I Am Going Analog
We live in a world full of tech. With that comes not only the conveniences but also the distractions. My phone can do so much. It's more powerful than the computer that put the rocket on the moon, but I can barely get any productive work done because I get distracted easily when I open it up. I can open my phone to do a simple task, but I still stare at the screen 5 minutes later because of all the notifications. It doesn't happen by accident either. If you ever wonder why you always find yourself swiping on reels or other distracting things when you get on your phone for something else, it isn't just the lack of discipline you have. Companies are paid big bucks and spend a lot of time and resources to design these things to capture our attention at a scary level. So even though we are living in an age of technology and greatness, we are also at war for our own attention.
So I am shifting to a more analog approach. I am aiming to replace digital tools with more analog counterparts. What I am doing has a name: Digital Minimalism. I am not going to the lengths that others are going, but I am striving to find a healthy balance where I can choose, for the most part, where my attention goes, rather than it being taken from me. I still utilize tech, and I will talk about how technology is still important later on, but I am aiming to live a more intentional life.
One disclaimer I want to say is that I am no expert. I am just a guy in my 20s trying to live a meaningful life while creating things that matter to me. So take this as you will, as what I do and what I use may or may not work for you. Since that is out of the way, let's get on with it.
Notebook & Planner
This is probably the biggest thing I have incorporated: pen and paper. I utilize 3 different notebooks, all for different things. First is my planner. Every quarter, I plan out an entire 3 months loosely. I use my annual goals to set up quarterly and weekly goals, so the calendar ends up filling itself based on what I want to accomplish in a year. I say I plan loosely because I am not omnipotent and will know what exactly I will be doing in 72 days. This goes into the next part. Every week I sit down and look over the next week. I fill in things that maybe got looked over, or added last minute. All of this prep will help me focus on what I want to accomplish rather than spending mental energy every morning thinking "What do I have to do today?"
Next is my pocket notebook (the red Field Notes). This is my daily notebook. Every night I prep the next day by writing down all of my tasks, a portion to track my health goals, a section for gratitude, and a final section to sum up the day so I can remember it later. I won't show exactly how I do this because this kind of stuff is so subjective, it is more important that people come up with a system that works for them rather than them feeling like they have to use someone else's. I also do weekly reviews, quarterly reviews, and my check-in reflections in this notebook. While I am out and about, I check things off I accomplish and move on. This is the daily driver and makes it to where I don't have to worry about what I am supposed to be doing and when, I already planned it out, and now I just gotta do it.
Lastly is my photography notebook (the open notebook). This is an end-all-be-all photography book. I write down my notes, thoughts, and anything and everything else to do with my craft. This includes ideas for these blogs and videos, notes from mentors/lecturers, or random inspiration that occasionally pops in my head. So instead of thinking of a cool idea and hoping I remember it, I catch it like a caterpillar so I can watch it turn into a beautiful butterfly later on.
Timepiece
So, I will admit, I have gone through phases with watches. I used to be big into them, any and all watches, then I got into smartwatches, and now I am back into analog with a focus on mechanical. But none of that matters right now. The big takeaway is that I wear a physical watch on my wrist (NOT A SMARTWATCH), and it has decreased my screen time significantly.
We have all been there. We open our phones to see the time. When we see the time on our home screens, we also see notifications. Uh oh, better check and see what's going on. Fast forward and we are still swiping 10 minutes later because it was a losing battle from the beginning. If I am curious about the time now, I just look at my wrist and get back to doing what I am supposed to do. Smartwatches don't help with this because they bring your notifications closer to you by buzzing on your wrist, so of course you are going to look at it, or have that itch to check at least. The more you can not look at your screen, the less influenced you can be.
Physical Entertainment
Boy oh boy am I a nerd for this. Physical entertainment is a broad term, so I will just tell you how I utilize it.
First, comic books. If you haven't thought about getting into comic books, or look down upon it, give me a chance to tell you about it. Comic books are not just about the book you get, but about the culture and community you enter (and it's not just a bunch of guys in sweatpants telling you how wrong you are about your favorite comic character.) Comics come out on a monthly basis, so imagine a really cool comic movie, but you get a new episode every month! You get to be involved with the story as it comes out, and it gets even more exciting for when you see something on the big screen years later, you might be able to see where they got their inspiration from a comic you read. Again, I am nerding out, but it's cool.
Now regular books. I am not the strongest reader, but I am working on fixing that. I do utilize technology for this as well as I do have a Kindle. I bought the Kindle intentionally though because even though I am reading the books in a digital format, it does not have all the distractions a phone or tablet does. Also, books look great on a shelf after you read them.
