Author: anwaryusef

Anwar Y. Dunbar is a Regulatory Scientist. Being a naturally curious person, he is also a student of all things. He earned his Ph.D. in Pharmacology from the University of Michigan and his Bachelor’s Degree in General Biology from Johnson C. Smith University (JCSU). Prior to starting the Big Words Blog Site, Anwar published and contributed to numerous research articles in competitive scientific journals reporting on his research from graduate school and postdoctoral years. After falling in love with writing, he contributed to the now defunct Examiner.com, and the Edvocate where he regularly wrote about: Education-related stories/topics, Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), Financial Literacy; as well as conducted interviews with notable individuals such as actor and author Hill Harper. Having many influences, one of his most notable heroes is author, intellectual and speaker, Malcolm Gladwell, author of books including Outliers and David and Goliath. Anwar has his hands in many, many activities. In addition to writing, Anwar actively mentors youth, works to spread awareness of STEM careers, serves on the Board of Directors of the Friends of the David M. Brown Arlington Planetarium, serves as Treasurer for the JCSU Washington, DC Alumni Chapter, and is active in the Dave Ramsey Financial Peace Ministry at the Alfred Street Baptist Church. He also tutors in the subjects of biology, chemistry and physics. Along with his multi-talented older brother Amahl Dunbar (designer of the Big Words logos, inventor and a plethora of other things), Anwar is a “Fanboy” and really enjoys Science-Fiction and Superhero movies including but not restricted to Captain America Civil War, Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice, and Prometheus. He is a proud native of Buffalo, NY.

Boost Your Career In 2021 Using These 4 Skills

Two focuses of my blog are Career Discussions and General Education. There were a lot of changes in 2021, some of which changed whole industries and sectors. With this changes, it’s important for each individual to consider how to optimize their skill sets. The following contributed post is entitled, Boost Your Career In 2021 Using These 4 Skills.

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Due to the coronavirus, many things have changed including the way we work and learn. Thanks to technology, this has become even easier. As the world rapidly responds to these changes, you certainly cannot be left behind especially as an employee. Are you interested in gaining some new skills in time for 2021? Here are a few you definitely need to master:

1. Communication and presentation skills
Communication may seem like such a basic thing, but your ability to communicate effectively and present your thoughts in an organized manner could set you apart from the crowd. For instance, try learning a new language, especially as the world is now a global village. Doing this will not only present you with new opportunities but may also give you the chance to meet new people and learn about different cultures. Do you need to communicate with someone but have to deal with the language barrier? A voice translator app such as Vocre is a very helpful tool that enables you to hold meaningful conversations with others who speak a different language.

2. Digital and social media skills
In a technologically-driven era, having some digital and social media skills comes in very handy, and you don’t need to wait to be a sales and marketing person to learn. Whether you’re running a start-up, working for a company or have a school project, developing your digital skills could prove very beneficial to you and those around you. There are several short courses online you can try your hands on to improve these skills. Who knows, you could even start a blog or a new venture as a result.

3. Collaborative skills
The coronavirus pandemic has made remote working more common, but that doesn’t mean the human element is no longer important. Thanks to apps such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams and Skype, collaborating in groups is still possible and you need to adapt. This also tests your flexibility, ability to negotiate, manage your time and work towards a common goal. As a plus, it also enhances your cross-functional learning as it pushes you out of your comfort zone to learn more about others and smart ways to work. To flourish in a virtual environment, you certainly need this.

4. Creative skills
Before you limit this aspect to just musicians and artists, you need to be aware that everyone needs to be in touch with their creativity. Are you able to think on your feet or think outside the box? Then you’re already on the way to being creative. This skill has become even more crucial as you need a strong competitive advantage in an increasingly saturated working force. In being creative, don’t be afraid to explore and be yourself, as your unique characteristics can contribute strongly to your creativity. In developing your creative skills, also take some time to relax and allow your imagination to run freely, as this also helps to get your creative juices flowing.

These skills will not only develop you personally but help prepare you for a successful career as well.

What Is The Future Of Education?

Two focuses of my blog are General Education and Technology. The year of 2020 forced technology to the forefront in terms of education. In all likelihood, this trend is going to continue. The following sponsored post is entitled, What Is The Future Of Education?

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Advancements in technology and science are rapidly increasing. The speed at which these advancements are being made means that it may be difficult for the workforce to keep up. Compounded by this is the fact that there is a wealth of information at our fingertips. Knowledge and skills are becoming much more accessible at an unforeseen scale. What does all this mean for the future of education? There is no doubt that the internet and technology are changing the scope of education, and understanding what that means for yourself and society as a whole plays a critical role in how you think about curating a positive and progressive future.

