Make shortcuts so that I can get to them quickly and easily.) Only two places I’m allowed to be: a writers group I’m part of and the Buy Nothing Project group that I admin. (Like buying something for my family or looking up a recipe.) Internet use that isn’t for extreme practical reasons.I’m sharing it partly to help clarify things in my own mind, and partly as an example to anyone interested: Write out the plan you’ve created and post it somewhere you can see.Use operating procedures with what you still plan to use: specify how and when you’ll use it, so that you can maintain the vital uses but prevent unrestricted access.He writes, “Consider the technology optional unless its temporary removal would harm or significantly disrupt the daily operation of your professional or personal life.” You get to decide what’s optional for you.He does recommend including video games and television, even though those have been around longer. The focus is (sort of obviously) on “new” technologies like apps, social media, texting, etc., not things like your microwave.What’s optional, you ask? Cal isn’t rigid about this rather, he offers wise and tested guidelines for how to define this time for yourself. So from April 1 to April 30 (that worked out nice), I’m cutting the technology I consider optional in my life. The goal is not to simply give yourself a break from technology, but to spark a permanent transformation of your digital life. You want to arrive at the end having rediscovered the type of activities that generate real satisfaction, enabling you to confidently craft a better life – one in which technology serves only a supporting role for more meaningful ends. During this month-long process, you must aggressively explore higher-quality activities to fill in the time left vacant by the optional technologies you’re avoiding. The goal is not simply to enjoy time away from intrusive technology. I’m taking a break so that I can figure out what I actually want from technology once I’ve had some space to live freer from it. Way back when I started writing on the Internet, I wrote about how having space to reflect is the biggest benefit of not being busy. You need deeper change.įirst step: a 30-day “digital declutter,” the point of which is to make space to pursue what’s most important to you, and then afterward re-integrate technology to ensure that it serves your values. Like Cal says, little strategies and hacks aren’t enough. This stuff is crafted around our psychological weaknesses, and it’s 100% culturally accepted. I’ve tried to be better, and I’m not strong enough. Alice periodically tells me “put your phone down,” and there have been moments where Clare is trying to get my attention but I’m looking at my phone. It’s time for me to get it together regarding my technology use, once and for all. It’s about understanding there’s only so much time and energy and ruthlessly aligning your life with your values. Minimalism has always been appealing to me because at its core, it’s all about intentionality.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |