Recommendations for Existing Chores

Below are specific recommendations for existing chores, organized by their current category.

Getting Started

This section is generally well-structured with essential one-time setup tasks.

• 003-optimize-privacy-settings.md (Optimize Privacy Settings on Critical Accounts) Move to yearly 012-schedule-digital-chores.md (Schedule Digital Chores) Move to yearly 018-stay-informed-on-current-threats.md (Stay Informed on current threats) Move to yearly

Daily Chores

Consider if some daily tasks can be shifted to less frequent schedules or rephrased to be less demanding.

• 002-review-device-security.md (Update and Restart Devices) Move to weekly - mainly the restarting of devices, and updating, but daily reminders should be to do security udpates asap

• 004-minimize-personal-information-sharing.md (Minimize Personal Information Sharing)

  • Issue Identified: The “Action Steps” are very comprehensive, more like a guide than a daily checklist.
  • Recommendation: Rephrase as “Practice Mindful Information Sharing Today”. The daily action could be a reflective prompt: “Today, did I overshare any personal information online or in conversation? What could I do differently?”. The detailed list can be linked as a reference or part of a less frequent, deeper review.

• 005-safeguard-personal-info-from-ai.md (Safeguard Personal Info from AI)

  • Issue Identified: Similar to the above, the “Action Steps” are a guide.
  • Recommendation: Rephrase as “Mindful AI Interactions Today”. Daily action: “When using AI tools today, did I avoid inputting sensitive personal data?”. Link the detailed list as a reference.

• 009-restart-devices-regularly.md (Restart Devices Regularly) This should be moved to weekly, and is duplicate of the update task in review-device-security.md One should be focused on restarting, another on updating

  • Issue Identified: Daily restart is generally unnecessary and disruptive.
  • Recommendation: Move to Weekly Title: “Weekly Device Restart”.

• 010-limit-app-permissions.md (Limit App Permissions) This should just be a daily reminder when installing new apps and signing up for new services

  • Issue Identified: Daily review of app permissions is too frequent and overlaps with more comprehensive monthly/quarterly audits.
  • Recommendation: Remove from Daily. Consolidate into monthly/008-audit-app-permissions.md or quarterly/001-audit-mobile-app-permissions.md. The daily aspect could be: “If installing a new app today, review its permissions carefully.”

• 011-manage-photo-metadata.md (Manage Photo Metadata) This is also a daily reminder

  • Issue Identified: Daily management is excessive unless sharing many photos daily.
  • Recommendation: Rephrase to “Be Mindful of Photo Metadata When Sharing Today”. A more thorough “Review and Strip Photo Metadata” task could be event-driven (e.g., before a large photo upload) or less frequent (Quarterly).

Weekly Chores

• 001-review-weekly-backups.md (Review Weekly Backups)
  • Observation: This is a crucial task and well-placed.
  • Recommendation: No change, good as is.

Monthly Chores

• 004-check-for-data-breaches.md (Check for Data Breaches)
  • Issue Identified: Overlaps with quarterly/005-scan-for-data-breaches.md and quarterly/010-check-for-compromised-accounts-and-take-action.md.
  • Recommendation: Consolidate these. Make this monthly task the primary one: “Check for Data Breaches & Compromised Accounts”. Ensure it covers checking breach notification sites and reviewing account activity for signs of compromise. The quarterly tasks can be removed or merged if they offer distinct value not covered here.
• 008-audit-app-permissions.md (Audit App Permissions)
  • Issue Identified: Overlaps with daily/010-limit-app-permissions.md and quarterly/001-audit-mobile-app-permissions.md.
  • Recommendation: Make this the primary task for app permissions. Title: “Monthly Audit of App Permissions (All Devices)”. This should cover mobile, desktop, and web app/extension permissions.

Quarterly Chores

• 001-audit-mobile-app-permissions.md (Audit Mobile App Permissions)
  • Issue Identified: Redundant with the recommended consolidated monthly task.
  • Recommendation: Remove and merge into a comprehensive monthly “Audit App Permissions (All Devices)”.
• 005-scan-for-data-breaches.md (Scan for Data Breaches)
  • Issue Identified: Redundant with monthly/004 and quarterly/010.
  • Recommendation: Remove and merge into the consolidated monthly task.
• 006-perform-a-quick-security-audit-of-all-connected-devices.md (Perform a quick security audit of all connected devices)
  • Observation: Good task. Could be more specific about what “quick security audit” entails (e.g., check for updates, review recent activity if available, ensure still secured).
  • Recommendation: Clarify “Action Steps” to be distinct from firmware updates (quarterly/008 and quarterly/009). Focus on settings, unusual behavior, physical security. This seems like a duplicate, but there should be one for updating your wifi routers firmware if its a device not managed by your ISP. Otherwise, this should be covered in the quaterly items.
• 010-check-for-compromised-accounts-and-take-action.md (Check for Compromised Accounts and Take Action)
  • Issue Identified: Redundant with monthly/004 and quarterly/005.
  • Recommendation: Remove and merge into the consolidated monthly task.

Yearly Chores

• 003-update-emergency-contacts.md (Update Emergency Contacts)

  • Observation: This is about updating emergency contacts within accounts. getting-started/010-update-emergency-contacts.md is about identifying and informing your personal emergency contacts. yearly/007-update-digital-emergency-plan.md is about the plan itself. These are related but distinct.
  • Recommendation: Ensure titles and descriptions clearly differentiate these. This one could be “Yearly Review of Account Recovery & Emergency Contact Info”.