The Inclusion of Technology

As with most industries in present day society, education and technology have already started integrating. This conversation has become especially pertinent after the coronavirus pandemic quarantined millions of students around the world. The inclusion of technology is critical for education, and building an infrastructure that maintains quality education at home is no easy task. Students and educators are becoming more aware of the pitfalls of educating online. Armed with this knowledge, now is the perfect time to integrate educational design projects that can ease the transition back to school and provide valuable feedback on the ways in which technology for educational purposes and the infrastructure used to maintain it, can be improved.

A Shift In Teaching Styles

As more people study education, it becomes glaringly obvious that the way people learn can vary widely. Understanding and catering towards different learning styles has been the focus of educators for years. As technology improves and becomes more deeply integrated into our daily lives, there is a chance that much wider variability between education and learning styles can be catered to. Structuring classrooms in a way that students work at their own pace and with educational materials that focus on variable skills is becoming more and more accessible, and will likely shift the way information is dispersed and learned.

Enhancing Your Photographs And Making The Most Of The Skills You Have

Two focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. Now more than ever, it’s important to make the most of the skills that you already have. This is particularly true if you have skills in the realm of photography, a particularly lucrative area. The following contributed post is entitled, Enhancing Your Photographs And Making The Most Of The Skills You Have.

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Whether you enjoy taking pictures of your family and friends, use photographs and imagery as part of your business or blog, or have a general interest in photography, any one of us are always looking for ways we can improve. A picture is a very personal thing, it’s more to do with the visionary of the person actually taking the photograph, and many of us could be photographing the same thing and end up with completely different finished articles. That is what is so fantastic and diverse about the photography and creative element side of things. However, there are always things and steps we can take to improve the skills we already have. With that in mind, here are some of the fantastic ways you can enhance your photographs.

Image source – pixabay – cco license

Consider the equipment you use

The equipment you use has a lot to do with the quality of pictures you produce. Although these days you can produce some amazing photographs on a smartphone, you can never deny the quality of the detail you can produce on a DSLR or the latest compact digital camera. There are other factors to consider that include SD cards and discs to help save your work. You should also consider things like Secure Media Duplication Services to help you duplicate cards and keep your work safe. You might also want to try a tripod and additional light boxes to help enhance the picture you are trying to take. A light box could help add some more light to the area, and a tripod can help stabilise your hands while you are taking the photo.

Try out a location shoot

Sometimes taking the person or item you want to photograph to an alternative location can really enhance the picture you are trying to take. You may want the perfect rustic backdrop or a perfectly styled home. This could really help you out. A location can add to the picture story. For example, if you are wanting to give the example of a lifestyle, then a styled area to take the photograph could only help to get the message across.

Take time when editing pictures

The editing of your pictures is vital to creating the finished look. So you need to take the time to ensure that you are editing the pictures. Think about the contrast of the image, the amount of light and colour saturation you want to add. You may want to crop the image to make it more focused or ensure that the background isn’t the main focus. Many basic editing software can do all of the above, and the difference it could make to your photographs is massive.

When it comes to your business or blog consider a theme

You may want to consider a theme for the pictures you publish especially for a blog or for a business. This might help to be consistent with your editing. So if you like the look of a picture that has too much contrast because of the pale colour scheme it can produce, then stick with it throughout the published pictures. More business and blogs are considering a theme now as it gives consistency.

Let’s hope these tips and tricks help you to enhance your photographs.

Methods For Creating High-Impact Teams That Don’t Alienate Their Methods

Two focuses of my blog are Organizational/Management and Workplace Discussions. No matter what sector you’re in, a key to creating a high-impact teams is doing so in ways that don’t hurt the team members and ultimately alienating them. The following contributed post is entitled, Methods For Creating High-Impact Teams That Don’t Alienate Their Methods.

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When you’re part of a world-beating team, you remember the experience for life. There’s nothing quite like it. Things just get done and you wonder why it doesn’t happen in every organisation.

But what makes great teams happen? It’s a bit of a mystery.

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In many cases, high-impact teams happen by chance. They just emerge spontaneously when the people and conditions are right. Other times, they occur because senior management put the right incentives in place and hire the correct people for the job.

In many cases, high-impact teams are path-dependent. Small perturbations in the initial conditions carry through, and everything just seems to work from that point onwards.

