Are you using technology to declutter your life?

Have you considered using technology to help organize and declutter your life? Here’s a look at a few tech tools and unique ways you can use technology to stem the tide of clutter and chaos in your daily routine.

Accumulating clutter is a natural tendency for most people who run busy lives. For some, the need to hold onto things for safekeeping can take up a lot of space in their home and office. Others may simply find their routines are so hectic that it’s hard to manage the growing piles of documents and items they accrue on an ongoing basis. When the clutter hits a crescendo, however, it’s time to consider taking a step back and finding ways to cut through the chaos and regain control.

Consolidate to-do lists.

A lot of people find that making daily to-do lists keeps them on track and helps them make steady progress towards their goals. Writing out to-do lists by hand is a tried-and-true way to stay on top of things, but it can quickly get out of control when the scraps of paper scatter and stack into convoluted piles choking their way across your workspace.

Digital “to-do apps” like Wunderlist and Todoist let you consolidate all of your important to-do lists in one place that’s easily accessible on your smartphone and online. Beyond tracking and organizing your tasks, many apps also have helpful bonus features, like reminder notifications and multi-user collaboration functions, that enhance your organization experience.

Sell unwanted items online.

Purging your home and office of unwanted or unneeded items is an important part of the decluttering process, but instead of throwing everything away, why not consider making a profit from the extra stuff you’re looking to get rid of?

Online marketplaces like eBay and Decluttr are an excellent avenue for listing your unwanted items for others to buy. While the process can be a bit slower than simply throwing things away or donating them, the extra income you can earn is a good incentive to give it a try! 

Scan and store documents.

The ever-growing stack of important documents that clogs up free space in our lives can be tricky to wrestle with. Photos, business-related receipts, paperwork and other physical documents have to be stored somewhere, but making digital copies can be a perfect solution that lets you stay better organized and ditch the space-consuming paperwork altogether.

You can use a wide range of tech to archive your photos, papers, and receipts. Using a scanner to create digital copies works well if you have one, though apps like Shoeboxed can turn your smartphone’s camera into an instant scanner, which makes digitizing your documents as simple as taking a quick pic.

Go digital with your entertainment.

From books and CDs to video games and DVDs, entertainment can take up a massive amount of space in your home. The digital revolution of the last decade, however, has made it easier than ever to make the switch over to digital entertainment across the board. With Netflix, Kindle, Steam, iTunes and other digital-based services that let you organize, download, or stream content anytime you want from anywhere, you can save TONS of space.