Digital Minimalism Is Overrated
Over the past years I have strived towards a more self determined digital and professional identity. Minimalism is a huge and timeless topic. Social media, video and streaming platforms, books and magazines are filled with digital and material minimalism content. It seems the present value maximizers (e.g. #yolo) are currently losing ground in the battle for attention against the end value maximizers (e.g. #firemovement). However I am convinced a focus on minimalism only misses an important point: the road to happiness in modern day's fast paced communication cycles is not a question of principle, but a question of the right balance. Hence the answer to the question of the right digital strategy, regardless whether private or professional, can not be answered by a one time decision to embrace a monk like minimalism. Rather you should continually reevaluate your options, necessities and focus on balancing your digital habits.
Why I Turned Off All Push Notifications
A few years back I had a moment of revelation: I was working on three different projects for three different engagement partners simultaneously and none of the partners would agree to a model that would fill -only- 100% of my time. It was an impossible situation and I soon realized I would not get anywhere with anything by applying my proven working model: push harder, work more, try to delegate as much as possible etc.. At one point I was not even able to keep up with the information flow of the projects any more. I concocted a new model to be able to allocate my resources in the most effective way possible. The model met three requirements: First, it had to be simple to be executed easily on a daily basis. Second, it had to reduce or better eliminate reactive work; even better: replace reactive work entirely with proactive work that is focused on pushing progress and rendering tangible results. Third: I had to be approachable and available to a certain degree and avoid my schedule to be clogged up entirely. So I came up with a simple 9 measures plan:
- Start work at 07:30am. Start with something you can finish or that renders a tangible result. Don't start with emails or messaging.
- Turn off all push notifications - emails, instant messages, social media, everything to minimize distraction.
- Check and answer emails and instant messages twice a day for max. 30mins.
- Clear email box by sorting emails in either -finish now, -finish later, -delete. Answer mails immediately only if they are prioritized as 'finish now'.
- If an email would take more than 5mins to write, arrange a short call - or call immediately.
- Be available for calls only. If you can't take the call, get back as soon as you're available.
- Answer messages only in case you can deliver an immediate result without triggering further conversation. Not all emails are worth the time for a response.
- Start preparation of the next day at 06:30pm - make a rough plan and set up goals and subsequent steps for each element in the schedule.
- Stop working at 7pm* latest.
With this strategy I was able to work through a significant stretch of time on three different and equally demanding assignments. On all of those assignments the default working model of assigned project staff was 80-100%. I did not apply all the methods from the start however. I rather refined my strategy over several weeks until I felt I had the right measures in place that would enable me to allocate my time in the most effective way possible.
Although I later ditched some of the measures applied, when I went back to a two or sometimes even one project at a time model, I still kept some of the measures in place. The one that I have also applied privately is the one that I felt rendered the biggest benefit for both my time management and my mental well being: turn off all push notifications. It's not because I am a digital minimalist. There's plenty of habits I entertain that would freak out any digital minimalist. It is because I am a digital self determinist. I decide what is useful for my own purposes and what is not. Also I regularly challenge everything around me - for instance digital etiquette and digital habits of my peers.
*I felt that was a pretty bold move at the time. Currently I don't work past 6pm - no exceptions. Nobody has ever died or been insured because I stopped working at 6pm so far.
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