When was the last time you cleaned up your digital life? It’s not fun, but just a few minutes of physical and digital decluttering can work wonders. It boosts productivity, clears mental clutter and leaves you feeling like you’ve done something great. Ready? Let’s do this!
Quick fix: Look through your apps and delete any you’re not using anymore. If it’s been months, you’re not going to use it. While you’re at it, move apps you want to spend less time using from your phone’s home screen.
On iPhone: Swipe left to get past all your app screens and open the App Library. To delete an app, touch and hold the app’s icon > Delete App, then tap Delete to confirm.
On Android: Open the Google Play Store app, and tap your profile icon. Tap Manage apps & devices > Manage. Select the name of the app you want to delete, then tap Uninstall.
If you have more time: Tackle your photo collection or contacts. Do whichever is the messiest or most aggravating. Neither task is particularly pleasant, but you’ll feel enough satisfaction when you’re done to make up for that. Put in a good podcast (ahem, mine!) and get it done.
Bonus points: Sanitize your phone. You take it to the bathroom with you. Enough said.
Quick fix: Dust! Too much junk in all those vents and ports can reduce your TV’s life, so give it a good wipe-down. Clean the back with your vacuum’s brush attachment or an air blower (on sale!). Be prepared to vacuum or sweep up all the dust after you’re done.
Bonus points: Clean the screen. Dust with a microfiber rag first, then very lightly buff away fingerprints. I take the easy route with TV wipes, but a rag with electronics cleaner works, too. It’s easy to use too much pressure standing directly in front of the TV cleaning, so go from the side for a lighter touch.
If you have more time: I once signed up for a free trial of an add-on channel to watch a movie I couldn’t find anywhere else. You can guess what happened. I never watched the movie, but I did pay for six months of Sundance. Time to take inventory of your streaming apps. I use the Rocket Money app* to do it for me.
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In life, few rewards come without risk. Take your dream job, for instance. If you want to land that position you’ve been dreaming about, you’ll need to make a great first impression.
When you’re applying for jobs, that all comes down to your resume. Every little detail makes a big difference. For example, a small mistake could take you out of the running for a job you’re qualified for.
🍎 From my inbox: “I’d like to know, for real, whether you and your team recommend a Mac or Windows laptop for the average everyday American.” My answer is Mac! (They’re not paying me to say that.) MacBooks are so easy to use and inherently more locked down security-wise than Windows PCs. This model is great for most folks. This option is more powerful if you need more oomph; it’s the one I use.
We may earn a commission from purchases, but our recommendations are always objective.
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