Tag: productive

How To Declutter Your Digital Life – Digital Tools Vs. Digital Distraction
Productivity · Time Management · Writer Self-Care

How To Declutter Your Digital Life – Digital Tools Vs. Digital Distraction

AubreyLLeave a comment

I’ve been reading Cal Newport’s “Digital Minimalism” over the last few weeks. Like many people in their 30s, I started using social media in my early 20s and I’ve just continued to use it, without realizing how much digital clutter was making its way into my life. I did not realize the negative impact digital clutter was having on me. Our social media apps and programs are built to be addictive and to make us feel like we’re engaging and talking constantly with other humans.

There is some value in social media and other tools of the digital age, but not all of it is equal.

In Newport’s book, he discusses the concept of choosing your digital tools wisely and decluttering the tools you use that may cause you to become distracted or put you in a feedback loop for online approval. This hit me really hard last week. I have a wonderful husband who who has been really supportive of me lately. I had a sudden impulse that I needed to share how wonderful he was on Facebook…Instead of simply turning to him and telling him how much I appreciate his support. Sure, sharing on Facebook would show others how I appreciate him, but the point was to be grateful to him, not to showcase my gratitude to the world.

I think Digital Minimalism has some great lessons to teach, even if I don’t feel like all the lessons fit perfectly for me. Since a lot of the work I do is online and through social media, I can’t abandon those tools entirely, but I can make them better tools and less distracting.

Digital tools add value and help us live better lives.

Digital distractions keep us from living that better life.

I definitely recommend checking out Newport’s book, but here are some ways to get started tossing out the digital clutter:

Delete The Apps That Aren’t Serving You

I went through my phone and removed applications that I don’t regularly use and I removed some that I felt like didn’t really add value to my life. I have a handful of “games” I play when I need to de-stress or take a breath, but I also had some games that had started to feel like an obligation, something I had to log into every day. Those went bye-bye.

I also deleted apps that I had downloaded with good intentions but hardly used or never used. If there comes a time that they server a purpose for me, I can download them again later.

Unfollow, Unfriend, Unlike and Leave the Group

Last night, I went through all of the groups I was in and pages I had liked on Facebook. I removed any group or page I felt like didn’t add to my digital life. I’ve already done this sort of thing with Instagram and Twitter. I joined a lot of these social media applications early on in their existence and over the last ten years or so, I’ve liked and joined so many groups and pages on a whim that add nothing to my life.

While these apps can still be more of a distraction than a tool for me at times, at least know the content I’m viewing when I use them is catered to the life I currently want to live.

It’s a lot like clearing out an old box of stuff from ten years ago. The woman I am now doesn’t have a use for some of the things she would have dearly loved in her 20s. It also helps me make space for groups, pages and people who actively add to my digital life and help me keep my focus on where I want to go in my real life.

5 Tools to Boost Your Productivity
Writing

5 Tools to Boost Your Productivity

AubreyLLeave a comment

After nearly 3 years of writing and working as a freelancer, I’ve found good tools that keep me productive are essential.  I think these tools can be helpful to just about anyone, from writers and artists, to people who work in a more traditional job.  Most of these are tools I have used for a time, and then I’ve gone on to modify them to best work for me personally.   I’ve written about some of them before, but this is an updated list that I think will be of great use to you!

Momentum

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Momentum is an add-on app for Google Chrome.  When you open a new tab on the browser, you are met with the beautiful Momentum Dashboard.  This is one of my favorite parts of the app, each picture is stunning and inspiring.  Way better than looking at a blank new tab page.  It has a place to list your main focus for the day, as well as menus where you can make a to-do list and store your favorite links.  For me, Momentum helps me remain focused on projects that matter, when I might be opening a new tab to do something that’s not quite as productive.

Strict Workflow

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Strict Workflow is another add-on for Google Chrome and it is honestly one of my favorites.  It uses the Pomodoro Technique, which involves 25-minute working sprints and 5-minute breaks, but it takes it a step further.  The little tomato on the upper right-hand part of your browser works as a timer, but it also blocks sites that might distract you while it is ticking away.  If you want to look at Facebook during those 25 minutes, you can’t, unless you want to disable the extension or uninstall it.  If I am struggling to focus, this app is perfect.  It blocks sites that might tempt me away from my work, but I can still access them once the break timer starts.  You can also edit the work and break times, according to what works best for you.

RescueTime

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RescueTime is an application that runs in the background of your computer and measures the time you spend on different programs and websites.  You can log into their website and monitor your productive time, see what distractions you’re spending the most time on, or see if you’re spending way too much time replying to emails.  They also send you a weekly email that breaks down all the time you spent on your computer for the week.

I love this app, because I can see exactly how much time I’ve spent writing and working for clients, based on the programs I’ve used and how long I used them for.  I can also see if I’m spending too much time playing games or writing emails.

Focus Booster

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Focus Booster works similarly to Strict Workflow, in that, they both make use of the Pomodoro Technique.  Focus Booster is not a free program, but they have a trial you can make use of to see if their program is helpful for you.  They also have a “Professional” option, which is about $5 a month and allows you to track your sessions automatically and compile a timesheet.  This is great for those of us who work freelance jobs, because you can seamlessly track the time you work on a particular job for a particular client.  You can also export a CSV report to use for invoices.

Bullet Journal

This year I’ve actually purchased the Ink+Volt Planner, but I use a lot of the functions I learned from 2 years of bullet journaling.  I loved using this method because it made it so easy to see what I had worked on and what I needed to work on.  It’s basically like creating a renewable to do list. You can check out the Bullet Journal website for step by step instructions on how to craft and create your own journal.  You can also check out the bulletjournal tag on tumblr to see how other users are creating their journals!

I hope this list helps you!  Do you have any awesome apps or methods I should check out?  Please comment if you do!