Disconnecting
A few days ago I did something that I have not done in many months. I disconnected. What I mean by that is I stopped checking email, looking at twitter, answering the phone and going through my feed reader to read the latest news on the internet. I even managed to leave the house without my cell phone. Once I got past the brief panic attack I found it liberating.
With all the technology at our disposal it if easy to stay connected to clients, friends and the world all day, every day. Being connected is nice, in my case it means I am never lonely. There is always someone calling, writing, sending text messages, instant messages or trying to reach me through Skype. It seems to take forever just to get through the email that came in overnight when I start work each morning.
When communication becomes noise
Most of the communication has some value, but disconnecting off also has value. It gives me time to think and to process the huge amounts of information I sift through each day. We are bombarded with information from multiple sources. Some days it is like trying to listen to a radio that is picking up multiple channels at the same time. There are bits and pieces of information or music but nothing is really coherent, it becomes noise that needs to be filtered out so I can think.
By unplugging I was able to think again. For many months I have noticed that as soon as I get into the shower I start coming up with ideas of things to do and solutions to problems. It is almost magical the way it works.
Giving it a rest
Unplugging has some value. The world does not come to an end if I don’t answer a phone call or message right away. I plan on unplugging one day a week every week. My business obligations will not allow me to pick a day and do it the same day each week but I should be able to disconnect once a week. I worry that if I don’t disconnect I will forget how to think, imagine and create.
Try it sometime.
