Five Steps To Creating A Music Lovers' Digital Minimalist Checklist
From Tech-Centric To Digital Minimalist
Have you seen The Matrix Trilogy movie? Yes! Some might call it an old movie but the movie's big idea still holds today of what could happen when we take technology to the extreme from when we own it to when it’s owning us. We have become tech-centric, many people are owned by technology and they don’t even know it. From the launch of the iPhone 3, the introduction of Apps platforms such as Play Store & App Store, Kiddle by Amazon, to social media such as WhatsApp, Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, TikTok, Youtube, and more, our digital realities has never been the same. It is true that the digital world has come to stay in ways that facilitate connectivity without borders and promote commerce - there is still a need to be deliberate about making sure it doesn’t become a burden to us as it is to some.
With over 3.8 billion persons online most are on social media.
The usage of overall digital media has more than doubled since 2013.
In 2016 there were 3,668 billion smartphone users has doubled to 6,378b in 2021.
However, it turned out that one of every two minutes more people are spending on trivia and more people are watching entertainment videos than are watching courses on how to increase their earning power…
People are more distracted and some are even depressed today than ever.
How can we live a more blissful life instead of this madness?
To be intentional and mindful of our choices. And Digital minimalism will help you achieve this.
What Is Minimalism?
Minimalism is a mindset not an activity, the art of subtraction not addition, simplicity, and not complicating. On hearing the word minimalism a lot of people only think of decluttering and owning fewer things while that is part of it, that is not the total truth. Have you seen people who declutter one day and by the next day everywhere is cluttered up? There is a need to first make a mental leap before you can successfully make a physical adjustment. This is what it means to be a minimalist - someone who is intentional about living a meaningful life and daily making choices that support this resolution.
Minimalism isn't about owning small materials. Minimalism is a wise mindset with a fresh perspective on life.
“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication” — Leonardo da Vinci
What Is Digital Minimalism?
Digital Minimalism is an extension of minimalism to adopt the same philosophy: to be intentional with our use of technology.
As a Digital Minimalist, you critically consider what digital tools are not adding value to your life and which ones are so that you can reduce the digital noise. Delete unused apps, software, and files, unsubscribe to emails… that no longer serve your needs to create room to optimize the ones that are of value to you.
Benefits Of Having A Digital Minimalist Checklist
Productivity: You get things done without being overwhelmed since you focus your time and choices online on doing only what aligns with your objective.
Balance: As a digital minimalist, you are intentional about your choices and you can choose when you work and when you play without losing focus.
Freedom: the desire to be a digital minimalist and a conscious effort to make the mental leap and physical changes help you to break free from the addictive behaviors that the technology has helped to foster.
The Five-Steps Music Lover Digital Minimalist Checklist
Winners and losers both have ideas but winners win because they understand that there are no million-dollar ideas only million dollars execution.
Step 1: DECIDE
Animals possess all of the physical features as humans, except the mind, unfortunately, only a few of us have learned to use our minds.
When we want to do things, we mostly wait for circumstances to change before we make our moves instead of just deciding.
Nelson Mandela once said that Everything is impossible until someone does it.
Those who do it, break a new record and set new standards because they made a decision.
Once you make up your mind, your circumstances will change to make your desire for digital minimalism a reality.
Step 2: DELETE
Backup files such as videos, images, audio, and other regular downloads from email, WhatsApp, and other social media platforms that you consider valuable.
Then declutter your devices by deleting apps and software that you don't use or could be a source of distraction, do the same with your files on all your gadgets. Remove notifications, pictures, videos, temporary files, messages, caches, emails, and other files you consider unnecessary.
After changing multiple phones because of space issues you will realize that you need to declutter your phone by doing backup and freeing up space - delete a lot of unnecessary files…
Step 3: DEXTERITY
Learn to utilize social media like a professional; being a minimalist is all about living intentionally being mindful of what you're doing.
Before you use social media, clarify you're why. Is it to entertain yourself? Or earn a living? There ought to be a balance between the two because as a free individual you should be able to do whatever you want whenever you want but the challenge comes in when you have not set boundaries to prevent been manipulated by some marketers and all the things online.
So you use social media like a professional, if you're there for fun let it be timed and if it's to make money very good don't be distracted.
Step 4: DUMB DOWN
Simplify your digital life.
The use of smartphones, tablets, PCs, social media, emails, and other programs are inevitable but we can still make choices, such as browse in privacy mode or just use browsers like Duckduckgo.
Do a summation of all your digital assets (programs, files, folders, accounts, etc.).
Delete the things you don't need or just give them away to those who need them. E.g tutorials you don’t need etc.
Rearrange what's left. Sort things into folders, properly labeled for easy assessment.
Sustain a clutter-free life with reasonable and empowering habits.
Step 5: DECODE
Do you know it’s possible to be looking are not seeing without being blind? It takes skills to see and not just look, to listen and not just hear, and to study and not just read but those with these skills are better for it.
It has been said by the wise ones, “The best way to hide something from Black people is to put it in a book.” In this age and time, we can undoubtedly substitute “Black people” with “Most people” because they don’t study. We recommend the book: Digital Minimalism, to further your learning on the subject.
The book is a good read on the subject, the author Newport proposed the need for a brand new perspective on how we use technology, clarify what matters to you not what you have been told by the advertisers, to embrace your values, and only use tools that serve you to this end while deliberately ignoring the rest.
Main Points
The Five (5) Big Ideas Presented are
- Digital Minimalism: A philosophy of how to use technology in ways that allow you to invest time on a small variety of cautiously selected and optimized activities that you consider valuable while deliberately leaving out others that you consider to be of lesser value.
- Digital Declutter: This is the process by which you sort all your digital files arranging the content in our devices, accounts, emails, etc. to keep the few that are still relevant and while removing whatever is not needed or useful to you anymore.
- Solitude Deprivation: In this tech-centric era people don’t spend time alone to introspect, meditate, reflect and listen to their inner voice. Their mind has literally become loose and a dumping ground for garbage.
The Social Media Paradox: Social media makes you feel connected and lonely, glad and sad.
- The Bennett principle: This law implies that the level of satisfaction you receive from an activity is commensurate to the level of energy invested. This is addictive in a way; those who invest their time-consuming trivia online will deprive pleasure as a result and amazingly those who produce the content for others to consume will be satisfied too. However, the latter is more profitable than the former. As a digital minimalist use this principle to your advantage
- A Lopsided Arms Race
“People yield to displays not because they are lazy, but rather because billions of dollars have been invested to make this outcome inevitable.”
People now associate checking "likes" with smoking - it's the new smoking.
“People yield to displays not because they are lazy, but rather because billions of dollars have been invested to make this outcome inevitable.”
For many people checking "likes" on social media has an effect similar to smoking - checking likes is the new smoking.
After reviewing the applicable psychology literature and interviewing applicable humans within the generation world, creator Adam Alter determined that:
Our new technologies are specifically nicely suitable to foster behavioral addictions; and in many cases, these addictive residences of the latest technologies are cautiously engineered with those features.
Conclusion
Minimalism is the art of understanding how less is more. Digital minimalism is about this mindset of our digital technological lifestyle. The importance of living a meaningful life in an ever more busy and noisy world.
Digital minimalist applies this concept to their personal lives because they know how crucial it is to living a centered, mindful, and meaningful life in a world without privacy. If you take a good look around you, you will see that digital minimalists are everywhere.
How will you adapt the act of digital minimalism to your personal life? Comment down below.
References
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