Creating high-impact teams isn’t an exact science. It isn’t something you can just guarantee. But you can increase the likelihood that your team will cohere by following some best practices. Here’s how to create a high-impact team without alienating any of the members.

Inspire People, Don’t Drive Them

Inspiration is a far more potent force than driving people to excellence. It’s more relaxing too. As a leader, you want to avoid cracking the whip. Instead, you need to find ways to motivate people intrinsically. Ideally, you want them to work hard because they love the job itself.

You see this kind of attitude among employees at most top-tier organizations. The people working there don’t need bossy or authoritarian managers. They’re just happy to get on with the work for the sake of it. It’s motivating in and of itself because it is something that they believe in.

Deploy Sales Training

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Our educational system doesn’t teach people many important life skills, including the ability to sell. Colleges seem to ignore the fact that we live in a market economy where selling is important. Most people only find out that they need to sell once they leave.

Great teams need people with sales training. These colleagues understand how to communicate the needs of the team to management and customers. Their actions are what make the output of the team valuable. They’re an essential link in the chain.

Think about when you last worked in a high-performance team. There’s a good chance that there was at least one person who could communicate the value of the team to senior management or the public. Without that kind of communicator, the team can’t easily justify itself and, therefore, struggles to find direction.

Get People To Trust You

Trust can be a big issue in teams if colleagues believe that you have ulterior motives. The best way to build trust is to lay out everyone’s incentives on the table and not to hide anything. If you’re trying to create a great team because you want a bonus or promotion, say it. If you’re trying to get a group of people together to create an award-winning product to ensure the survival of the business, don’t keep it a secret. Remember, members of your organization are often far more socially aware than you expect. If they smell a rat, it’ll adversely affect their work.

Let Me Entertain You: How To Create The Perfect Gaming and Home Entertainment Room

A key focus of my blog is Home and Living Discussions. Some people argue that the most important parts of a home are the kitchen and the bathroom. Another key room though is the entertainment room which is where many people spend the most time. The following contributed post is entitled, Let Me Entertain You: How To Create The Perfect Gaming and Home Entertainment Room.

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This year, we have all been encouraged to stay at home as much as possible. This means opportunities for going out to the cinema, bars, clubs, arcades and casinos have been limited.

However, staying at home does not mean that you have to be bored. If you have a room to spare room, you can create a room at home to fulfill all of your entertainment needs. Here, we look at how to plan the perfect gaming and home entertainment room.

Image via Pexels CC0

Invest in some comfortable furniture

The first thing you need to do is make sure you have some decent furniture in your home entertainment and gaming room. If you are planning on chilling out on an evening with a movie, or having your friends around for an all – night gaming and pizza session, the last thing you want is saggy old couches or rickety old dining chairs. No – treat it like an extension of your living room and invest in comfortable seating. You do not have to buy brand new – check out facebook marketplace and eBay for bargains, and consider adding things like beanbags, which are cheaper and comfortable alternatives.

Set up a snack station

When you are engrossed in a film or a game, the last thing you want to be doing is traipisng around the house searching for snacks and drinks to sustain you. Set up a snack station or a bar in your gaming and home entertainment room. It could be a mini fridge with a few cans of soda and beers or a full blown bar with optics. Make sure you stock up on easy to grab snacks – popcorn, chips and nuts are always a good option.

Choose a range of games

Make your gaming and home entertainment room the envy of everyone by making sure that you have a wide range of games and activities in place. Of course, the first thing you need is a decent sized TV with a sound bar and/or speakers to really throw the sound. Make sure you have your favorite game consoles and a range of games to play on it. Add in a pool table if you have the room and check out arcade machines for sale.

Think about the lighting

Lighting can be a tricky one in a gaming and home entertainment room. You do not want bright overhead lights shining in your face but at the same time, it needs to be light and bright enough to see what you are doing, especially if you want to reduce the risk of straining your eyes. Opt of wall lights rather than ceiling lights, lots of lamps and fun lighting options such as LED rope lighting. Think about your favorite gaming and entertainment center or bar; how do they use lighting?

Soundproof your space

Game and home entertainment rooms can get very noisy, so make sure that you have adequate soundproofing to avoid annoying the rest of the house or your neighbors. Put down carpets or rugs to absorb as much sound as possible and look at professional sound proofing options if necessary.

Easy Ways To Boost Morale In Your Business

Three focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money, Business/Entrepreneurship and Organizational/Management Discussions. To ensure the continued operation of your business, you want to maintain and, in some instances, boost your staff’s morale. Strong morale in most instances will correlate with strong productivity. The following contributed post is entitled, Easy Ways To Boost Morale In Your Business.