Tabletop games can give you some of the best memories of your lifetime. Whether this be Dungeons & Dragons, or drunk UNO at 2:00 AM, they are engaging and meaningful. They bring people together and encourage connection in a way no other media can. Now don't get me wrong, I like video games as much as the next guy, but physical games bring that sense of connection to a whole other level. I'd rather play cards with friends over gaming online any day of the week.
Lastly, let's talk about movies. Again, I am a huge nerd for this. I am a big movie guy. Now I do utilize tech for this as well, as the majority of my movie collection is digital. I also collect steel books of movies I really love, but I want to address something else with this topic. Watch movies intentionally. This means when you pick out a movie, don't just watch it to "put something on". Watch a movie because you actually want to watch it and be invested in its story. Movies are magical as they are still as impactful today as they were when they were invented. People talk about them as they come out. People analyze them as artistic pieces years after they were released. Be intentional when you watch these. Pay attention, put your phone away, and appreciate the picture. Dive into it unapologetically.
One thing I want to address on this whole section is that I get that physical media costs money and space. This section was not meant to tell you to start buying or collecting things, but to appreciate these physical medias that have been out for a while, and that you may be overlooking. They are still around today for a reason, and I feel like a lot of people are too distracted today to appreciate them as much as they once were before.
Social Time
Social media originally brought us closer to one another as it connected many people who would have never seen each other again. This was when it first came out though. It is a different game now. If you haven't noticed, social media is mainly accounts you don't follow, or ads to sell to you. They don't care about you connecting with your friends, but they want to use you to get money. So this section is to remind you to reach out in the real world.
Send the text, give them a call, hell, send a letter if you want to have fun with it. We get so caught up in the idea of "I don't want to bother them" that we don't reach out. Do you know what that looks like on their side? Nothing. They get nothing and they don't know that you are thinking about them. They WILL NOT know, unless you get over the fact that you have the ability to impact their life, just like they can yours. Even if you do bother them, they can choose not to answer. You are out nothing here, so reach out. Let people know that you rethinking about them because even though we are "connected" with social media, I would argue that we are living in one of the most lonely feeling times in history.
So reach out. I get lunch with a buddy every single week, and I don't care if I am bugging him, and he doesn't care if he is bugging me. First off, we don't bother each other, and second, that weekly lunch is one of the most important things on my calendar every week because it is a meaningful and intentional connection. It far surpasses the memes and texts we can send each other. So next time you see an event you think a loved one or friend will like, grab their hand and drag them to it if you have to because time spent together is something you can run out of eventually, and you will wish you spent more time with them. We never know when we say "goodbye" for the last time to someone, so make every moment count with them.
One last thing that kind of inspired this section. I have been listening to a new band called The Brudi Brothers and in their song, "Morrows Children", they say this:
"When you leave the room, please close the door with care
You might never pass that way again
When you shake a stranger's hand, please, look them in the eye
You may never see that face again"
Those are some powerful and beautiful lyrics right there.
Digital Has It's Place
As I have mentioned through this blog, digital certainly has its place in our lives. It would be next to impossible to completely get away from it, but we can be mindful of what we use, and how we use it. I use digital tools like my Kindle to read books, or my digital movie library to watch movies without ads in the middle of it. I still play video games, but I set timers. I HAVE to have a smartphone in this day and age, but I turned the home screen to black and white so I don't get distracted by the different colors of notifications that don't matter. The biggest one is that I am a photographer who only uses digital cameras. Digital tools cannot be beaten in a lot of cases, but that is not the point of this blog. It is to point out that we need to use things intentionally, that way the things that are supposed to help us don't distract us and keep us from doing great things.
Be Intentional
So as a final message, be intentional. Ask yourself if you really need to be on your phone as much as you are, or any other screen for that matter. We have lost the ability to just sit in the here and now, to observe the world around us. Since I have made some analog substitutions, I have been able to just put whatever is in my hands down, and take in the moment. To hear the birds, feel the breeze on my skin, to appreciate how light hits something in just the "right" way. All of this is because I am less distracted. All of this is also intentionally improving my photographic eye because I am not looking at a screen but can look at a mundane scene in a more interesting and beautiful way.
Going a little more analog has helped me. You don't have to do what I do, and in fact, don't do what I do. Evaluate your situation, and see what you actually need. Don't try defending something you know is distracting or harming you. Don't use this blog to justify spending a bunch of money on things. All of this is a mindset, a mindset of how intentional you want to be with your attention and time. As for me, I like holding on to my time and attention as much as I can, for as long as I can. These tools and this mindset are helping me do so.
