My husband made a comment in a teasing sort of way, mid-December, that there was no way I could spend a week offline. I needed no further impetus to answer a pull I’d been feeling for a while.
I spent the week between Christmas and New Years mostly offline. I didn’t read blogs, post status updates to Facebook or Twitter, or read my email.
I read four books, an advance manuscript, and a friend’s first-draft manuscript. I puttered around the house, doing my usual assortment of household things, and waited for my phone to ring (it didn’t, though I’ll bet that would have changed if I had refused to text).
The week was wonderful, in many ways. It was a tangible reminder that, as online as I may be with so much of my work and communications, I have to live my life offline.
My best ideas and my best inspirations come from the world around me.
Though I read plenty of things online and there is a lot of room for inspiration, for me, the best is what’s happening around me: the brilliance of the sunrise, the book I’m reading, the antics of my family.
When I am online all the time, I run the risk of living an alternate life. I become the Sarah people think I am, as opposed to the Sarah who’s really here, right now, tapping away during the baby’s nap. I lose sight of the humor and heartache in my real world, and while there’s room for my world to include the internet, I have to remember my priorities.
My best source remains real life. The rest is extra.
Immediacy is sometimes overrated.
As I’ve been at this writing thing longer, I’ve noticed that the ideas that really need to stay…do. The more I try to catch and capture and keep, the more they seem to slip between my fingers.
On the other hand, the more I sit back, rely on God for my inspiration, and trust in His ways, the better everything seems to go.
(All of that, mind you, is easy to type and advise you. It is much harder to follow it myself.)
When I’m online, it’s harder to slow down, to think, to ponder, which leads me to my next observation.
I’m less distracted when my online time is segmented.
The internet looms around me. It will take over every single minute that I let it have.
Now that I have an iPad, it seems it never stops. I can drop in and check email after the kids are in bed, even though my laptop’s tucked away and I’m technically offline. I can ignore what I dubbed “Offline Evenings” a few Lents ago, because I’m just popping in.
The problem is, the “popping in” lasts all evening, and I’ve not only lost the only real reading time I’m guaranteed, but also any chance I could have had to interact with my husband.
I’m a better blogger because of time spent offline.
I am forced to focus, to keep it real, and to be efficient. I have to pay attention to my priorities, and if I’m not careful, they’ll creep in the wrong direction.
Do you spend focused time offline? What have you found?
Sarah Reinhard
When Sarah Reinhard's not writing online at SnoringScholar.com, she can be found on Twitter, Goodreads, Pinterest, Facebook, or Google +. She's the author of a number of books, including her latest title, Catholic Family Fun: A Guide for the Adventurous, Overwhelmed, Creative, or Clueless.
Thank you so much for this candid post. I, too, struggle with balancing online time and being present to my family – even harder since I work from home and almost all my work requires some online “checking in.” It’s a constant struggle to maintain good boundaries, and every time someone else admits they’re in the same boat, I’m encouraged and inspired to keep trying. The temptations of the online age are all too real!
Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment, and you are very welcome. Balance = ongoing struggle for me. And maybe for a lot of other people, I think… 🙂
I just thought I would leave a comment to let you how much of a nice read this actually was.
Glad you enjoyed it!
A very important reflection which I can relate to very well. I had the same offline experience this Christmas although mine was not by choice. The experience of finding time to read more and interacting better with other important people in my life was similar to what you describe.
Jon, I’m glad you related. And it is so important that we find time and ways to live life in REAL life. (I say as I type with a phone, iPad, iPod, and TV close at hand. Siiiigh.)
Sarah this was exactly what I needed last week — when I sneaked into the dashboard and read your post ahead of time, because the title was so intriguing. :-). Since then I’ve been trying to focus on, “Is this online time? If yes, what kind — reading, writing, bills . . .? If not, what kind of time is this — school, housework, dinner with family . . .?”
Our family had gotten completely out of kilter during December (plague, holidays), and as we get going in the New Year, this post has been super helpful to me in trying to figure out how to ease into a workable normal. Great topic!
Somehow I’m just reading this comment, Jen! I totally missed it last week! I’m so glad this was helpful for you.
It is so easy to get off-kilter. And that is why I love being Catholic…and being a writer. I get to think, think, think, and then I get to share, share, share. 🙂