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Your employees should be the heart of your business. Without their hard work, you can’t succeed. It’s important that your staff know you value them if you’re going to keep morale high in your company. Low morale leads to employees ae less engaged, less productive, and more likely to leave for another job. One of the best things that you can do for your businesses pay attention to the morale in your company and improve it.

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Offer Perks

A simple way to improve the way that your team feels about your company is to offer good perks for working for you. A benefits package is always attractive, and a good one can improve employee retention.

Offer something that is actually useful, such as a salary exchange scheme for a bike or electronics, vouchers for childcare, or small business health insurance.

You could also less formal perks, such as rewards at the end of a tough project, like a team lunch or after-work drinks.

Communicate

You won’t be able to keep your team happy if you don’t talk to them. An easy way to improve morale is to communicate better. Make sure you’re checking in with your employees all the time. Ask them how they’re feeling, and about the energy in their team. Discuss any challenges that they might be facing and how you can help them. Do this through regular one-to-ones, or in informal chats. Communicating will let you keep an eye on what is working and what isn’t, allowing you to spot and take on any problems before they can grow.

You also need to communicate with your employees about any upcoming changes in your business. Make sure you do this well in advance, so people can feel as though they are being kept up to date and don’t feel as though you’re springing changes on them with no warning.

Remember that your employees are people and should be treated like that. Make them feel that their opinions matter and will be listened to, and involve them in conversations that affect them.

Get Feedback

If your business is struggling to make sales, then don’t struggle with trying to come up with a solution on your own. Instead, remember that you hired your team for their expertise, and ask for feedback.

By taking this route you may discover a new way to make improvements. As an added bonus, this lets them know that their input is valuable to you.

Make Firm Business Decisions

As the owner of a business, you can’t sit on the fence. You have to be decisive. Whatever issues come up, you need to take the time to weigh up the pros and cons, and then make a decision. When you’ve made a choice, stand by it. If something then goes wrong, be honest, learn from the mistake, and move on.

Your employees need to know that they can trust their leaders to guide them in the right direction. It’s far more productive to have a post-mortem on why something didn’t work out than to fail to do anything in the first place.

What You Need To Know About Settlement Agreements

Two focuses of my blog are Organizational and Management Discussions and Workplace Discussions. Unfortunately in some instances there are issues that need to be worked out in workplaces. At the end of these disputes, there needs to be some form of resolution and this comes in the form of Settlement Agreements. The following contributed post is entitled, What You Need To Know About Settlement Agreements.

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Being called in to have a discussion about your employment can be a shock, or it can be a relief if you’ve suspected something is up. A settlement agreement might be raised with you during a disciplinary matter, a redundancy, or if you have a made a formal complaint. There are lots of reasons that your employer might open discussions with you. Here’s what you need to know about settlement agreements.

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Settlement agreement is the new name for compromise agreement

Settle agreements used to be known as compromise agreements. This name was changed to better reflect what the agreement actually is. A settlement agreement is a way for employees to agree not to bring an employment law claim in return something, usually financial compensation, from the employer. Employers might prefer to use settlement agreements as a security measure to protect their reputation.

They’re not just for dismissals

A settlement agreement doesn’t mean that your employment has to come to an end. Maybe you have raised a grievance about your employment that your employer agrees is valid, but wants to keep confidential. Your employer might want to change the terms of your employment in a way that could be a breach of contract. They may offer compensation under a settlement agreement to do this.

There’s more flexibility than a tribunal decision

Whether the discussions are a surprise or you expected them, there are advantages to negotiating a settlement agreement which you might not be able to achieve through a process server or an employment tribunal claim. For example, as part of a settlement agreement, you might get a reference from your employer which a tribunal couldn’t order.

Legal advice is essential

If your settlement agreement is going to be valid, you must take independent legal advice from a relevant independent adviser. This could be a barrister, solicitor, trade union office or worker in an advice centre if they have certified by a trade union. The adviser must have insurance covering any claim that comes from the advice they give. Your employer might offer to pay for this legal advice, so the requirements of a valid settlement agreement can be met.

Claims you don’t know about can’t be covered

Your employer might ask you to sign a settlement agreement ‘in full and final settlement’. However, if there is a claim that could not have been known about at this time, an exclusion like this isn’t like to be successful.

