Will I love Digital Minimalism?

I’m a person who thrives on having a peace-filled life, and the notifications and noise from constant technology can overstimulate me and keep me from being productive and creative. As soon as I read this title, I knew I needed it.

He promotes embracing a philosophy of using digital tools only when they support your deeply held values, help you reach your goals, and allow you to do deep work undistracted. He talks about doing a 30-day “digital declutter” to break tech addictions and rediscover offline activities that bring satisfaction. He emphasizes solitude, high-quality leisure, and intentional tech use to… show more.

As a Cal Newport fan, I find his work indispensable. Deep Work influenced my approach as a productivity coach, and I quickly incorporated his research into my business. With this one, Newport masterfully presents why we need to declutter our digital lives without demanding we go off-grid, which isn't achievable (nor would we want it to be).

The relatable stories of people experimenting with digital restraint brought the strategies to life, showing that anyone can find more solitude and less noise. His realistic, actionable insights make this a go-to for me to recommend to my clients.

Newport shares his philosophy that less is more when it comes to technology use.

There is so much noise in the digital world that minimizing your online time will not result in missing out on anything. Instead, it will give you the clarity of mind to pursue your interests, live in a more relaxed way, and improve your productivity and mental capabilities.

Newport provides a framework that helps you decide which digital tools to use and under what conditions. Overall, this is a great, well-written book with many great examples and stories that underline his philosophy.

A single read of this book saved me hours in the years that followed. Newport looks critically at how we bring technology into our lives and suggests that we hold a higher bar to which digital tools we allow into our days.

This book got me rethinking my balance of deep work (what only I can do, when at my best) and shallow work (needing less focus/expertise) and how my digital tools support or disrupt that balance.

If you worry that you are spending too much time on your phone and finding that it’s getting in the way of your life, you might find this book just the right push to get some distance from your devices. Cal Newport gives loads of practical advice on how to make your phone work for you, and not the other way around. This book encouraged me to delete a whole load of distracting apps that I was sinking hours into without realising. If you want/need to be more focused at work and have fewer things fighting for your attention then… show more.