Are You A Virtual Hoarder?

by sal64
36 replies
every now and then, I like to go through my hard drives and delete any stuff I don't need. This includes my external drive.

All I can say is WOW! It's amazing the amount of cr@p that I have accumulated over the years...

Software apps, plr stuff, graphic packs, mini-site templates just for starters. 99% of this stuff has never been used, and I guess will never be used.

So out it goes. All up it was well over 15GB. These were all items that I purchased and downloaded because in itself, they seemed and probably are great little tools. However, the accumulation of this stuff has also cost me untold sums of money and of course, wasted time reading sales copy and downloading.

So, after 10 years online, I confess that I am a cyber hoarder. I see things, I read the copy, and I buy it... believing that I will eventually use it. At first it was because I thought that / was convinced that it was something that I needed to make money (shiny object syndrome)... then later I accumulated with the intention of using and applying.

Not so my friends. Never happened.

The lesson is that you should not buy stuff that you don't immediately need.

I learnt a few years back that the best way to deal with info overload was to only learn on a need to know basis. In other words, if your business requires you to write an article, then only then do you invest in an article writing course.

The key to this is to start out with some sort of plan. Understand the steps involved in executing the plan... and then acquire skills and knowledge as required when executing the plan. All the rest is a waste of time and money in my opinion.

Don't sweat on missing out on stuff. The reality is - and experience has shown - that most widgets become obsolete very quickly and there is always a newer, better widget being released.

You will always be better off simply reinvesting your money into the marketing and promotion of your website and products.

If you are like me, you probably have a hard drive full of valuable, but useless cuber junk. So let me ask you: Has it made you rich yet (i am talking about the stuff you haven't used)?

Food for thought.

Have a great day!

Sal
#hoarder #virtual
  • Profile picture of the author Victor Edson
    All that ambition... you need a VA you can pimp, I mean...
    outsource all those tasks to.
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  • Profile picture of the author sal64
    You can have 10 VA's my friend. But if you have no plan or systems, you'll just be out of pocket 10 times greater.
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  • Profile picture of the author George Wright
    What's worse Sal is...

    The several duplicates I have. Just to keep it safe several copies must be made and stored on different machines, drives and clouds. Sadly I'm looking forward to my Samsung 1t home cloud.

    I must save a copy of this thread. Maybe It Will come in handy sometime.

    George Wright, PS I'll print this out and file it.
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  • Profile picture of the author Curtis2011
    I'm the opposite of a hoarder. Every time I use my computer, I have the urge to delete any files that I'm not currently using or that I won't need in the near future.
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  • Profile picture of the author Jeff Schuman
    Like many of you, I have spent a small fortune on courses, ebooks, reports, software, etc. I used to be a hoarder until I realized one day that even if I spent 24 hours a day going over everything I had bought I could probably not get through it in 365 days.

    Now I try my best not to buy something unless it will really simplify my business and can be implemented very quickly. No more hoarding with the idea I will get to this someday.
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  • Profile picture of the author thedanbrown
    I have sooo much stuff sitting on my computer just collecting digital dust...

    PDF's, videos, PLR, software, who knows what else LOL

    But I think I had to make the mistake of buying all that stuff when I first got started because it was how I learnt that will get you nowhere... Learning isn't doing!
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  • Profile picture of the author Matt Kendo
    This is hilarious! I, also have a lot of digital dust being collected. I'm making a resolution after reading your post, screw waiting for new years, I'm only going to use one system or product at a time. Anything else is just confusing and a poor use of time and money.
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    • Profile picture of the author depp12
      I am certainly a virtual hoarder. I knew it all the time but was in denial.

      I just went to my gmail there and searched for ,wso delivery purchase . Look at all those purchases what a waste.

      Then i took a stroll through my computer.More stuff, purchases, downloads, reports,etc. Have'nt even opened half of them. What a wake up call. What a waste.

      The worst thing about buying all this stuff apart from the money is the 3/4 emails you get every day off the people you buy these products from telling you about more stuff and wso's that you need to purchase. Message alert : I can look for myself.

      D

      ps. Is there a wso for decluttering a computer ?
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  • Profile picture of the author nicholasb
    15 gb is nothing , I've got a few TB of stored data among a few different drives. It's all info products. So I guess you could say I am a digital hoarder, i'm also a neat freak and can find any file I'm looking for in about 3 seconds
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  • Profile picture of the author ferrazzo75
    Lol very true stuff. I would say 90% of WF fall into this category. (Including myself)
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  • Profile picture of the author sal64
    lol I am glad to have opened some eyes with this thread.

    Forgot to mention all the emails you get as well - good point!

    There's an old saying that whatever you are doing is either making you money... or costing you money.

    So yes, I am 100% sold on only buying something if you need it. But here's the catch for most people...

    They don't know what they want. They have no real concrete idea of what they want to do. So they jump from product to product. When you have a desire to succeed or are in urgent need of extra money, then you make rash decisions.

    So it's a bit of an exercise in discipline and common sense.

    Thanks for the replies.

    Sal
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  • Profile picture of the author Alex.R
    It's amazing the amount of data that you save, knowing that you will
    probably never look at it again, but still you save just to be on the safe
    side.

