This Week’s BIG Idea
As some of you may have noticed, I haven’t kept in touch for the past few weeks. That’s because I recently moved and I didn’t have home internet. I look back fondly at the times I didn’t have access to the internet and this time is no different. Not only did I realize that I could live without the internet, but I have some interesting findings to share. So what does a life without home internet look like? First, having no distractions enabled me to focus more clearly on the things I want in life. This made it easier to meditate, journal, and more importantly, read and write.
Since I didn’t have indiscriminate access to the internet, I had to schedule entertainment. Whenever I wanted to watch a YouTube video, for example, I’d have to download it on my phone, transfer it to my computer using a USB cable, and then watch it. While this sounds like too much of a hassle, I ended up unsubscribing to some of the YouTube channels I wasn’t passionate about. The few videos I ended up watching though, I took notes from, summarized, and turned into Notion pages for future reference.
Also, I relied on alternative tools to make the best out of what I had which was little to no access to the internet. Whenever I could connect to a network, I’d download books, audiobooks, videos, and podcasts and consume that content whenever I had some free time. In other words, I was much more intentional with my time. I never missed checking out social networks, blogs, news sites, sports, or anything else for that matter. This was a revelation because I didn’t realize how much time I was wasting until I suddenly didn’t have access to those distractions.
So if I had a terrific time reading and writing and fewer distractions, why would I go back to a life with home internet? I realized that I can live without home internet and that’s more than enough. The problem isn’t having access to it or not, the problem is misusing it. The internet is one of humanity’s greatest inventions and one of the best resources available. Not having it can be tremendously inconvenient when you actually need it and while there are ways around it (you can always use your phone as a hotspot, for instance), the truth is that I can have the best of both worlds: I can have home internet and choose to use it intentionally rather than mindlessly.
What I’m Working on
For the past few days, I’ve been reorganizing my files on Google Drive. This was a very time-consuming process, but I’m extremely happy with the results so far. The idea is to only have a handful of folders where I keep everything important to me. So apart from organizing the files themselves, I have to think about what’s worth keeping from here on out. There are some important things I want Google Drive to keep safe, such as pictures or important documents. But I also realized that I was hoarding files I never accessed, such as fiction audiobooks or empty folders.
I also added a series of book summaries to the list.
What I’m Listening to
Deep Dive is quickly becoming one of my favorite podcasts to listen to. I recently realized that I had missed some old episodes, so I added them back to the playlist and I’m slowly going over them when I wake up, make meals, or go on walks. Right now, I’m listening to this interview with author and YouTube creator, Vee Kativhu.
What I’m Reading
- Principles by Ray Dalio: the book compiles the personal and work values that allowed Dalio to become one of the most successful investors ever. Although most of the people who read this book will be interested in the business side of this book, the life principles Dalio shares are life-changing. There’s an entire chapter dedicated to decision-making, one of the most important principles one can develop since we’re making decisions on a regular basis.
What I’m Watching
Although I don’t see myself quitting my phone any time soon, I enjoyed watching this experiment. Can you get away without a phone in 2023? What does that look like on a day-to-day basis? How can you replace the apps you actually need if you don’t use a phone? Is ditching your phone worth it? Those are some of the answers this Matt D’avella video provides.
This Week’s Quote
“Life doesn’t owe us anything. We only owe ourselves, to make the most of the life we are living, of the time we have left, and to live in gratitude.”
Bronnie Ware
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