Discussions will be confidential

If the settlement is being talked about in the context of ongoing employment tribal proceedings, or there is a dispute between parties, any negotiations will be ‘without prejudice’, and may not be referred to before the tribunal. Discussions that are not in the connect of proceedings or a dispute between the parties, then these discussions didn’t used to be confidentially automatically. However, these discussions are now allowed to be kept confidential for unfair dismissal claims, even if there are no existing proceedings or disputes between you and your employer.

Eco-friendly Home Construction Ideas

Two focuses of my blog are Home and Living Discussions and Home and Property Discussions. There was once a time when construction didn’t take environment into consideration. In 2020, being eco-friendly is now an important consideration. The following contributed post is entitled, Eco-friendly Home Construction Ideas.

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Are you building a new property or upgrading an existing one to be more in-line with modern eco culture and practices. If you are there’s a lot to think about. What materials will you use for construction, and how will you heat your home? Are you interested in building a home for the future? If so you will need the best steel foundations and SIPs paneling. An eco-home is definitely the future so make sure you build it with the future in mind.

Choose Your Location Carefully

When building your home or commercial property you need to consider its location carefully for the best eco-results. A south-facing home is far better than a west-facing one. It captures more of the sunlight throughout the day and gives you better energy efficiency. You will also want to build in an area that is not prone to earthquakes or floods, and that has excellent public transport links. Choosing the right locations can make all the difference to the success of your eco home and modern eco-lifestyle.

Consider the Size

In general, a smaller home is more eco friendly than a larger one. It might have less floor space but it’s easier to heat and cool is more cost-effective, and easier to manage in general. Think about it, how much does it cost to heat and maintain a large property where many of the rooms aren’t used. It’s better to build a smaller place and upgrade as needed. If your family or relative wants to stay, for instance, you can build an extension and optimize the property as necessary.

Building Materials

The materials you use to construct your eco-home with are all important. The materials after all will be responsible for temperature control and resistance to environmental pressures. SIPs panels are a favorite for modern eco-construction. They are easy to put together and create an air-tight highly insulated home. Choosing the best steel products for your eco home is also advantageous since you want to build the most effective time-tested foundations. Beta steel products are excellent for this type of construction and can be conveniently delivered anywhere.

Get the Insulation Right

It’s widely held that heating and cooling a home accounts for 50% of energy inefficiency in the home. Energy is lost through windows, doors, roofs, and leaks. These inefficiencies cost you money on your annual energy bills and increase your carbon footprints. If you’re constructing a new home ensure you use the latest insulation technology. For those upgrading their homes, there are also insulation solutions. Double or triple glazed windows are effective, heavy curtains and draft excluders also work well.

Energy Efficiency

The future is all about efficiency, and there’s a lot you can do to ensure your home is as green as possible. If you’re constructing a home from scratch consider all your options for heating. Install solar panels on the roof and consider newer options like geothermal heating. Although expensive at first, these technologies will save you significant sums of money over rather long term and reduce your carbon output. Inside, ensure all your appliances operate with an Energy Star rating. This is a modern energy standard for appliances that will ensure your home is optimal.

The Key Approaches to Setting Solid Business Rules

Two focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. There’s so much more to having a business than having a good concept/idea and making money. There are also some important rules that can help your operations along. The following contributed post is entitled, The Key Approaches to Setting Solid Business Rules.

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The notion of setting rules in business is such a simple one, but an essential component of realizing two different goals. Firstly, it’s to help any industry make faster decisions, but also to make better decisions, which results in a better bottom line. Many businesses believe that setting rules are straightforward, that you have just got to go for the big guns, such as improving security measures, but there is so much more to it than that. Whatever the experience you’ve got over the years, you’ve got to make sure that the whole idea behind setting rules is a solid approach. So with this in mind what are some of the key characteristics you need to incorporate?

A Developmental Approach
Whether it’s about code enforcement to guarantee that individuals follow certain ethical and practical standards or about incorporating a more streamlined approach, having a developmental approach with the right application is essential. So it could consist of incorporating rules that embody the business plan or the domain knowledge that is best maintained by certain business people, or it could require multiple levels of reasoning. In addition to this, there could be a wide variety of roles that change frequently. When you start to incorporate these aspects, you are burrowing under the surface of your business approach.

Developing a Sound Methodology
This is when you will be able to follow an approach that delivers a rational process, as well as one that delivers the results. Regardless of the methodology, you decide to incorporate the key components that will involve documentation and developing these rules in addition to discovering new ones and maintaining them. In total, these will all highlight your incremental success.

