a similar service, consider creating inbox rules to keep things efficient and tidy.

4. Contacts

Wherever you have contacts saved, dedicate a block of time to minimizing the long list of names. If you haven’t communicated in more than a year, you may consider deleting the contact from your list. It’s not hard to find someone with a quick Google search, especially when they work for a particular organization.

5. Social Media Friends

Take a hard look at some of your online connections. If you are worried they may be offended if you remove them from your list, think again. They probably won’t even notice unless it’s a close family member. If you find yourself consistently shrugging when you read a particular person’s post on the “same old thing,” take the plunge and delete. If it’s too harsh, simply hide them. Also, leave groups and unjoin communities you are no longer interested in following.

6. Bookmarks

You might have outdated bookmarks on your computer or Google account. It’s a quick fix – right click and delete. Setting a new default homepage for when you load your browser can be a great productivity booster (some ideas from Brit + Co).

7. Old or Outdated Software Programs

Free up space on your computer and devices by getting rid of apps and programs you no longer utilize. It may be time to migrate old files, especially if your team made the switch to Google Docs from Microsoft Word.

Work through the list above a little at a time or by tackling a tip a day. You’ll feel refreshed and ready to embrace what’s to come.

For more of Diane’s etiquette tips, read her posts on Inc., subscribe to her articles on Huff Post, “like” The Protocol School of Texas on Facebook, and follow her on Pinterest, Instagram and Twitter. Buy her new book, Modern Etiquette for a Better Life.