New Year...New Decade
I mine as well start it off and make it interesting.
Ever since reading Tim Ferriss's book, The Four Hour Work Week, I have wanted to go on a "data/information" diet. No social media, no gossip rags, and reduced email usage. However, I just never found the right time to do it. Well, now seems as good a time as any.
My latest interest was peaked by an article in TechCrunch on John Mayer. John has invited his social media followers to join on a data cleanse to "defragment" your brain. Here are the guidelines laid down from John's blog:
Guidelines:
*email only from laptop or desktop computers
*cell phones can only be used to make calls, and no text messages or e-mails are allowed - if you receive a text, you must reply in voice over the phone. E-mails must be returned from a laptop or desktop computer.
*no use of Twitter or any other social networking site - this includes reading as well as posting.
*no visiting of any entertainment or gossip sites. (No need to detail which ones - you know what they are.)
Hmmmm...This should be interesting.
My plan is to keep a written journal of each day and blog about it upon returning to the "digital world". I can tell you it won't be easy. The last time I was without my smartphone for more than 8 hrs (besides sleeping) caused some serious withdrawls.
In preparation for tomorrow's events, I have done a full factory reset of my smartphone, a motorola droid. No email accounts are configured except for synching my contacts (for phone calls) and calendars. No fancy apps to waste my time; no checking my emails as soon as they come in. The only time I will be checking my mail is when I'm around a computer.
Wish me luck and see you in a week!
Mike
I mine as well start it off and make it interesting.
Ever since reading Tim Ferriss's book, The Four Hour Work Week, I have wanted to go on a "data/information" diet. No social media, no gossip rags, and reduced email usage. However, I just never found the right time to do it. Well, now seems as good a time as any.
My latest interest was peaked by an article in TechCrunch on John Mayer. John has invited his social media followers to join on a data cleanse to "defragment" your brain. Here are the guidelines laid down from John's blog:
Guidelines:
*email only from laptop or desktop computers
*cell phones can only be used to make calls, and no text messages or e-mails are allowed - if you receive a text, you must reply in voice over the phone. E-mails must be returned from a laptop or desktop computer.
*no use of Twitter or any other social networking site - this includes reading as well as posting.
*no visiting of any entertainment or gossip sites. (No need to detail which ones - you know what they are.)
Hmmmm...This should be interesting.
My plan is to keep a written journal of each day and blog about it upon returning to the "digital world". I can tell you it won't be easy. The last time I was without my smartphone for more than 8 hrs (besides sleeping) caused some serious withdrawls.
In preparation for tomorrow's events, I have done a full factory reset of my smartphone, a motorola droid. No email accounts are configured except for synching my contacts (for phone calls) and calendars. No fancy apps to waste my time; no checking my emails as soon as they come in. The only time I will be checking my mail is when I'm around a computer.
Wish me luck and see you in a week!
Mike
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