One of the things the pandemic has undoubtedly done is make us reflect. Reflect on our lives, jobs, actions and even our way of thinking.

From one moment to the next, our certainties and convictions were checked. What has applied with vigour a few years ago no longer works.

We, lawyers, have even seen a true revolution in our activity flourish. The pandemic has taken our activity to welcome the digital world. In a way, the pandemic accelerated the process of digitization of law. We can now clearly state that Bauman’s concept of liquid modernity also applies to legal practice.

Today, a standard lawyer has a nationwide presence without leaving his/her Home Office. The concept of Shared Offices spread out. And the home office sounds normal, and, in some cases, it is strategically.

From home, a lawyer can make hearings, oral arguments, petition, draw contracts, video conferences, participate in meetings, and access unlimited books and law reviews.

More precisely, a world of possibility opened up before our eyes on a computer screen and a cell phone.

However, all this transformation has generated very severe side effects.

The amount of information we are consuming today is absurd. As a result, many people have been experiencing unusual tiredness symptoms at the end of the day.

And this tiredness can be a consequence of what many call “mental obesity”.

Unfortunately, this new pathology, if we can call it that, has caused unprecedented widespread mental exhaustion.

So if, like me, you’ve been feeling exhausted by this accumulation of information, maybe it’s time to rethink your choices. And perhaps a good way to start this change is by adopting a minimalist lifestyle.

Minimalism is a kind of philosophy that began as a series of artistic, cultural and scientific movements that spanned different moments in the 20th century.

This movement had, in its beginnings, the central idea of ​​using minimally structural elements in the formation of expressions of art, communication, design and architecture.

However, over time, the movement gained repercussions beyond these areas and began to be used as a way of acting and thinking even in small everyday details.

For minimalism, less is more.

Therefore, those who propose to internalise this concept usually have the reduction of consumption levels as a starting point and discarding everything that is not immediately useful.

The focus is that the person only owns what they use. The need always comes before the act of consuming.

Note, however, that, contrary to appearances, minimalism is not intended to be some movement against capitalism. It does not consider the act of consuming to be wrong.

The problem is in excess, in consumption done on impulse and without conscience. As an even practical exercise, the person gets rid of all the unnecessary material and mental weight they carry.

Unload your stuff, and remove any excess. Donate your dusty old clothes, donate old books, stop buying unnecessary courses, stop following so many people, and clean your bookshelf.

Only then will you be able to focus on what is essential.

With few things to take care of and to think about, you will certainly have more space to think clearly.

In law, the minimalist philosophy, incredible as it may seem, does not go unnoticed.

The idea that less is more can be present in our legal environment, starting with what we said above about digital work.

With a computer in hand and a good internet connection, you already have almost everything you need to start working, and that’s being a little minimalist.

No needless and high-priced paraphernalia to electrify the customers’ will to buy: What matters is the end result achieved.

But let’s move on and explore the application of this model to advocacy a little more.

Let’s think about our areas of expertise.

Nowadays, it isn’t easy to find a generalist lawyer who knows everything and consumes all legal information.

As much as our graduation is generalist, we realize that specialization is the best way to practice.

When you choose just one area of ​​activity, you start to focus your efforts on learning and experiencing its peculiarities in a much more concentrated and effective way.

By focusing on a particular area of ​​activity, you put aside issues that are very far from your daily practice and start to take ownership of the specific situations of that theme.

From there, you will be able to provide much better and more efficient solutions to your customers than if you were venturing into unknown frontiers daily.

And, let’s not stop there.

Let’s think, for example, about our writing.

I recently came across an early piece that is over 60 pages long. Curious, I decided to look around to try to understand why that piece was so long.

To my surprise or sadness, I could not even end leafing thru it. The amount of long-winded and far-fetched legal terms was immense, which made understanding what one wanted to ask for quite tricky. Why not it in plain English?

I think our language also needs to follow this minimalist line. Many renowned writers have even said that writing hard is easy, but writing more straightforward and compelling is a whole new ball game.

Minimalism can help us hone and improve our writing, such as: If something is overwritten and doesn’t contribute to the text, it is that “extra” must be discarded.

Getting the message across with the fewest words is the ideal way to increase the effectiveness of our texts. Being transparent and convincing can be directly linked to simplicity. Always remember: “Less is More”.

Finally, it is still worth talking a little about the point that I consider to be the most important, especially for our mental health: the minimalism of influence.

As we said, the amount of information we are subjected to today is colossal. If we don’t stop this information harassment, our fate will undoubtedly be burnout.

We have to be active agents of what we want to consume. We cannot let some algorithm created by far located company make choices for us.

We are not products. We must set limits to choose the information we want to receive consciously.

And that included legal information, too; why not?

How many websites specialize in news and legal information do we see?

The quantity of statutory laws, judgments, news and debates in the most diverse areas of law is immense and wanting to embrace them all is unthinkable and ultimately counterproductive.

Therefore, you should follow what will somehow add you to your reality than go around reading or watching everything that appears in front of you.

Enjoy what is relevant to you and discard the rest. Make planned filters and focus on consuming content from your area of ​​expertise.

But don’t worry, that doesn’t mean you have to be some pseudo-intellectual extremist and can’t consume the jokes of that comedian you love.

The point here, as said, is that in doing so, you must be conscious of your choices and consciously set the route of knowledge’s consumption.

How about, for example, separate a certain period in your day to enjoy some more relaxed content?

I invite you to reflect on the matter. Don’t roll your cell phone or computer cursor randomly.

Think carefully about your choices. After all, digital tools are there to help us and not to confuse us.

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