Yes, I know it’s not April just yet, but since this is a Monday post, I’m putting it up here today.
When we left off at the beginning of the month, I had decided to take the rest of March off from most of the internet. No blogs, no social media, nothing of that nature. Sure, I still used search engines to look things up, and, I will admit, I played a few games. But for the most part, I went internet dark. How did it work out?
As far as getting stuff done, I did. Maybe not as much as I thought I might, but there was progress. I cleared some mental space, as well as some physical space. I reconnected with some things I’d lost track of in the “there’s not enough time” mindset. I found that there is time, if I put the effort into making sure there was. As we have all heard, and probably don’t truly believe, if you care about it, you’ll find the time.
What I also found out was that I have to be more on guard against my natural inclination to procrastinating. Staying away from Facebook, Twitter, and other similar things left time and space open, but the funny thing is, there is always something else to slip into that space. And many times, those other things are no more productive than spending two hours on Facebook, watching cat videos. I found I had to become aware of why I was doing things. Is it just busywork while my mind works out the knots in a problem? Or is it busywork because I don’t feel like opening up the word processor? Am I playing another game of Solitaire because my mind is wrangling with why Cass is in that warehouse where she found the thing in the first place? I know why she had to find it there, but there has to be a plausible reason she was in there. Or am I doing it because I know I should write that next scene, or look at the plot outline to fit in the changes I made, but just don’t feel like it? The first is okay; the second, no. And I know I can’t treat FB, etc. the same way, because that just occupies too much of the brain, and nothing gets worked out, consciously or not.
how difficult was it? At first, it was hard not to just pop into FB for a minute (and we all know where that road leads!). But as time went on, I found it wasn’t really all that difficult. I missed some things, I’m sure, but others kept me informed of important goings on. I missed the fun, the jokes, the silliness, and my friends, but at the same time, I wasn’t experiencing severe withdrawal, either. It will be nice to get back there, but I hope I can manage it better now. We’ll see about that one. It is easy to fall back into old habits, and I may have to figure out a way to deal with that.
Was it worth it? I think so. Just pulling back a little, and losing the feeling that I “have to” be online every minute of every day was a bit of a welcome break. A bit like a mini-vacation, all to myself. With luck, I’ve come back refreshed and renewed, and ready to move forward. So, look, out, internet world! I’m diving back in!
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Six of One: A Collection of Short Fantasy by M.A. Kropp is a set of short fantasy stories. Meet wizards, imps, gangster angels, and frogs in this group of varied tales of magic and mischief. Escape from the everyday into worlds of fantasy with Six of One: A Collection of Short Fantasy.
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And So On... 