Weekday Unplugging: A 30 Day Experiment in Reclaiming My Time

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This is a presentation I gave during an internal NPR hackathon -- Serendipity Day -- on which I kicked off a 30 day experiment to limit email and avoid using my mobile phone around my family. I blogged it here: http://javaunmoradi.com/blog/2013/02/04/30-days-to-tame-email-mobile-distractions-and-live-in-the-present/

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Weekday unplugging

An experiment in reclaiming my time@javaun

(REDACTED: adorable photo of my kid)

The Plan

• 30 days: no mobile use around family• Inbox zero & limited email checking at work• Find little ways to have fun at work

Where to start?

Away Message

“Happy New Year! As part of a productivity experiment, I will only be checking email late morning and early afternoon. If you have an urgent matter, call me (gasp!) or walk over. ”

WINS

• 5th floor smelled delicious• Two desktop email checks • Listened to music• Didn’t use/miss iPhone @home• More attentive with kid• Overall: felt fabulous

FAILS

• Twitter, etc. are a risk• Bothered my cubemates more• Relapsed after bedtime• Game didn’t work out

Other Ways to Kill Email

• Unsubscribe of the Day• If an email is too long, ask for a summary• Remove work email from my phone• Templates to common answers

Stuff you should readHow to do what you lovehttp://www.paulgraham.com/love.html

Harper Reed Goes a Week w/o Internethttp://huff.to/U2GzD2

GTD For Hackershttp://gtdfh.branchable.com/

10 Resolutions Successful People Make & Keephttp://onforb.es/VquF85

Inbox Zerohttp://inboxzero.com/articles/