    The point already mentioned, never buy anything that you can't immediately
    use, is sound advice, but easier said than done.
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  • Profile picture of the author ManieE
    If you don't use it, get rid of it! I agree, if you don't intent to use it immediately, don't buy it.

    There are to much distractions in this business, better to keep it simple.
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  • Profile picture of the author Stevie C
    It recently took me a day or so to sort through all the stuff I've accumulated over the two years or so I have been doing this. The worst thing is that you don't know what is good and what is out of date without watching some of the videos or skimming through the ebook can be very time consuming.
    Your right about making sure that you are going to use the tool straight away - I noticed three related posts plugins that I'd purchased because each one was better than the previous. I hadn't actually implemented the first two either!

    I've got a lot better so far this year so have stuck to my NY resolution on this one!
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    • Profile picture of the author agmccall
      Memory sticks go on sale at Staples all the time, they hold tons of information. I just organize my "Junk" and throw it on a stick. I keep them in a small box no bigger than a watch box and I am glad I keep most of this stuff. When I need an article idea or something I have the resources right at my finger tips

      al
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  • Profile picture of the author sal64
    I think that if you must, then keep it all on back up... which is fine.

    But what is it about we humans that just cannot refuse a bargain? I remember my first stop over in Bangkok way back in 1987... went nuts. Could not believe how cheap stuff was to buy. Came back with a suitcase full of junk and a maxed out credit card!

    I think the biggest mistake we can make is to buy things which we convince ourselves will be used down the track.

    It's like buying a pair of trousers 2 sizes too small then justifying it by saying that you intend to lose weight and fit into them eventually.

    Sal
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    • Profile picture of the author George Wright
      Originally Posted by sal64 View Post


      It's like buying a pair of trousers 2 sizes too small then justifying it by saying that you intend to lose weight and fit into them eventually.

      Sal
      That doesn't even make sense. Now, cool shirts, that's another story.

      George Wright
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  • Profile picture of the author rmolina88
    My Internet Marketing folder alone is about 10GB+ of docs, videos, guides, etc..
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    • Profile picture of the author Daniel Evans
      A clean workspace is a clean mind.

      ...as is a clean HDD.


      Daniel
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  • Profile picture of the author Henri Lind
    I have 7 GB worth of products in my pc. So far kept them, "in case i need them"
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  • Profile picture of the author onSubie
    As a typical hoarder, I find it difficult to delete things due to emotional attachment. Even if it is an outdated 4-year-old product taking up gigs on my already stuffed hard drive.

    The problem is, as I age, I find it more difficult to navigate my space so I try arranging my outdated products into piles.

    That works for a while but soon my new acquisitions start crowding things out.

    Then a pile tips over and I am back where I started.

    You should see what I have to climb over to get to my kitchen. Has anyone seen any of my 12 virtual cats? I think some wandered to YouTube.
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    • Profile picture of the author Kay King
      Virtual hoarding is the same as offline hoarding - you don't need a thing until two days after you dumped it in the trash or donated it to a thrift shop.

      I pretty much stopped virtual hoarding - much more selective than I was a few years ago.

      I also had the "but what if I need it later" mentality. Solved the problem easily by copying those useless/unused files to rewritable CD's and then deleting them from my hard drive. Now I have a small stack of unused CDs but my computers are fairly clear of junk.

      I didn't spend a lot of time labeling the CDs - they are general categories of "ebooks" - "plr" - "sites" - "graphics" - etc. I think of them as permanently sorted "piles of stuff".
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      • Profile picture of the author LilBlackDress
        Originally Posted by Kay King View Post

        Virtual hoarding is the same as offline hoarding - you don't need a thing until two days after you dumped it in the trash or donated it to a thrift shop.

        I pretty much stopped virtual hoarding - much more selective than I was a few years ago.

        I also had the "but what if I need it later" mentality. Solved the problem easily by copying those useless/unused files to rewritable CD's and then deleting them from my hard drive. Now I have a small stack of unused CDs but my computers are fairly clear of junk.

        I didn't spend a lot of time labeling the CDs - they are general categories of "ebooks" - "plr" - "sites" - "graphics" - etc. I think of them as permanently sorted "piles of stuff".
        Nice that it is all condensed. Better than a lot of printed paper filed away gathering dust.
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  • I got stuff to and need to do spring cleaning on my hard drive. Thanks for the post and reminding me!
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  • Profile picture of the author travlinguy
    I still have .exe file ebooks from the '90s though I don't keep them on my current computer.
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  • I used to be like that too, Sal.. But now I have a more minimalistic vision and simple lifestyle. For me the more simple and mimimalistic my business is, the more effective it is.

    Keep it simple.
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    • Profile picture of the author sal64
      Originally Posted by Frederik Jorgensen View Post

      I used to be like that too, Sal.. But now I have a more minimalistic vision and simple lifestyle. For me the more simple and mimimalistic my business is, the more effective it is.

      Keep it simple.
      I am 100% with you on this, brother!

      Here is something I wrote on my Facebook earlier this year. It applies to all areas of life...

