Digital Cleanse Day 30:
Take Off the Invisibility Cloak
The invisibility cloak is one of my favorite parts of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Unfortunately, an invisibility cloak won’t serve you well in a digital cleanse. To truly take control of your data and have technology work for you, you’ve got to be able to see at a glance what’s available to you.
If you’ve applied the advice in the digital cleanse you have a single email archive, only the apps you need, an organized photo library and one cloud to store it all on. The last step is to make sure its all visible. Don’t bury your access points in folders within folders. Make them as close to top level as possible. Similarly, unpack your apps so you can see them on your desktop, home screen or dock.
Your technology should be equally accessible. Don’t tuck it all away in a drawer or box. Have it out where you can get at it. What are you using on a regular basis? Think about your dedicated devices and how you use them. I embrace the idea of giving each item a specific home. If I’m not using my iPad, it’s on my nightstand when I’m at home or in my purse when I’m out and about. I always know where to find it.
I suggest you start an “old technology” box as you rediscover gadgets and gizmos around your home or office. I was amazed at what I found. It was a technological archeological dig. I uncovered:
- My trusty PalmPilot Treo, my last Palm mobile before I switched to iPhone.
- A BlueAnt bluetooth speaker
- A four-port USB 2.0 hub
- A Veo SD Camera
- Two Light Wedge book lights
- A Digital Tag namebadge
- A LiveAction Mic
- Two magnetic mobile phone camera lenses
- A Cinemin Swivel projector bought on impulse at the Las Vegas airport
- And a couple dozen miscellaneous cables that might be useful one day
Some items, I’ll use again. Most will be sold or given away. A side benefit of the digital cleanse was a little office decluttering.
What you can’t see is easily forgotten. So take off the invisibility cloak and live your digital life.
That’s a wrap on the 30 day #digitalcleanse. For links to the complete Digital Cleanse series, click here.Join me at Social Media Camp where I’ll be debuting my Digital Cleanse presentation. Hope to see you then!