Since last week I have been downsizing my digital life some more. Focusing on the process of deleting and re-editing the digital life, a balance seems to come to light. A balance between digital and real living. A saner relationship with technology. The following list shows the habits I’ve developed during the last weeks:
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Email checking: once or twice a day (an idea of Leo Babauta and Everett Bogue)
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I use my PC to write stuff or read
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Simplified backups: I only have an external drive to back everything up. Nothing more. (Thanks Leo!)
Also, I have come to the conclusion that:
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a better computer use means increasing savings (in energy, time, money and hassles)
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if the workspace or computer configuration is important, the user’s mind is even more important
The wise use of technology implies we do not buy lots of gadgets and stuff to get things done. We also save both mental and physical energy for what’s really important to us. Obviously, even if I advocate to minimalist living, it doesn’t mean I don’t like geeky technology or gadgets at all. Instead, I simply make an effort to reduce the need I feel for using a certain technology, finding new ways to get my work done efficiently. Being technology a tool (and your head is the toolbox, because it reads and understands the virtual reality a computer shows us), we, as users, should become aware of the boundary between a productive use of technology, and an unproductive one. Also, some technologies work better than others and may fit on our daily routine more efficiently.
What I’m using these days
I want to show you a minimalist Linux-based distro that will help you increase your productivity: Macpup. I’ve been personally testing it during the last two weeks or so, and I think it is a nice choice, especially if you’re looking for some nice gift idea for Christmas. Macpup is a version of Puppy Linux, with a Mac graphical flavour. Its logo says “the Beauty Of Linux”. I don’t know if it can be the right choice for everyone, but I personally feel the overall interface so smooth and my time at work or leisure is really flawless with it. Low system requirements make it a stable choice for who wants a nice, modern and minimalist interface on older computers as well. I found Macpup to be unstable on my computer: maybe it is just me, but it frequently crashed and didn’t save some settings (maybe it is just my fault), so I had to stop using it. Another good catch, a bit more stable, is xPUD, another Linux distribution.
PPS. If you’re looking for inspiration on how to spend this Christmas or you don’t know what to buy, you may find this article interesting and helpful! His author, Matt Madeiro, is a writer / traveller / nerd who made three big changes in the last two years: he lost weight, started to travel, and embraced minimalism, finally selling all the clutter and crap in his life.