{"id":123005,"date":"2022-09-29T09:39:05","date_gmt":"2022-09-29T15:39:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bemorewithless.com\/?p=123005"},"modified":"2022-09-29T09:39:05","modified_gmt":"2022-09-29T15:39:05","slug":"declutter-digital-photos","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bemorewithless.com\/declutter-digital-photos\/","title":{"rendered":"Declutter Digital Photos With This Monthly Routine"},"content":{"rendered":"

I’m going to tell how how to declutter digital photos but first I’ll tell you why it’s so important.<\/p>\n

Please enjoy this guest post from Photo & Home Organizer Paige Shockley.<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

I\u2019m all about the memories. I want to easily enjoy my past memories<\/a>, spend time making memories right now and I want to make space for future fun. After years of fine tuning my own photo decluttering systems, I started working with other people to help them streamline<\/a> their own homes, photos and lives. I have tried many different photo decluttering systems and when it comes down to it, you don\u2019t need an elaborate or complicated process. With some intentional thought<\/a> and behavior, you can use a simple system to manage and declutter digital<\/a> photos.<\/p>\n

\"How<\/p>\n

My PICS Method will help you declutter<\/a> digital photos and create a monthly maintenance plan so you can keep your photo collection clutter-free.<\/p>\n

Before You Declutter Digital Photos, Consider This …<\/h2>\n

Take a minute to get clear about photos. Why are you taking and keeping photos? Having a vision in your head of what you want from your photo collection makes it easier to determine what stays and what goes. Keep this in mind while looking through your photos. Ask yourself this question: Does this photo (or series of photos) help tell the story I want to tell about my life and family?<\/p>\n

Next, let\u2019s do some quick math. What do you think is an appropriate number of photos to keep for an average month? There is no right or wrong answer to this question. If you keep 100 photos each month, that\u2019s 1200 photos a year. In 10 years, it adds up to 12,000 photos. In 20, that number grows to 24,000. If you plan to have 50 more years of photos, that\u2019s 60,000 photos. It\u2019s your personal choice as to how you want to spend your time later on. Do you want to have room for new memories or do you want to be figuring out how to declutter digital photos (again)? Before you start, think about this question. How many photos do I want to manage at a later point in my life or turn over to my family someday? In my experience, people I work with who have a smaller photo collection<\/a> feel calmer and less overwhelmed.<\/p>\n

PICS: a maintenance plan to help you create digital simplicity<\/h2>\n

The key to getting your photos under control is to plan for regular maintenance. With the sheer volume of digital photos people have in their camera roll these days, this has to be done. Think of it like an oil change for your car or a preventative doctor\u2019s visit. The typical camera roll includes photos of people and lots of other things, too. We all have screenshots of items we\u2019re thinking of buying, books we want to read, quotes we love, the list goes on. Our camera rolls have become a hodgepodge of what\u2019s going on in our lives and not all of it should have the honor of moving into our family photo collection.<\/p>\n

Choose a time to declutter digital photos and do regular photo maintenance. The start of a new month is my cue to find some time to tidy up my own camera roll. I like to use waiting time for this; waiting for my kids in the car, at the doctor\u2019s office or elsewhere. Using my PICS method, work your way through the past 30ish days of photos and memories and you will feel lighter when you\u2019re done and ready to make new memories in the new month.<\/p>\n

1. PREPARE<\/strong>\u00a0yourself by using these questions to help guide the process.<\/p>\n