Hey there —

It’s no secret our screens shape our lives. The second we feel bored or lonely we’ll hop online for a dopamine distraction to temporarily forget how we’re feeling — distancing us from our emotions.

But this distraction, which comes in the form of news and notifications, creates a background hum of unease. It leads us to impulsively check our phones (up to 344 times a day 😶) to see if we’ve “missed anything” or if someone “needs us.”

If left unchecked, our technology usage can diminish our quality of life. We might find it difficult to be present with friends if battling the urge to open email.

Or we swap hobbies we were once passionate about with mindless digital activity (it’s true that reading does have a tough battle against the alluring TikTok algorithm).

But technology doesn’t have to impact our lives this way.

Introducing: digital minimalism. Popularized by Cal Newport’s book Digital Minimalism, this philosophy questions what digital tools (and behaviors around said tools) add value to your life — and encourages you to ditch those that don’t.

For example, say you value being a creator and connecting with others through sharing videos on YouTube. Although YouTube is useful, you notice your mood is heavily impacted by your videos’ metrics.

If you’re a digital minimalist, you’d find a way to alter your YouTube dashboard so it serves your values (and isn’t a source of mood swings). This could be done by downloading Goodbye Metrics, an extension created by us from the Slow Growth team (shameless plug 👋) that switches off your YouTube analytics.

Another example of digital minimalism could be deleting the “entertainment” apps on your phone that make you feel more numb than relaxed (*cough* Instagram and TikTok *cough*).

And instead, you spend your newfound time entertaining yourself the good old-fashioned way — by reading, writing, or spending time with friends and family.

Ultimately, digital minimalism isn’t about rejecting technology: it’s about being intentional with it.

And because technology is neither inherently good nor bad, our intentionality is the distinctive factor between it being something that drains us or a tool that benefits our lives.

The good news is we have the power to decide which one it’ll be. ✨

It’s time to stop living the American scam

by Tim Kreider

“Anyone can get ahead by working hard.”

For decades, people relied on the American Dream to justify demanding hours and constant busyness. But writer Tim Kreider argues the pandemic made us realize the American Dream might actually be a scam.

In this essay, Kreider validates anyone who might be questioning the purpose of their job. It turns out we're not “productive” on the right things — and that more meaningful work is out there.

Read the article →

Canva Docs

by Canva

Canva just released its newest feature, Canva Docs, and it’s giving Google Docs a run for its money. 🏃

Described as a “visual-first document creator,” this tool lets you infuse visual elements such as charts, images, graphs, videos, and more. It offers hundreds of preset templates, and even “Magic Write,” an A.I. companion, to assist with writing.

This tool is perfect for creators who want to freshen up their content, students who need to make presentations, or anyone who’s sick of Google Docs (kidding, kidding).

Check out the tool→

The perfectionism spiral

by Adam Grant

This infographic from psychologist Adam Grant offers a fascinating way to visualize perfectionism. Grant shows it as a “spiral” that will diminish our comfort zone until we’re too scared to try anything new.

If perfectionism is getting in the way of achieving [insert amazing goal here], this visual might help you see things from a different and motivating perspective.

Check out the tweet →

“I appreciate a moment more when I know I’ll never see it again."
― Derek Sivers

Written by Alice Lemée

Edited by Matt D'Avella & Kerstin Sheppard