• 011-optimize-privacy-settings.md (Optimize Social Media Privacy Settings)

  • Issue Identified: Title is specific to social media, but a yearly review should be broader.
  • Recommendation: Broaden scope. Title: “Comprehensive Yearly Privacy Settings Review (All Platforms & Devices)”. This should cover OS, browsers, key applications, social media, and any other relevant services.

• 014-clean-os-install.md (Clean OS Reinstallation)

  • Issue Identified: This is a very intensive task for a general yearly recommendation and may be beyond the technical comfort of many users.
  • Recommendation: Reclassify as “Optional/Advanced: Consider Yearly Clean OS Reinstallation” Although this may seem excessive, this will ensure your computer is running in optimal condition, and will force the user to exercise their data backup and restore procedures.

Proposed New Chores

Here are suggestions for new chores that could enhance the list:

Weekly

• Title: Review Digital Subscriptions and Memberships

  • Description: Check active subscriptions (streaming services, software licenses, recurring payments) to ensure they are still needed and to cancel any unused ones.
  • Priority: Medium
  • Time: 10 mins
  • Rationale: Prevents paying for forgotten services and helps manage recurring expenses.

• Title: Tidy Digital Desktop and Main Folders

  • Description: Clean up files from the desktop, organize the downloads folder, and file away loose documents into appropriate locations.
  • Priority: Low
  • Time: 15 mins
  • Rationale: Improves organization, makes files easier to find, and can contribute to better system performance.

Monthly

• Title: Review Cloud Storage Usage and Organization

  • Description: Check current usage of cloud storage services (e.g., Google Drive, iCloud, Dropbox). Delete unnecessary files/backups and ensure important files are organized and correctly synced.
  • Priority: Medium
  • Time: 20 mins
  • Rationale: Manages storage costs/limits, ensures data integrity, and makes cloud files more accessible. This may have overlap with existing backup ones, come up with a way to address this.

• Title: Test Authenticator App Backups/Recovery Method

  • Description: If using a 2FA authenticator app, verify that its backup or recovery mechanism (e.g., Authy cloud sync, Google Authenticator export/transfer option, saved backup codes) is functional and understood.
  • Priority: High
  • Time: 10 mins
  • Rationale: Crucial for preventing lockout from 2FA-protected accounts if the primary device with the authenticator app is lost, damaged, or replaced.

Quarterly

• Title: Review Digital Legacy Contacts & Emergency Access

  • Description: Review designated digital legacy contacts (e.g., for Apple/Google/Facebook) and emergency access settings for password managers. Ensure the designated individuals are still appropriate and aware of their role.
  • Priority: Medium
  • Time: 15 mins
  • Rationale: Ensures that emergency plans and digital legacy arrangements remain up-to-date and viable.

• Title: Physical Device Cleaning

  • Description: Clean keyboards, screens, mice, and other peripherals. Check and clean device air vents for dust buildup.
  • Priority: Low
  • Time: 20 mins
  • Rationale: Promotes hygiene, can extend device lifespan, and improve performance by preventing overheating.

Yearly

• Title: Review Digital Will and Asset Inventory

  • Description: Review and update any documented digital will or inventory of digital assets (e.g., domain names, cryptocurrency holdings, valuable software licenses, online business assets).
  • Priority: Medium
  • Time: 45 mins
  • Rationale: Ensures that digital assets are properly accounted for and can be managed or transferred according to your wishes.

• Title: Archive Old Digital Communications & Project Files

  • Description: Review and archive old emails, messages, and project files that are no longer actively needed but should be retained for record-keeping.
  • Priority: Low
  • Time: 60 mins
  • Rationale: Frees up space in active mailboxes/storage, improves performance of communication tools, and maintains an organized archive. Reduces exposure if cloud data is breached

Items for Potential Removal or Significant Rework (Summary)

• daily/010-limit-app-permissions.md: Remove (redundant with monthly/quarterly).
• daily/009-restart-devices-regularly.md: Change frequency to Weekly or Monthly.
• quarterly/001-audit-mobile-app-permissions.md: Remove (consolidate into a broader monthly task).
• quarterly/005-scan-for-data-breaches.md: Remove (consolidate into monthly).
• quarterly/010-check-for-compromised-accounts-and-take-action.md: Remove (consolidate into monthly).
• yearly/014-clean-os-install.md: Reclassify as “Optional/Advanced” or replace with a less intensive “Yearly System Health Check & Deep Cleanup”.

Additional TODO

• For every item inside, Getting started, weekly, monthly, quarterly and Yearly, Make sure all of them using the same 3 sections “Action, Why, Remember” In that order, and update the Priority and the Time estimate (time estimates should be in 1 minute increments with the average computer user in mind).
• Change Daily Reminders to Always Remember - These items don’t need times, and should be much more concise, and should only include Remember and Why (no Action, and in that order of Remember first). Review and update every item.
• Make sure it is covered somewhere:
  • Audit your online footprint - is your personal information listed and have it removed.
  • For each service that has two factor, be sure to print a physical copy of back-up codes and store them in a safe location, such as a fire resistant document bag or safe.
• Look for opportunities to condense the Getting Started items into regular items in the other categories. For example, Implementing the 3-2-1 back-up strategy is a great one time, and verifying your back-ups are working should be weekly, and verifying you can restore your back-ups once per year is a lot less time. However, Schedule Digital Chores, or Update Emergency Contacts, are part of normal regular tasks, so we can remove them from the getting started. Combine any content with the existing item so no content is lost.