10 elements of a philosophy of technology use
I got this idea from:
Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World
by Cal Newport
clutter is costly
optimization is important: think carefully about how you will use the technology
1. Consolidate all notetaking to a single app (Obsidian)
I had digital notes scattered throughout NotePD, Trello, Google Docs, notes, Email, and a few other digital junk drawers. I would typically spend an hour trying to find a note on a project. Now it is almost instantaneous.
2. Use Youtube only for learning something unless I set a time limit
This is a broad but significant filter to use. I watch many hours of YT every day (I have it on while I work as background most of the time.) It means I will watch an interview with Mr. Beast (big fan of what he does) but will very rarely watch one of his entertainment videos. I have watched hundreds of woodworking videos, guitar videos, podcasts, etc. It is a great resource!
3. Only buy new electronics (phone/computer/software) if the new device can do something that your current device can’t
This saves me a lot of money. Laptops and phones made in the last five years are ridiculously powerful compared to machines from just 5 years earlier. My 2017 iPad and 2019 iPhone do everything that I can imagine.
When I buy a new device I usually have a specific task in mind. For example, I bought earbuds to listen to audiobooks. I keep the earbuds in my pocket all day so connecting them to the phone takes just a few seconds. I listen to dozens of audiobooks every year because of the earbuds. This is a good self-reinforcing pattern.
4. Pay for software that you use: become a power user
This helps support the people who create the software and also creates a commitment that you want to take advantage of. I use a lot of open-source software (Linux, etc) but I pay for text editors (Sublime. PHPStorm) and ChatGPT. This helps me get inspired to maximize my use of these products and usually unlocks additional capabilities that are a great value.
Commercial software generally has a lot of the quirks worked out.
5. Watch YT video to learn the tips and tricks of software that you use
Idea sex! I have Final Cut for Mac and I learned that it has capabilities that let me replace Ecamm. While Ecamm is great software I don't need it at this time.
6. Use apps to create (NotePD) or learn (audiobooks) instead of consuming (Quora)
7. Delete distracting apps from your phone and silence all notifications
8. When checking email, click the box to "delete all" and then un-click the ones that you need to respond to or are interested in
9. subscribe to email newsletters instead of browsing websites
corollary: delete the email by default: there will be another one tomorrow. The email will typically summarize articles so you can focus on what you are interested in.
10. Use technology to save you time
learn to automate tasks in your operating system.
Listen to media at 2s speed or beyond
Use Summary services like Blinkist to summarize books for you.
Write email filters and unsubscribe from lists that you are not interested in anymore.
Use Grammarly to correct your spelling and grammar.
11. Close browser tabs when you are finished with your task
I still need to work on this but after writing this draft I will close the tab. I also close tabs after checking bank balances, email, etc. This makes my computer run faster and also reduces distractions. It helps me focus.
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