One day I woke up and my laptop wouldn't turn on. Being lightweight and multi-functional it was great for a nomad. Surprisingly, there was no stress, no cursing or anger. It was outside of my control. I packed a pen and paper and went to class, and by the evening I had learned how to run Linux from my phone which wireless peripherals are supported. I have always wanted to know how to get by without a laptop. I guess this was as good a time as ever. My broken laptop became a challenge, rather than a source of stress.

The truth is, with some organisation skills and a library, I was more productive working on projects than if I were chilling in my room. The benefit of this is you are unlikely to watch your favourite YouTubers or browse Reddit with people all around you. Plus, you've already worked up a good association with the library and working, right? ...right.

I feel like I keep saying this when it comes to reducing what I own, but it's really that easy. Have you ever tried blocking yourself from social media so you can get work done? Only to find yourself craftily bypassing the blocks that you put up? Or maybe hiding all food you're not allowed while on a diet? You always find a way. And that's what happens when you minimise, you find a way.

By swapping my phone for a Galaxy Note 4 (the one with the stylus), I was able to mark up lecture slides, take my own handwritten notes and make flashcards. The advantage is now they are always in my pocket! I think its journaling/note-taking capabilities are worthy of its own post. Blogging with it is like hand-writing a letter addressed to the internet.

Living without worrying about expensive electronics like a laptop has been a joy, I just slip my phone into my pocket, and I'm good to go.

What challenges would you encounter if you stopped using a computer? How would you overcome them? Share in the comments!