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| Do you enjoy the internet? Loaded question, I know. I DO…and I don’t. Let’s stick to the positive! The reality of it allows us to easily stay in touch with friends and family, conduct business from anywhere, look up anything, and find cool places we never knew existed! The list goes on and on… How do I approach to this modern day phenomenon? By personally setting some “rules of engagement” that allow me to enjoy the internet, mindfully. We all know from experience that the internet will take and take and take—unless we draw a line. While time is our most valuable commodity, the temptation of easy, instant pleasure too often overrides the delayed gratification of meaningful work and long-term goals. Time sucked, rather than time well spent on something fruitful! This is why we need rules…invoking our self-discipline to show up, and follow through. My personal rules operate with one simple principle: to decide in advance how I want to approach the internet, so that I don’t have to rely on willpower alone to know when enough is enough. I’ve found that having the rules makes it easier to hold my self-discipline accountable, as if I am listening to a wiser, more mature version of myself offering timely advice. Isn’t it easier to stick to a commitment that you already made, than to constantly battle the indulgent logic of “just a few more minutes” in real time? Think about that for a minute! My 3 Simple Rules These are my rules for using the internet more mindfully. Take them as you will, make them your own. Yours may be totally different! Check in with them regularly, till they become good, healthy habits! These rules generally apply to my personal, recreational use of the internet. For work, my only rule is to stay focused on one thing at a time. 1. Have a plan with every click. One of my most important personal rules is not to “surf” the internet. Around 90 percent of the time, I decide, in advance, to read or watch just the thing I’m looking for, and not allow myself to click on other links of interest. 2. Keep a list of things you want to look up in the future. This way, the thought comes to mind, I dump it on the list, it’s out of my head, and I don’t stop what I’m doing to look up something unrelated. I save it for later! 3. Set a timer. For the time that I’m browsing the internet more leisurely—which is really never, I will set a timer and stop when it rings. Setting a timer is my easy way to start out, until my internal clock learns when to stop wasting time. And some other ideas… now second nature to me. Create self-imposed limits. I set my phone to notify me when certain people in my inner circle email me. This way I limit the number of times I need to check my personal email each day. A time and stress saver. I can help you with this. Less is more. More and more of my favorite things will not bring me greater pleasure. Just like the first bite of dessert delivers joy, then quickly falls into overindulgence, the same is true for my use of the internet. I’ve found that by leaving myself wanting a bit more I am able to savor the fewer bites that I do take. I am happier for it, truly. Leisure offline. I believe curiosity and entertainment are part of a good, balanced life. But the internet, unlike other offline forms of leisure, is just too easy. Think of it as the difference between grabbing a power bar or cooking a great meal. The meal is an experience, it slows you down to hopefully enjoy it more. The same can be true for offline leisure such as books, magazines, and even going to the movies. Create more and consume less. If all you are using the internet for is to consume, consume, consume, you are missing out. One of the internet’s greatest gifts is that so many of us can create in so many new ways. Whether it be an email to a friend in need, sharing an article with family, posting an uplifting message to anyone, or writing a helpful newsletter for everyone …creating anything that can better someone’s life is worth producing and sharing. I prefer to consider the internet as a useful tool, rather than a “go-to” for spending too much of my precious time. There are too many other things I want to do! Ultimately, I believe that we find our peace and happiness within our own minds, bodies, hearts and souls. And in our connections with others, and with God, or our higher power, if you have one. I believe the internet can be a means to that end. It is a tool. Let’s use it that way, mindfully. |