Take a moment to relax
How are you feeling these days? This weekend I had a Barbara weekend. Barbara weekends consist of doing only what I want to do. I don’t commit to anything and allow my days to unfold moment by moment. I love these weekends. Sometimes I disconnect and sometimes I stay connected. This weekend, I stayed connected via the cell phone but did nothing on the computer.
I recently posted a comment to a blog comment from Tish about Obama using Twitter to market and campaign. Between the cell phone, instant messages, text messages and Twitter and Facebook, how did our parents do with out them? We are quite a busy group of people aren’t we? Whew! Being busy means being engaged in action. Being productive means yielding results, benefits or profits. We are busy but are we really productive?
I am truly grateful for being born in the 60’s. I grew up having dinner at real table with my family, writing a list to go grocery shopping, and being able to learn to think critically without having to call someone on the cell phone to discuss every thing that crosses my mind. I think that having a perspective of living in a time when we didn’t have answering machines, cell phones, instant message and such allows me to disconnect when needed. By the way, when was the last time you disconnected from all the technology? I have discovered that disengaging and disconnecting often leads to more productivity because our minds have the opportunity to relax and enjoy simple things.
Technology is absolutely wonderful. I have accounts with Twitter, Facebook, Myspace, WordPress and several other social networking groups. Some of my best friends and colleagues are on these networks and have helped me recognize the importance of truly being “connected” on the web. I have met great people through all of these groups and value the relationships and the people I have made and continue to create.
This quote from Albert Einstein resonates with me, “We shall require a substantially
new manner of thinking if mankind is to survive.” With all these new ways to communicate, I wonder, “Are we really connecting with these tools and being productive, or are we simply engaging in action? Click the comments below and let me know your thoughts or experiences.
Barb
First, Wonderful pic opf the puppy relaxing.
Second very good article.
I think we need to be able to take the good from technology and utilize it while at the same time eliminatte the bad of technology.
Do you operate your cell phoine or does it operate you?
Can you be in a meeting and attentive and present to the speaker, without looking at your blackberry?
Can you utilize email without expecting instant gratification in a response?
Busy vs. productive.. you spelled out the difference nicely. Lets hope we all learn from it and can distinguish the two from each other.
Nice work!
Nanette,
My Dad was a librarian…I am very aware of the Dewey Decimal System! Thanks for your thoughts and comments.
Hi Barbara,
I recently experienced what you’re talking about. My computer “caught a cold” [virus] and it took about 3 weeks of emails, FedEx, phone calls and such to get me back up and running. In the middle of that, I couldn’t find the charger for my cell phone and the battery was dead for a couple days. I felt so anxious and disconnected from everything. And paradoxically, at peace at the same time. I felt like “oh gee, something terribly important might be happening right this minute and needing my attention”. And at the same time this surrendered peace about the fact that there wasn’t anything I could do about it anyway. The Earth will not spin off of its axis if I’m not absolutely on top of everything every single second—who knew? It was a good reminder.
And I got more book reading done than I have in a while. You know, those things made of paper and binding they used to use in the olden days before computers and BlackBerry’s?
I too am happy to have come of age in the time before technology became what it is today, now that you mention it. Do you know I was babysitting a ten year old girl once who DIDN’T KNOW that you can go to the public library and check out books for free? Us in between folks know that there are many, many sources of information and that a five minute Yahoo news story isn’t the beginning and end of something but only a jump off point for looking up more information from other sources.
“Dewey Decimal System” anybody?
Being someone who works in the field of Information Technology I touch and trouble this technical stuff everyday. I can see the major disconnect and crazy dependence that we have put ourselves under. The endless and most times useless emails, calls, and texts msg – it is enough to drive you crazy. If U let it…..
Technology can be a tool to make use more productive, but it can also pull us into a quick disconnect from ourselves. I have bear witness to too many examples of that in the workplace and in the world.
I too am grateful to be born in the 60’s as well. Getting back to the basics is a good thing in this day and age. Not many folks it seems now-a-days even know how to write a letter anymore.
Enjoy the simple things of life because when it is all said and done, it is the simple things that will truly matter. Have fun and wonderful posting.
CG
Wendy, Jackie and Diane, thanks so much for your responses. It’s great to hear other people’s perspective on this topic.
Technology is a fabulous invention, I’m glad that we are using it and not allowing ourselves to be used by it.
I appreciate all your thoughts.
Barbara, I couldn’t agree with you more. Even though I have an IT background and teach technology, I find it is important for me to disconnect from technology every once in a while so that I can think.
In my opinion, technology is supposed to be a tool to help us be more productive, not a way for us to procrastinate and waste time.
This is an awesome post.
great perspective, it is easy to get caught up in the appearances of being important, just by being busy.
I’m totally connected most of the time! I’ve found a groove combining technology with all of my business activities to support productivity. It really works for me. AND, I’m clear that sometimes I just have to power everything down and disconnect. My body typically tells me when the time is right.
THANKS so much for challenging my thinking. It’s great to be productive which for some may not equate with being connected at all times.