You are chained to things that make you unproductive. Unproductive not only in terms of your responsibilities but also your desires. They are a strain not only on your time but also on your peace of mind.
Unplugging targets a wide number of associated things, freeing up time and considerations to be put toward things which are specifically-desired. Instead of effort being put toward problems, passion is put toward desires.
This action is meant to take the whole day, and be regularly repeated. It is meant to be a defined branch of time management and a fundamental philosophy.
The right way to go about all of this would be to print this off. Better yet, write it all out by hand; make it yours.
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This original concept was written quite differently: Unplugging--2007-05-27
Planning ∞
When this should be ∞
Deeply consider when is best for you, to give your first unplugging days the best chance for success.
I find that Sunday would be a wonderful day, especially if you're a church-goer, but it might be terrible for you to use the bus in the afternoon. Perhaps your desired shops are closed on certain days.
Your work schedule may not allow for consistency. You may have to plan around holidays or stay inside on those days. The weather may sometimes be too uncomfortable. Perhaps on those days you would stay in, or strain yourself by going out only once.
When you pursue unplugging a few times, you will learn what is right for you. Everything will fall into place.
You own yourself ∞
Most importantly: You are not available on your unplug-day. Make this okay; you own yourself and your life.
Do not talk about your unplugging at all. At best you should be able to say "I'm having me-time" and drop it flat. Any conversation will lead to explanations, justifications and participation. This is about you, for once, owning a day. If you have friends who drop by unannounced, or expect to call to gossip, then draw a clear boundary. Maybe you could meet during one of your outings, but never both outings, never for longer than you've allotted, and never, ever, bring them home.
Unplugging ∞
Electricity ∞
If you are able, this will be a day when you don't use electricity aside from doing laundry and cooking.
This is the initial drive of this project (and why it is called "unplugging") and this will entirely change your experience of living this day. Make a point to try this, if only once or twice.
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Do not use a television, a computer, or a phone!
- Separate yourself from technology-based entertainment.
- Some might find benefit merely in turning off their internet connection and pursuing local things, like writing on their computer. These opportunities will be noted below.
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Don't use a microwave; use the stove.
- Be patient and attentive about food.
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Those interested in a homesteader/survivalist perspective could try being more extreme, with dousing instead of showers, using a fire, using candles and lamps, sleeping outside the night before, etc.
- I wouldn't recommend such things for everyday people.
The day before you unplug ∞
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Plan ahead of time. Succeed at whatever you need to, to make sure that your unplug day can be without worry. Don't bring work home with you. Don't make plans at all.
- Make a to do list.
- If you are skilled enough to bake in the morning, leave butter out overnight to soften it. Otherwise leave it out in the morning of your unplug day.
- Before going to sleep, open windows to chill the air.
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Check your bank account.
- Pause and consider your economic plans, because you will not check again tomorrow. If you live paycheck-to-paycheck, this will do interesting things in your mind.
- Research any recipes you are interested in trying. Note the ingredients you will need to get.
- Make a proper lunch for tomorrow.
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Go to bed early. This will be difficult, but important. Tomorrow will be a long and tiring day.
Waking ∞
One day you will be able to wake up on your own. Maybe when you wake to pee, you will come back only to cuddle into bed for a while and get up on your own. One of the biggest problems with any of this is being shocked awake by an alarm. If you can manage any quiet way to do this, pursuit it. Setting a custom mp3 as a phone alarm would make it possible to have quiet rainfall, birds or something else pleasant to you. Edit the audio to fade it in over a few minutes, so it gets gently-louder. Not having an alarm clock is an important part of setting the unplugging-mood.
- Think "cottaging". The air is brisk.
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Early rise, before 5:30 - before the dogs, and before the birds.
- 4am is my sweet-spot. Yes, really.
- You will have a busy and productive day, and it is okay to be exhausted by the end of it: That's exactly what you want, a strenuous life.
- Do not get out of bed.
- Delay peeing as long as reasonable. Consider reviewing your notes at least briefly, as a way of staying in your room and away from that temptation. Eating is still very important, and hopefully you will grow to review and improve your notes quite quickly.
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Sit cross-legged right on your bed and review your notes.
- Because you will not get out of bed, your notes must be kept nearby.
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Take a brief moment to meditate.
- Do so in the manner specified, and with its noted mindset.
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Leave your bed unmade.
At this point you should be completely awake and have a healthy mindset.
