We live in an attention economy, in which social media giants spend billions of dollars, to capture and retain our attention.

Instagram, Facebook, X and the rest, are all competing for our time and mental energy.

Time is the most precious and valuable asset we have. This is followed very closely, by our mental energy.

Both are finite. We only have so much of each, on any given day.

Why then, should we surrender so much of each, to social media companies, who, most of the time, are not providing us with joy or value in return?

I am currently reading Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focussed Life, in a Noisy World by Cal Newport.

In this very well researched book, the author highlights the importance of taking a far more intentional and minimalistic approach to technology use.

By taking such an approach, we can recapture significant amounts of time and energy, which can be put to far better use.

I adopted the philosophy of digital minimalism, long before reading this book. That being said, reading the book has helped to validate my long held beliefs, whilst also giving me some new ideas, which I'm really grateful for.   

For example, I don't have any social media apps installed on my phone.

If I want to post on social media or catch up with people's updates, I take the intentional step of opening a web browser and checking my accounts.

Do not disturb is permanently activated on my phone and all push notifications are turned off.

Stop and think about the term "Push Notifications" for a second.

How do you feel about being pushed around?

I never answer my phone, unless I recognise the number and even then, I very rarely answer, on account of my do not disturb settings.

I check my phone periodically to check for new voicemails and messages. If it's urgent, I will return the call. If not, I will respond at a convenient time and let the conversation evolve asynchronously. 

There are many other intentional steps, which I take every day, to protect my time and energy. This is so I can consciously and intentionally invest my time and energy, into the things, which bring me joy and value.

For example, on a typical day, I wake up at 6:30am and am at my desk, with a fresh cup of coffee by 7:30am.

I enjoy 4-5 hours of deeply focussed and intentional work, which is hyper productive and enjoyable, as I'm in a flow state, entirely free of distractions. 
 
This means that by 12:30, I'm free to enjoy a nice walk and a lunch with my wife.

This experience is greatly enhanced, by the inner peace, which comes from having accomplished something meaningful.

Everyone has their own version of a life, which brings them joy and value.

I would encourage you, to clarify what that life looks like for you and to take a very intentional approach, so you can ensure that you're living it.