Tech Resolutions For the New Year

As the year wraps up, many of us are taking time to reflect on the last twelve months, and set some resolutions for 2018. Some of those resolutions can be focused on tidying up your digital life. They may be easier to accomplish than going to the gym three days a week. Here are some ideas to get you started.

Clear Out Old Devices

Gather any old devices lying around the house and figure out what has to go. List them on eBay, set some aside to donate to charity or bring the rest to a recycling center that takes old electronics. Not only will it feel good to clean up the mess, but you’ll also make room for new tech.

Change Your Passwords

Do you know the most commonly used password? The culprit is “123456,” with “123456789” coming in second place. If you have those passwords, you’ve given hackers a free ride to stealing your personal data.

If your passwords aren’t quite that bad, security experts still recommend that you create lengthy passwords that include some combination of upper- and lower-case letters, numbers, and special characters. Consider using a password manager like LastPass or 1Password to keep you on track throughout the year.

Declutter Photos and Other Files

Photos take up a ton of space on devices. Try moving them from your phone and computer to an external drive or cloud solution. Narrow down your photos to an album of your favorite moments from 2017, and then offload the rest into digital storage.

While you’re at it, do a sweep of your computer folders and email accounts and clear out the clutter. If you’re struggling under the weight of hundreds of unread emails, pledge to set aside some time each week to go through them. Organize old digital files and make sure they have identifiable names, so they’re always easy to find.

Back Up Everything

For many, backing up files is something that tends to slip between the cracks. And the longer you go without a backup, the more overwhelming it can seem to make one. Explore your options: consider external hard drives or cloud backups, and set your phone to automatically backup. Your future peace of mind will be worth the trouble now.

What are your resolutions—tech or otherwise—for 2018?

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