Why “Digital Minimalism” is the next big trend
By: Tom Jessessky
Tags: Minimalism, Focus, Productivity, Digital, Deep Work

Why “Digital Minimalism” is the next big trend

The book that will teach us to consume less social media is about to go viral. Here’s why I’m excited about it. Tom Jessessky Jan 20, 2019·4 min read

I’m excited to see that Cal Newport, author of the bestseller Deep Work, is releasing a new book called Digital Minimalism in a few weeks. I believe this concept is a key to success in today’s digital world that has been hiding in plain sight, and therefore I’m predicting this new book will be another hit.

I have been experimenting with the idea of Digital Minimalism in recent months and have made one clear connection:

There are residual negative effects of media consumption beyond the time spent consuming.

Cal Newport’s first book, Deep Work, teaches us that the ability to work without distraction on complex tasks is a vitally important skill in the 21st century. However, we have become so easily distracted by the digital world that we are highly unlikely to find this focused state without intentionally seeking it out.

My job requires the ability to perform deep work, and I have found three key ways to create the conditions for focus. The first two are intuitive, but the third is the cause for my excitement around Digital Minimalism.

Setting Up For Focus

My first step to achieving focus is setting both my phone and computer to Do Not Disturb mode. This prevents calls, texts, Slack notifications, and other alerts from popping up and stealing my attention. In case of emergency, I have my phone set to allow calls from my Favorite contacts while in Do Not Disturb.

The second step is blocking out time on my calendar each day from 1:00–3:30 PM. I recommend the book When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing by Daniel Pink,which outlines how individuals can optimize their daily schedules based on their biological patterns. I learned that I am best suited for deep work in the afternoon and evening. For many, the ideal time to focus is in the early hours of the morning. I am well aware that the ability to block out 2.5 hours is a luxury. If you aren’t blessed with this flexibility, start by trying to block out at least 30–60 minutes per day. I also recommend reading Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less by Greg McKeown, as it will help you achieve the mindset of reducing your obligations in order to focus on your most important work.

The Third Step

Turning off notifications and blocking out your calendar are relatively simple to implement. But a key factor in attaining focus is achieving clarity of the mind. Popular belief is that the practice of mindfulness meditation is the way to achieving clarity, and I mostly agree.

However, I believe that many people view meditation as a way to treat the symptoms of digital distraction, but ignores the cause. The distracting effects of reading 20 articles, seeing 100 social media posts, listening to a podcast, and watching a show on Netflix can’t be offset with 10 minutes of meditation.

In order to achieve mental clarity, we need to stop inundating our brains with unnecessary information. When I reduced the amount of digital media I consumed, I found that my scheduled focused work sessions were profoundly more productive. My brain wasn’t trying to process ideas about “time-hacking” from Medium articles or the political turmoil of the day. I was clear to think about the task at hand. I predict that people who find their most productive hours to be just after waking up are similarly benefitting from the mental clarity left in the absence of prior digital consumption.

Reduced digital consumption leading up to the time of “deep work” is the third step to achieving focus. This is my idea of “digital minimalism,” and the reason I’m excited for Newport’s new book. The views I express here are conclusions drawn from solo experimentation, and I can’t wait to read how Newport addresses this topic when armed with broader research and studied recommendations.

A Goofy Example

If I listen to a 15-minute clip of the Joe Rogan Experience podcast about moon landing conspiracies, my brain is now sent spinning, trying to decide what I believe. The 15 minutes spent watching the video is not the only time lost to this nearly pointless endeavor. My brain is now distracted by these ideas for hours or days afterward. These are the residual negative effects. I’ve attempted to illustrate this below. Multiply these residual thoughts by 10–100x/per day and you can imagine the challenge our brains face in maintaining clarity.

Noticing these effects has driven me to reduce media consumption, and I am much happier for it. I look forward to reading Cal Newport’s take on how to reduce digital distraction in Digital Minimalism.

I originally posted this article on LinkedIn. I’m still figuring out this whole “World Wide Web” craze.

Please note that the books purchased using the links in this article may earn me a small commission for sales referred.