Digital Minimalism Summary: How To Become Extraordinary

What is digital minimalism?

Digital Minimalism is a way of living in which you use technology to focus on the things that are important to you. It is a philosophy of using technology to limit your online time so that you can spend more time doing the things that are important to you.

Introduction to the World of digital minimalists

There are people who live in a world without any digital devices. They are known as digital minimalists. They prefer to live in a world where all their information is stored on paper or in other physical formats. Calm and happy people can talk for a long time without looking at their phones. Kids can get lost in a good book, a woodworking project, or a leisurely morning run. They can have fun with friends and family without the obsessive urge to document the experience. They keep up with the latest news but don’t feel overwhelmed by it. People don’t fear missing out because they know what activities make them happy and fulfilled.

Why is it so difficult for us to detox from social media?

We are afraid of missing out.
Social media can provide a comfortable gateway to avoid dealing with negative emotions and difficult situations.
We think that we need social media to make our life better

What are the solutions?

It would be best if you had a philosophy of using technologies / social media called digital minimalism.
Digital minimalism is not minimization.
It has everything to do with intentions; ask yourself the following:
- What do you value?
- What do you want to spend your time doing?
- What is the best technology to support what I want to achieve?

These questions ask you to be selective in choosing the technology to use.

Focus on the advantages and avoid traps

For instance:

For exercising => social groups of exercising etc.
Social connection to meet with people of the same interest.
Get a browser plugin that scapes off all the distractions if you find yourself distracted by your newsfeeds, so you can go straight to your group and get exactly what you want out of it

This way, you’re making the technology support you instead of depending on it.

The Five Big Ideas of Digital Minimalism

The Five Big Ideas of Digital Minimalism include:

Digital Minimalism: focusing your time on the things that matter most
Digital Declutter: taking a break from technology
Solitude Deprivation: being alone with your thoughts and using technology to support your goals.
The Social Media Paradox: Social media can make you feel connected and lonely, happy and sad.
The Bennett Principle: Pursue demanding activities over passive consumption, use skills to produce valuable things in the physical world, and seek activities that require real-world, structured social interactions.

3 Bonus tips to be more productive with your phone

First, keep your phone boring. Cal advises in his book that we should remove fun apps such as chatting and social apps. Once we don’t get triggered to check our phones all the time, we’ll start to depend less on them.
Next, you’ll need to be comfortable about not figuring out/catching up with any new come up. It’s not your job to try and figure out new things.
Finally, leave your phone out of sight when you need to focus on work.

Listen to the author, Cal Newport, talk in detail about digital minimalism and how you can apply the disciplines to your life.

Frequently asked questions

What is Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport about?

Digital minimalism is a way of using your computer time to focus on the things that are important to you. It means choosing only a few activities that help you achieve your goals. The author, Cal Newport, got interested in the topic after getting feedback from his previous book, Deep Work.

What is the goal of digital minimalism?

Digital Minimalism aims to help you achieve a way of living in which you learn to be more selective with your use of technology while also focusing your online time on helpful and meaningful activities.

How do I start digital minimalism?

Follow this step-by-step guide for a beginner on digital minimalism:

Step 1. Back up and remove old files on your phone and computer.

Step 2. Delete unnecessary applications on your phone and computer.

Step 3. Clean up your cloud storage for extra space to store files that matter.

Step 4. Try to clean up your email as much as you can.

Step 5. Delete and re-organize your files in the downloads folder.

Step 6. Set up an automatic system for notifications to go off when you work.

Step 7. Have a day without digital devices, and focus on activities you’ve wanted to do without anything digital.

How do you prepare yourself for the digital era?

Step 1. Be creative and use technology to solve your business or personal problems.

Step 2. Identify the right software and tech pieces to address your shortcomings or automate minimal tasks.

Step 3. Educate yourself by investing time and money in the right learning platforms.

Step 4. Take notes of your processes and measure your performance when you use new digital tools.

Step 5. Relax and have fun. Know that you can always stop using technology if it does not suit you.