Hey friends,
Merry Christmas!
It took me a while to write this letter because I was putting too much pressure for myself. Now I realize the easiest way to put things together is to say whatever I want to say to my best friend and everything will flow through. Whoever receives this email should feel free to write back, for I have confessed whatever I would have to a bosom friend.
For the past few weeks, I have been working on one personal development aim - increasing focus. So I want to share with you why I decided to restrict my use of social media or instant messaging (IM).
(also to encourage you to spend less time online and more time with family on Christmas, I hope)
To be clear, I did not restrict my use of social media or IM to make anyone else's life more difficult. Surprisingly, it did not make my life more difficult, either. Quite the contrary, it helped to enjoy my work more and eliminated quite a bit of guilt and regret. In other words, I did not build a wall against others. All I did was building a wall against my impulsive, monkey-like mind.
Besides, it forced me to learn to think carefully my work. Previously, I was pretty reactive. I impulsively check my emails and other apps to see "if there is anything out there". Basically, I was waiting for others to assign me tasks. It is like a slot machine that gave me dopamine shot every time I check off an email. But when checking messages is no longer the first thing in the morning, I have to think about what do I want for my day. After the target is set, I often find my impulsivity reduces. I learn to prioritise the tasks that have long-term benefits and would have been otherwise ignored had I been busy waiting for messages.
These are my two cents (or two paragraphs). I will share my methods the next time we get in touch. But for now, I would like to encourage you to reflect on your relationship with technology and explore your own methods. Thanks for reading and I wish you a safe and restful weekend ahead.
Tim