During the month of October, ADMIN’s team decided to test the waters for our Book of the Month. Sure, we wanted a book that related to business and how we work, but we also wanted to branch out of the traditional business book arena. This landed us on Cal Newport’s book: Digital Minimalism. In a day and age where the hype of minimalism clashes with the want to have and do it all, we were intrigued to see how putting down our phones and stepping away from the computer can make us more productive.
There’s no denying the positive impact that technology has had on business and on society. It has connected people who would normally never interact and broadened the audience for every business. However, the non-stop growth of tech has also driven people to fall into the obsessive trap of missing the moment (here and now) because we are too busy trying to document it. Newport’s book explores a group of people who have managed to escape this trap and find balance both in life and in business.
This book is filled with insights on why being tech-obsessed is bad for our health and our levels of productivity. Newport studies how people from all walks of life are able to develop a more healthy set of social habits and focus on the things that matter to them. From Amish farmers to the engineers running Silicon Valley, each has a story of how they let go of the pull to their screens. You know the saying “there’s not enough hours in the day?” Newport challenges this and asks you to take a deeper look at how you spend your time each day. Chances are, you are wasting a lot more time than you think!
Newport also uses the book to encourage people to create healthier habits that will find pleasures in a life offline. Whether you simply turn off notifications or create a schedule for social media use, this book will definitely push you to put down the phone and get back to real life.
We want to know: What are you reading this month? Share with us in the comments below!