Empty February

A framework for less Cognitive Cluster#$#@

“Easier said than done.”

A maxim that is familiar to all.

If you take a moment and reflect, what areas of your life does it apply to? Behaviors or actions that you regularly talk or think about, but don’t act upon.

As I wrote in an earlier post, one goal in continuing this writing project is to do.

Something I have personally been reflecting on a lot lately is how difficult it can be to behave consistently (doing) if we don’t give ourselves a framework or rules to abide by. When every tiny decision is left to willpower or judgment, it becomes extremely difficult to act in alignment with our “best intentions” (saying).

best intentions + framework + consistency = a happy future self.

To start 2024, I decided to do my own personal “Dry January” where I would abstain from drinking alcohol. I hoped to approach an especially busy month of my life with a clear mind, and the best energy I could muster as a father of two young girls.

I wanted to begin an intensive running program, had a busy extracurricular coaching schedule, and knew that between that, family, and work commitments I would be at my best if I took a break from happy hours and nightcaps.

Once you commit to “living by the rules” of the framework you have set, it relieves a great deal of pressure from having to deal with decision fatigue. You hold strong on your timeframe until the finish line and reassess and reflect from there.

So reflecting on this past month, along with other areas of my life where I have built-in guardrails for decision-making, I thought about one of the biggest hindrances to “cognitive clarity”; technological overwhelm.

Enter Empty February.

The goal of Empty February is to drastically reduce the level of Cognitive Cluster$#$@ by building in a framework around tech usage.

Here is my beginning framework for February:

• Delete every app I can that will not impede my day-to-day life, or that may be a cause for distraction.

• No browsing/Checking news etc at work, even on breaks.

• Check work email twice a day during a workday. (Beginning/End)

• Check personal email once a day.

• Turn off all but urgent notifications on my phone.

• Turn off smartwatch notifications.

• Limit of 30 minutes per day for “open browsing” using my laptop.

• Podcasts/Music/Kindle App/ChatGPT/Writing = okay

  I already have some rules/habits that others may want to consider:

• No phone in the bedroom when sleeping.

• No phone for the first 30 minutes in the morning.

• Tech off by ___ time when it’s an early morning the next day.

• Minimal social media use, and no apps on my phone except “X”.

Like many, I can struggle with focus, undivided attention, and sustained effort. I am curious to see what setting some hard boundaries will do.

The hope will be to spend more time reading in-depth, writing, connecting (with people), and disconnecting (from the erupting geyser of digital waterflow)

If you are going to try your version of Empty February, please let me know. What it looks like would depend on one’s life, work, and needs.

Also, if you know of someone who you think might like to try your version of this, please send this along!

Good luck!

p.s - More on the research behind technology, distractibility and attention span here.