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diff --git a/content/blog/2023-10-04-digital-minimalism.md b/content/blog/2023-10-04-digital-minimalism.md index 7e3a8c9..6214094 100644 --- a/content/blog/2023-10-04-digital-minimalism.md +++ b/content/blog/2023-10-04-digital-minimalism.md @@ -5,103 +5,95 @@ description = "" draft = false +++ -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. +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: +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. + - 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. + - 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. + - 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: +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. +- 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. +- 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. +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: +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. +- 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'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. +I'm excited to see where this journey leads. |