Day 12 - Maybe I Don't Want to Be "Connected"?

Yesterday morning Justin and I were walking over to the train when I realized "Hmm...where's that bulgy black thing that tells me the time?" Also known as my cell phone. "Guess I left it at home..?" Justin (clearly confused how I could forget something equivalent to leaving my head at home): "Well don't you need it?" Me: "No. Not really."

And it was true. I don't really need my cell phone a lot of the time. In fact, on the many occasions that i have lost/broken my phone I've rather enjoyed that week or so where I am not instantly available. I don't feel so tethered.

Now don't get me wrong. I'm not one of those people who advocates dumping all electronic devices in order to "purify" one's life. But I am interested in the power of simplifying.

For instance, since I didn't have my phone with me yesterday I traveled all the way from work to my GMAT class (about an hour commute) just quietly thinking. I normally would have filled this time with catching up on the phone or texting little snippets to Justin, but since that wasn't an option I just sort of hyped myself up (a calm hype) for taking my diagnostic quiz by clearing my head. And then once I was at class I was so focused on our litte diagnostic I wasn't really thinking about anything but each problem at hand. Even during the break I didn't think "I wonder if anyone has called me today" How's that for focus?

Point being - I think I've decided that "unplugging" yourself occasionally can really help calm and focus at the task at hand. Being connected to a lot of things can be distracting much like multi-tasking dilutes performance. While I still think there is a time for doing a few things at once, I'm getting more in the camp that when it's time to focus - all distractions must go.