80,000 Photos

I recently experienced a familiar scenario.  I needed to install an update on my phone, but then came the familiar warning – your storage is almost full.  I needed to let go of what was no longer needed to make room for the new update.

For me, that meant deleting photos and videos – my primary storage culprit.

I learned the average person takes 80,000 photos in their lifetime now.  That works out to about 3 per day based on average life expectancy.  I personally thought that number seemed low.

So, I asked my friend Sue for her best advice about what to do with all these digital memories.  Sue’s business is Modern Memory Keeper, where she helps people sort through, organize, and digitize inherited photos.  Her face got serious, and she said, “Ruthlessly curate them.”

As a young mom at the time, I was shocked. I wanted to capture every possible moment and I am grateful I captured lots of memories – especially the ordinary days.

Now that they are older, I see Sue’s point too. There are only two things that happen with any memorabilia over time – it gets more precious. OR it becomes less precious.

You need to let go to make room new updates.

In my zeal to create efficient digital systems, I have a multi-layered back up system that I use regularly. If that’s still a step you need to take, I see you. And if you are an I’ll-upgrade-my-digital-storage-account-and-deal-with-it-later-person, I see you too. And if you love working with memories and creating fun photos and video reels to share, that’s awesome, I see you too.

Honestly, if all my back up places were physical there would be a lot of stacks for pictures I don’t need and now I find that I need to cull my photos in triplicate.

When I find myself nostalgic, I focus on one trip, one event, or one small period time, and ask myself what I want to keep and what am I ready to let go of. Because the truth is I want my children to have memories AND I want them to be experiencing their present lives. I want to enjoy my digital memories and not feel burdened by them.

There is no magic answer, but a worthwhile question to be asked – am I using my senses to engage in the moment and be present to make memories? Or am I just capturing the moments, hoping later I will get to enjoy now?

If you want to talk more about how to live better now, please contact me.