Internet Overload (and How I Beat It – Hopefully)
Today one of the people I met on IRC blogged about how he’s starting to hate computers and everything that comes with them. I felt the same way for much of the past year or so when it came to computers. I knew I was on them too much, but wasn’t sure how to get away and break the addiction1.
Then Steve Rubel linked to a site on minimalism and I spent a lot of time reading the posts there and realizing I just needed to ask a few simply questions to break free.
I asked myself “Do I need this?” for everything I used or did on the PC. If I could definitely say yes I kept it, if I wavered or said no I got rid of it.
When I had my list of stuff I needed or really wanted to keep (Twitter, this blog, RSS and email) I asked “How can I get the same value out of these with less?” Being right on top of the latest tech news isn’t worth having 50 RSS feeds saying the same thing. I don’t need twitter or email open 24/7 to effectively use them, and I don’t need a lot of bells and whistles to blog.
Lastly to keep myself off the PCs when I should be working I printed off a page that simply says “Do You Have Better Things To Do?” and put it above my desktop and made it part of my wallpaper on the laptop. If I answer yes to that question I go do what I need to do until it’s finished or I’m satisfied with the work I’ve done on them.2
There is one thing though that goes against a lot of the minimalist principles, but has been a lifesaver and that’s my iPod Touch. I’ve been trying to only use that for casual stuff (RSS reading, tweeting, etc.) while saving the desktop and laptop for serious writing or research. If I can’t do it on the iPod Touch and it’s not related to school work or it absolutely has to get done, I don’t need to do it.
Three questions, and a lot of self-control has helped exponentially to get unplugged from the grid while still using it for it’s worth. I still have a ways to go, but I’m happier and more productive than I’ve been in a while.
image via Don’t Go Outside
- Yes I do believe there is such a thing ↩
- I highly suggest Merlin Mann’s (10+2)*5 productivity hack to finish those tasks ↩
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