Your morning ∞
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Launder your sheets
- You do this right away, as this will take much of your time and delay your going out. It is also so you can make your bed and use it for tidying.
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Eat breakfast
- Eating right away is important for a healthy brain.
-- Some people get upset bowels in the morning, especially if they eat too early; that is actually a good thing here, since that will be out of the way so you can go out in the morning. Attend to this immediately, do not try to "tough it out". Also recall if you ate too close to bedtime yesterday.
- Eating right away is important for a healthy brain.
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Douse, meditate for longer, light candles, etc.
- Whatever calms you and has you continue to experience the chill of the day. Think cottaging.
- A candle or lamp is good for light, maybe even letting you keep your regular lights off for a little longer. Something burning prompts a kind of urgency: speed and focus.
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Shower, shave, etc.
- Make yourself better
- If you shave your face with a traditional safety razor, and have low skill, then shave as soon as possible to give your face time to heal. Consider shaving the night before; you don't want a nicked face to give you an excuse to stay trapped inside.
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Hydrate throughout your morning.
- Take small frequent sips.
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Tidy
- Tidying is different from cleaning, and can be considered something like "de-cluttering". It is putting things where they belong and making your environment better. While you're at it, collect things to give away.
- Get some small part of it done, especially your bedroom. You definitely want to feel improvement there, because that is where you start your day, spend the most time, and end your day.
- Revisit your notes and map out your first outing, if needed.
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- Once you have lived a few unplug-days, you will be able to accomplish your unplug-morning very quickly, leaving you with quite a lot of time.
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You may or may not want to snack, and you may or may not want to be hungry, or for longer than usual. This may be, for you, an important moment; to put off a snack and reduce caloric intake. Whatever your decision, you absolutely must not eat while out; it wastes your time, your money, and your health.
At the end of your morning, you have already accomplished more than you think: You woke up when you wanted to, you worked on your piece of mind, you worked on your personal hygiene and area's tidiness. These alone are not small things, but practising your art a little each time will make expertise a growing inevitability.
With unplugging-practice, you will be able to begin your first outing right when your desired stores open.
Outing #1 - Exploration ∞
- Don't drive: Take the bus, and walk or ride a bike as much as possible.
- Consider visiting a new area.
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Scavenge for used stuff.
- My favourite is to look for books. For others, it might be records.
- Be resistant to hoarding. Part of the related philosophies will be to tidy and not have unimportant things out in the open. You may well be purchasing things just to force yourself to put them in boxes.
- Window shopping is just as fun.
- If you have planned on experimenting with a new recipe for lunch, then do that grocery shopping now. Otherwise, delay your proper grocery shopping for your second outing.
Visit a slightly-new place to you. Perhaps cross the street from a store you normally visit. Don't go far at all; this is about curiosity and not exploration. Those new places will tempt you with new things to buy, so when you visit such a new place, be resolute that you will only window-shop. This is important. Newness brings impulsivity. Wait until next time you go out so you have time to carefully consider your priorities.
Your goal is to be out right up until you have a healthy appetite. Since you woke up early, do not be dismayed at heading home for lunch before noon.
Do not eat out. You will be healthier and wealthier for eating at home. Delaying this will bring urgency to your outing.
If you do not go out, then take a decent block of time to practice your art or a second art you wouldn't usually have time for.
Your afternoon ∞
- Change into workout-clothes.
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Physicality: A light workout.
- Preferably cardio.
- You being physical extends the amount of light exhaustion you developed during your first outing. You want this. You want to push yourself.
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Eat lunch
- Eat something you prepared earlier. Eat while you cook, and do not let what you cook distract your appetite. Face this challenge, and own your hunger.
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Cook
- Try to multitask while doing this. Perhaps some pushups, or tidy your kitchen.
- Try to prepare future meals, especially healthy breakfasts.
- Review your notes and plan your second outing.
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Second shower
- Dress in your earlier clothes.
Outing #2 - Productivity ∞
Push yourself to go out. A double-outing is a way to break up your day and encourage an exhaustion you are associating with accomplishment. Go out if only to window-shop and plan for a future purchase. Try to be goal-oriented:
- Buy bus tickets
- Visit the mall
- Do groceries
- Visit a pharmacy
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Visit your bank
Perhaps you can do a second run for more used things you saw earlier today but didn't buy because your arms were too full. Buy some books.
