Last week, my mother-in-law shared a page straight out of Oprah.com . . . literally! The article was an aha moment from actress Leelee Sobieski and the importance a day of rest can make.
After reading this article, I had my own aha moment. . . I wasn’t alone! It’s so refreshing to discover that there’s a small, but growing, tech free refreshment movement. More and more people are devoting themselves to unplugging and living in the moment off line!
As many of you may already know, I’m a BIG fan of taking tech free and Social Media free weekends. (#SMFWE hashtag on twitter) It started with just taking Sunday’s and then it grew to occasionally taking the whole weekend to unplug and live in the moment.
Since taking these mini tech free “staycations”, I’ve noticed a huge personal shift . . . not only the quality of my relationships, but the enjoyment of hobbies and yes, even chores. Not everything I do needs to be tweeted or shared and no, you will never find me checking in to every place I visit. As much as I love technology, I must admit that I love the silence and calm the weekends now offer me just as much . . . if not more.
So, how does this grow your bottom line goals you ask?
Let me just say that what ever bottom line goals you are measuring and trying to gain ground in, whether it’s business, personal relationships, hobbies, writing, acting, personal brand building, developing recipes, speaking, guest blogging (I could go on) . . . all successes are directly related to your net happiness.
I’ll give you an example:
Just this past weekend I started cleaning the attic – not fun, I can assure you – but I made a promise that I would have our whole house organized before August. This is one of my personal bottom line goals.
Though our attic is not the inspirational pin I want it to be yet, I was happy and accomplished at the end of the day. I was so proud that I spent a whole afternoon inching my way closer to marking a huge home project off my list . . . ‘off line and on task’ so to speak.
I will admit right now that YES, it would have been easier to forgo the sweltering heat of the attic to write a blog post, cruise pinterest, or pop in to see what’s going on with my friends on Facebook . . . but I would have cheated myself out of the small actions that make a big difference.
The sense of accomplishment and happiness I acquired offline in my down time followed me to Monday morning when I plugged back in. I’ve noticed that by having a refreshed appreciation of life off line, I’m appreciative of my time online . . . becoming more intentional with my efforts.
It may sound counter productive to some, who will vehemently protest that being connected is the only way they can live, that their business depends on it or that they don’t want to miss out on the next big thing.
To those people I say . . . you are missing important experiences!
By not unplugging in your down time you are nulling the warranty on your rest that could help you grow and learn in ways that having your nose stuck in a phone or iPad can’t. Tech Fatigue is very real, just ask the HiTechDad.
I encourage you to make a commitment to taking time offline each week. It will allow you to focus on experiencing the people and places that feed your soul, your creativity and your relationships.
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What aha! moment have you had recently that has helped you life your best life?
