Question From A Reader: Decluttering

PK asked me: Do you have any habits or processes for keeping your files and digital devices lean and uncluttered? Are there any practices you’d recommend to help keep my digital life simple and organized?

Absolutely. This question really deserves a full, in-depth write-up, and I may get around to doing that soon since it’s not the first time it’s come up. For now, though, here’s what I personally try to do once a quarter. Every three months I:

1. Delete apps I no longer use or I use rarely. If I need them again, I'll download them again.
2. Delete duplicate and unwanted photos. Across all devices.
3. Manage the files on the Downloads folder. Archive those I want to keep, delete the rest.
4. Uninstall unused browser extensions. I'm very careful when installing these to begin with, but if I have something installed, I make sure it's used, or it gets uninstalled.
5. Remove outdated browser bookmarks.
6. Cancel subscriptions I no longer use
7. Unsubscribe from unwanted emails.
8. Delete accounts I no longer use. Yes, these accumulate more often that you'd think.
9. Delete spam messages and inactive chats.
10. Exit online groups, lists, or group chats that are no longer of interest.

Additionally, I either disable notifications entirely or keep them turned off for any non-essential apps. On most of my devices, notifications are essentially nonexistent.

Also, don’t forget to either close your browser each day, clearing your browsing data and history so you can start fresh the next day, or at the very least close any unused tabs.