      "2013: The year of the spiritual and mental detox. Cutting back on the constant noise and info overload. Time to simplify life. Spend less, work less... stress less. Peace and tranquility the ultimate prize."

      Now as far as I am concerned...

      Simple = less stress = less mess = greater focus on what is important.

      Sal
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      • Originally Posted by sal64 View Post

        I am 100% with you on this, brother!

        Here is something I wrote on my Facebook earlier this year. It applies to all areas of life...

        "2013: The year of the spiritual and mental detox. Cutting back on the constant noise and info overload. Time to simplify life. Spend less, work less... stress less. Peace and tranquility the ultimate prize."

        Now as far as I am concerned...

        Simple = less stress = less mess = greater focus on what is important.

        Sal
        Exactly. I love my "clutterless" business (and life for that matter).
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        • Profile picture of the author sal64
          Originally Posted by Frederik Jorgensen View Post

          Exactly. I love my "clutterless" business (and life for that matter).
          On a deeper level, I have streamlined my lifestyle as well. All those material things that were so important 20 years ago, no longer matter so much. Sure, I still have a certain level of comfort, but I also don't have to earn as much to maintain it and can use the income on my children... which are my true source of fulfillment.

          Life is good.

          Sal
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  • Profile picture of the author ExpertCPA
    This has been referred to as the "wantrepreneur" phenomenon. Always gathering ideas, never implementing any of them. Acquiring and maintaining the right frame of mind is by far the greatest challenge all of us face, including those of us who've done very well. It is a constant battle - which does get a bit easier, admittedly, as success begets success.

    Just remember that the perfect is the enemy of the good, and that an ounce of action is worth 10 pounds of theory.
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  • Profile picture of the author sal64
    he he he...

    I went through that phase where I used to print off all my product purchases on A4 for "easier" reading etc... same outcome, more time and money wasted.

    To be honest, it isn't about disc space or back up... it's about buying stuff for the sake of buying it - as many have stated - in case you need it later.

    I am usually a happy deleter whereas my wife has like 2000 emails in her inbox. It's a Virgo thing, I guess.

    The real point of awareness I am trying to make is that I do not believe it's a great idea to buy something until you actually need it.. and you can actually apply it to make money or streamline your business.

    I have spent tens of thousands of dollars and frankly, of all that, there have been 2 maybe 3 products that have made a real difference to my life and business.

    I know this might offend some people's sensibilities, but if you don;t need it, then it's just a drain on your time and money... which can be better deployed.

    Event he War Room can be a honey trap for the unaware. Awesome value, but you can lose 6 months downloading and reading stuff.

    Carry on...

    Sal
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    • Profile picture of the author lbkelly
      Originally Posted by sal64 View Post

      he he he...

      I went through that phase where I used to print off all my product purchases on A4 for "easier" reading etc... same outcome, more time and money wasted.

      To be honest, it isn't about disc space or back up... it's about buying stuff for the sake of buying it - as many have stated - in case you need it later.

      I am usually a happy deleter whereas my wife has like 2000 emails in her inbox. It's a Virgo thing, I guess.

      The real point of awareness I am trying to make is that I do not believe it's a great idea to buy something until you actually need it.. and you can actually apply it to make money or streamline your business.

      I have spent tens of thousands of dollars and frankly, of all that, there have been 2 maybe 3 products that have made a real difference to my life and business.

      I know this might offend some people's sensibilities, but if you don;t need it, then it's just a drain on your time and money... which can be better deployed.

      Event he War Room can be a honey trap for the unaware. Awesome value, but you can lose 6 months downloading and reading stuff.

      Carry on...

      Sal
      Your comment about the War Room is so true. This thread caused me to audit my HD to find 3gb of just stuff. Most didn't give me that fuzzy feeling inside and I will never use or look at it again.

      I have only been at this a few short months and am still in diapers trying to find that true ...AHA moment. I have though, come across a few things that set the light bulb off in my head.

      Sadly, I know that in all likelihood I will get my hand caught in the trap again and the only thing that will release it is to click download.
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      • Profile picture of the author sal64
        Originally Posted by lbkelly View Post

        Your comment about the War Room is so true. This thread caused me to audit my HD to find 3gb of just stuff. Most didn't give me that fuzzy feeling inside and I will never use or look at it again.

        I have only been at this a few short months and am still in diapers trying to find that true ...AHA moment. I have though, come across a few things that set the light bulb off in my head.

        Sadly, I know that in all likelihood I will get my hand caught in the trap again and the only thing that will release it is to click download.
        Shop around before committing to a specific business model. see what you like, understand what is involved and then determine if will meet your financial aims as well as your sense of fulfillment.

        Then gather the resources you need to get started.

        Sal
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  • Profile picture of the author MartinPlatt
    Hey! I have tons of stuff - I use things like box.com to store them - got a 50GB storage there, and have about 15GB used so far. Plenty of good stuff, but also lots of stuff that once I've read it will delete....

    I do tend to put 'free' stuff into a folder, and if I haven't read it by a certain time, then I probably won't, so it will be deleted.
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  • Profile picture of the author sal64
    I htink that between all the posters on this thread, we could set up a co-op and never have to buy another info product ever again!
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