Writing Effective Rules That Maintain a High Standard
When we write effective rules, we need to use two important components. They have to be concise, but they also have to be atomic. Ensuring that your business rules are concise means that you only mention concepts that are absolutely essential. The atomic approach to business rules means the concepts adopted by the rule are as streamlined and simplistic as possible. This makes the rules easier to follow, but it also guarantees that there is little room for misinterpretation.

Ensuring It Is in Line With the Business Rules
When business rules are written they aren’t just used, but they need to be done in conjunction with the business to guarantee that the rules are not going to have “structural issues.” Once each component is verified, the business rules can be validated and edited to ensure that they do work. The one way to do this is to provide consistent and continuous monitoring of these rules. When you start to focus on this, you are embedding a necessity for change and development as part of the company’s overall culture. You can do this by incorporating operational analytics steps, but you can also make sure that your employees begin to question rules. Rules are in many ways meant to be bent and broken. But at the same time, you need to make sure that it is in line with a business plan. Setting it in stone is one thing but making sure the stone is carved on a regular basis is just as essential.

How To Refresh Your Technology For 2021

A key focus of my blog is Technology. No matter what kind of operation you’re running, you’re going to want to make sure you’re on top of your technology in 2021. The following contributed post is entitled, How To Refresh Your Technology For 2021.

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Photo by Josh Sorenson from Pexels

Technology has done a lot to improve our lives. Its many benefits include better healthcare, improved access to information, and the ability to start a side hustle from home. Sometimes, however, you can end up in a state of “technology overload”. If this sounds familiar, then perhaps it’s time to give your technology a New Year’s refresh.

Streamline your storage

If you have files scattered across all kinds of storage media, then corral them together in two places. That’s one main offline storage location and one online storage location. These will be backups for each other. Then set up two other storage locations (one offline and one online) for your fresh files.

As you go through 2021, make a point of keeping your new storage organized. Whenever you can, go into your old storage and clean it out. Ideally, by the end of the year, you should have all the files you need and want organized over two storage locations. If you don’t get that far, that’s fine, as long as you keep making progress.

Purge your hardware

The fact that technology is getting smaller all the time makes it easier to store as well as easier to carry. That’s great for small homes and mobile lifestyles. Sadly, it also makes it easier to toss old technology in a drawer and forget about it. If your home is slowly turning into a private museum for old electronics, it’s time to do something about it.

Unearth all your hardware and everything which goes with it (e.g. cables). Then work out what equipment you really need and what you really want. Figure out what needs to stay with it to make it work (e.g. memory cards). Then get rid of everything else. Hopefully, you won’t have to bin it. Some of it may even have resale value, if not see if it can be recycled.

Update and protect the hardware you keep

In some cases, updating hardware can mean physically as well as in terms of the software. For example, you may be able to increase the memory and/or storage capacity in your main computer. Mostly, however, it tends to refer to making sure that you’re using the most recent version of your operating system and any apps you use.

If you’re on a PC with Windows 10 installed but not activated, you’ll see a prompt to activate it. Since Windows 10 is the most recent version of Windows, you may want at least to consider doing so. If, however, you’re not a Windows 10 fan, there are other ways to remove watermark.

Other operating systems and applications will tend to send occasional prompts to update. It’s generally a good idea to act on them as quickly as possible. These updates often enhance the security of your device. On that note, the end of a year is a good time to check you have the best, possible security software on each device.

Delete unused accounts and apps

In harsh terms, any account or app you use has the potential to compromise your personal data. This means that you should only keep accounts and apps where the reward justifies the risk. If you’re not using an account or an app then you’re not getting any benefit from it so close it and/or delete it.

If you’re not sure, then try deleting an account or app and see how you feel about the result. If it matters to you then you can always recreate it/reinstall it. If you have dormant or semi-dormant email addresses, try setting up a forward to an account you use regularly. Update senders with your new address as, when, and if necessary. Give it six months or so and then close the account.

As a bonus tip, be very careful about keeping valuable emails in your main email account. If you lose access to the account, then you also lose access to the email. Use the “print to PDF” function to create a couple of copies of them and store them with your other valuable files. Do this at least once a year, more often is better.

Update your passwords

Updating your passwords means more than just adding 2021 to the end of them (or updating 2020 to 2021). Cyberattacks are now a serious enough threat that you absolutely must take strong passwords seriously. In fact, you should implement two-factor authentication as much as possible.

TFA combines something you know (e.g. a password) with something you have (e.g. a one-time access-token sent to your cell). It meaningfully increases the difficulty of hacking an account. Even with TFA, however, you must still use strong passwords.