Do not eat out. Once again: You will be healthier and wealthier for eating at home. Delaying this will bring urgency to your outing. When you can resist this concern, then one day you will learn to focus your groceries into things you will look forward to cooking when you get back. This discipline is hard, but important to your life.
Your evening ∞
- More laundry if you need to.
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Physicality: A light workout.
- You want to do this as soon as possible when getting back, to take advantage of your exhaustion from walking and carrying stuff.
- Don't bother changing for this if you don't need to.
- More weight than cardio.
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Clean or just tidy if you delayed this.
- I find I have so much time on my hands that I am well-served by puttering around my house cleaning up after the things which I'm normally too busy to consider. Tidying in the morning is a great way of exposing surfaces to make cleaning easier. For example, picking things off of the floor makes it easier to vacuum.
- If you have decided not to be in shape, then at least take cleaning seriously.
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If you bake, do so around this time.
- If you can only manage a very light workout, then consider wearing your workout clothes and do it simultaneously as part of your breaks in your workout.
- If you are committed to your health, then know that a proper workout routine does not have significant breaks, because your heart rate must stay consistently high. Starting-and-stopping doesn't just give a poor workout, it's hard on your heart.
- Meditate
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Third shower
- Dress well, or as appropriate for your art:
- practice your art
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Eat dinner
- Eat something you prepared earlier. Eat while you cook, and do not let what you cook distract your appetite. Face this challenge, and own your hunger.
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Cook
- Try to multitask while doing this. Some pushups perhaps.
- Try to prepare future meals, especially healthy breakfasts.
Ending your day ∞
Think back: Was your morning calm? Are you exhausted? Good, you were productive! Is your room now neat and tidy? Is your bedding fresh? You now have everything you need for far better sleep. You're tired, so go to bed a little bit earlier and tomorrow you will be sore but well-rested. Your soreness will be a lingering reminder of what you did and what you are capable of.
Additional items ∞
practice your art ∞
I've written more on practicing your art.
See also Sharpening the saw.
- e.g. reading, writing, practicing an instrument, drawing, painting, home improvement, car tinkering, a language, etc.
- If you can get away with it, dress fancy. If you sit to write, wear office clothes.
- You must do this regularly if only for a half an hour.
- You must practice your art, even if you do little bits of it throughout the day. For example, if you are injured and must skip a workout, then practice your art.
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For some people, their art is their workout.
For me, my arts are writing, testing software, auditing and updating old notes, reviewing bookmarks and other computer-related things. I am unable to turn off my computer during unplug days, so it's become a challenge for me to only return to it at specific times for specific reasons.
your notes ∞
Keeping notes is probably the most important part of this entire endeavour. They let you design the day you would most like to have, and schedule the activities that make you want to have that day. You increase your concentration doing this.
If you specify times or days, note that a calendar or schedule must not be a tyrant. It is important to pursue a fulfilling amount of any goals without ever feeling like you failed yourself by not accomplishing enough. Push your limits, and set challenging goals for worthwhile accomplishments, which are not too challenging to fail.
Make your notes trivial to access and use. Even opening a cover or turning a page is effort. Consider a spiral-bound notebook or clipboard. Use an un-capped non-clicky pen for jotting. The experience of using it should be immediate and entirely undistracted from that slight moment. This matters.
- These are notes specific to your unplug day. Do not review or consider notes for other days. This is not your regular life!
- Plan your day
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Organize any jotting you did in the past. If you get distracted or overwhelmed when doing this, then at least be sure you put the urgent or non-unplug notes where they belong. Putting things where they belong is important.
- It's best to do this right away than to wait. If you wait, then you'll be demoralized when going over a list of things "you'll get around to". It's best to have a concise list of things to do today, so you can end your day with crossing out a lot of accomplishments.
- This means you will be re-reading this entire document every day. Consider its improvement and your own particular needs.
- This reinforces the importance of constant effort
- This makes it easy to re-prioritize, revise, add, etc
- Carry your notes with you. Always have them on hand. They must not be out of arm's reach, I cannot stress this enough.
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Jot down anything that comes to mind.
- Jot keywords. These will trigger your memory. Do not write related notes, let your memory be triggered by other means. Keywords will do this, and completing one task will remind you of related ones.
- Jot anywhere, just to not think any further: You will eventually re-review and organize your notes.
Last updated 2023-08-13 at 11:07:43
I did a quick pass. No special restructuring, but I'll need to do rework the notes section a bit more I think.