So, I'm trying an "information diet". I'll admit that I'm only being partially successful since I still often check the Crackberry when I see a red blinking light. But the goal has been to get myself out of the information frenzy that I found myself in coming out of the election. For the last 2 or 3 months, I've been a HuffPo junkie. I can't say I've been much better about Jezebel (though I read it as much for the sass as for the news-related items) or the New York Times. In reality, my information obsession was becoming a pretty significant time sink. The reason this was starting to bother me was that the information time sink was beginning to cut into my creative/ productive time, something I can ill-afford to lose.
The low-information diet, as described on tools-for-thought.com, consists of a few key principles:
- No web surfing (Wait, you say, how are you blogging? Well, I didn't "surf" per se to get here- and I consider this within the purview of the last rule)
- No excessive email checking (this has some wiggle room!)
- No RSS (not a problem for me- I've not gotten the hang of Google Reader, and maybe it's best I don't)
- No news (it was SO hard to not pick up a Sunday New York Times yesterday- but I did it!)
- No non-entertainment television (I persist in my "no television" ways, so this is easy)
- No non-fiction books (I'm declaring the Monks of New Skete puppy book to be an exemption since it isn't news per se, and it's part of a grand scheme)
- A one-hour indulgence is allowed each day
So, I'm trying to limit my on-line overall to right around that hour in the interest of minimizing my extraneous goofing off that seems to occur when I check email. I am listening to NPR in the mornings for about 30 minutes while getting dressed. And I'm trying to hide the Crackberry from myself in the interest of taking my time in responding to emails I might get. Really, since it's a known fact I'm out of town I know that the world won't stop if I don't deal with something right NOW.
Why am I trying to do this? There is the aforementioned fear that non-productive information seeking on my part is impairing my time for creativity. That's my time, and I'm trying to make it a more sacred part of my life. It is, after all, what keeps my head on straight. My hope is also that cutting back on the deluge of information that I tend to pursue will help me sort through the wheat and the chaff- what sources really are helpful? Finally, my hope is that doing this will give me some perspective. You know, space to think about things in.
So that's what I'm up to. I would love to have folks join me (and yes, that might mean you don't read me for a week and you might ulitmately decide I'm not worth reading....I'm okay with that). If you do join me, please share your thoughts. What are your reasons? And did you get out of the information diet what you intended?
Happiness/ Gratitude list, 10 November 2008:
- A great lunch today amongst friends. I didn't get to have the conversation I really wanted to have with one of them because I think she would have interesting input into my whole rethinking kids process.
- Wonderful friends who help watch out for my feline "child". I'm hoping they're keeping him from being too lonely.
- A leisurely, almost lazy, afternoon. It foiled my wish to go to Cochiti to look for a storyteller, but I can live with that.
- Being reminded that patience is always important and that some things are really not about me. In the process of learning these lessons, I got some "grounding" back.
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Now playing: Mindy Smith - Edge of Love
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