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+date = 2023-10-04
+title = "Digital Minimalism"
+description = ""
+draft = false
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+
+I\'ve written [a note about minimalism](file:///wiki/#digital-garden)
+before, but I wanted to dedicate some time to reflect on digital
+minimalism and how I\'ve been able to minimize the impact of digital
+devices in my life.
+
+> These changes crept up on us and happened fast, before we had a chance
+> to step back and ask what we really wanted out of the rapid advances
+> of the past decade. We added new technologies to the periphery of our
+> experience for minor reasons, then woke one morning to discover that
+> they had colonized the core of our daily life. We didn\'t, in other
+> words, sign up for the digital world in which we\'re currently
+> entrenched; we seem to have stumbled backward into it.
+>
+> *(Digital Minimalism, 2019)*
+
+# The Principles of Digital Minimalism
+
+As noted in Cal Newport\'s book, *Digital Minimalism*, there are three
+main principles to digital minimalism that I tend to agree with:
+
+1.  Clutter is costly.
+    -   Digital minimalists recognize that cluttering their time and
+        attention with too many devices, apps, and services creates an
+        overall negative cost that can swamp the small benefits that
+        each individual item provides in isolation.
+2.  Optimization is important.
+    -   Digital minimalists believe that deciding a particular
+        technology supports something they value is only the first step.
+        To truly extract its full potential benefit, it\'s necessary to
+        think carefully about how they\'ll use the technology.
+3.  Intentionality is satisfying.
+    -   Digital minimalists derive significant satisfaction from their
+        general commitment to being more intentional about how they
+        engage with new technologies. This source of satisfaction is
+        independent of the specific decisions they make and is one of
+        the biggest reasons that minimalism tends to be immensely
+        meaningful to its practitioners.
+
+# Taking Action
+
+In order to put the logic into practice, I\'ve created a few new habits
+and continued performing old habits that are working well:
+
+## Using Devices With Intention
+
+-   I already rarely use \"social media\", mostly limited to forums such
+    as Hacker News and Tildes, so I\'ve just tweaked my behavior to stop
+    looking for content in those places when I\'m bored.
+-   Use devices with intention. Each time I pick up a digital device,
+    there should be an intention to use the device to improve my current
+    situation. No more endless scrolling or searching for something to
+    interest me.
+
+## Prevent Distractions
+
+-   Disable (most) notifications on all devices. I spent 15-30 minutes
+    going through the notifications on my phone, watch, and computer to
+    ensure that only a select few apps have the ability to interrupt me:
+    Calendar, Messages, Phone, Reminders, & Signal.
+-   Disable badges for any apps except the ones mentioned in the bullet
+    above.
+-   Set-up focus profiles across devices so that I can enable different
+    modes, such as Personal when I only want to see notifications from
+    people I care about or Do Not Disturb, where absolutely nothing can
+    interrupt me.
+-   Clean up my home screens. This one was quite easy as I already
+    maintain a minimalist set-up, but I went extreme by limiting my
+    phone to just eight apps on the home screen and four in the dock. If
+    I need another app, I\'ll have to search or use the app library.
+-   Remove the work profile from my phone. This was a tough decision as
+    having my work profile on my device definitely makes my life easier
+    at times, but it also has quite a negative effect when I\'m \"always
+    online\" and can see the notifications and team activity 24/7. I
+    believe creating a distinct barrier between my work and personal
+    devices will be beneficial in the end.
+
+## Creating Alternative Activities
+
+This is the most difficult piece, as most of my hobbies and interests
+lie in the digital world. However, I\'m making a concerted effort to put
+devices down unless necessary and force myself to perform other
+activities in the physical world instead.
+
+I\'ve started with a few basics that are always readily available to me:
+
+-   Do a chore, such as organizing or cleaning.
+-   Read a book, study a piece of art, etc.
+-   Exercise or get outdoors.
+-   Participate in a hobby, such as photography, birding, disc golf,
+    etc.
+-   Let yourself be bored and wander into creativity.
+
+# Making Progress
+
+I\'ll be taking notes as I continue down this journey and hope to see
+positive trends. I\'ve always been a minimalist in the physical world
+and it feels refreshing to filter out the clutter that has come to
+dominate my digital life over the years.
+
+I\'m excited to see where this journey leads.