Input Zen
We are in a time when the input channels, and updates in those channels, feeding into our lives are increasing exponentially. Not only are the number of email accounts, social network accounts, and ways to connect increasing, but the number of messages we have to process in them continue to grow. If you feel overwhelmed, behind, and like you are always racing to keep up – you certainly aren’t alone. In fact, I believe that if we don’t learn to identify which inputs channels provide value, and how to navigate our time with them, we will become the most informed generation the world has seen that has no great accomplishments (beyond creating ways to connect).
I personally have been taking a step back to look at the effect of these inputs into my life, what environment they create, whether they create or take value, and whether they energize me or drain me. What I find is that there are inputs in my life that give and inputs that take. (The same is just as true of people in our lives). The inputs that give can leave me feeling energized, more creative, more disciplined, more peaceful, more focused, and sustain the drive of life. The inputs that take can leave me feeling drained, distracted, unfocused, sleepy, chaotic and sustain disruption in my life.
I did a quick list of what I would put into these two lists, here is what they are FOR ME:
Inputs that Take:
- Television
- Movies
- Twitter and Facebook
- The News
- Google Reader
Inputs that Give:
- Reading Books
- Music
- Solitude (letting silence “in”)
- Spiritual Disciplines (for me time in the Bible and Prayer)
- Exercise
First, I can’t encourage you enough to take 5 minutes in making your own list. Secondly, when I saw this list I started to realize that just by eliminating, reducing or batch processing the inputs that drain I could feel much more energized and creative throughout my day and week. This is significant because many times I think I need something new/more to feel creative. What I am finding is that I need less of the draining inputs, and healthy diet of giving inputs, and overall more mental space to feel energized and creative.In light of that premise here is what I am starting this next week:
Eliminate:
I have already greatly reduced the T.V. shows that I watch down to just a couple. Now, I am actually going to delete my Hulu account and eliminate T.V. all together. I am also going to stop going to Google Reader and any News inputs (this also means deleting the RSS app and CNN app on my iPhone).
Reduce:
I enjoy watching Movies in the theater, usually to connect with friends. But just as going to a movie makes a terrible date it also isn’t a great hang out time with friends. I am not cutting movies out, but won’t suggest them nearly as much. I am also taking my Twitter App (Tweetie 2), Facebook App, Gowalla App, and Foursquare App off of my iPhone’s home screen (out of sight out of mind).
Batch:
There are some inputs I need to keep a connection with; so I am going to only connect in “doses.” Email, Twitter and Facebook, if left open all the time are the best way to kill your creativity and attention. And personally I usually do a poorer job processing messages in these channels if I am always going through new updates. For me this means only checking them in pre-defined times three times a day (11am, 4pm and 8pm). (The 8pm time is for personal and outside work professional inputs only).
Now, why am I spending so much time focusing on inputs?
It goes back to the comment I made above about us potentially being a part of the most informed generation with no great accomplishments to its credit. The results needed to avoid this come from maximizing outputs (results), not from maximizing inputs (consumerism). It is also because I recognize that when I “need a break” I’m more likely seek out inputs that drain me, than the ones that energize me.Most importantly this focus mostly comes from wanting my life to make a difference, and the desire to be a part of truly great results for good. If I fill my time with inputs that only ever create drag and decrease my momentum on these things, the effect I (and we) can have is greatly reduced.
Edmond Burke is quoted as saying “All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.” I think the evils of our generation can be categorized into the things done to us (terrorism, corporate scandal, etc.) and the things our passivity creates (starvation, homelessness, orphans, etc.). Maybe all that is necessary for these evils to prevail is for us to stay enamored with the newest seasons of LOST & 24.
Thoughts?
This is a great post to follow up your one yesterday because the hustle you mentioned yesterday can be draining if we’re not careful. I love the idea of creating the two lists. Somehow it makes it more practical to have those lists and ask myself, which list am I living off of most often? I also appreciate you acknowledging that the draining inputs can be used wisely in batches of time and thereby used in healthy ways. As someone trying hard to find my own “input zen” I am grateful for this post. One more thing, I think rewards in our life are a good thing. Things like TV and movies can be those rewards. But I do find I have to be cautious of not letting those rewards turn into countless minutes of time that I’ve lost track of. If I can’t get a healthy handle on my “inputs that take”, then I need to highly consider cutting them completely out of my life, at least for a time.
Better said as usual. And, you are hot.
#loveitwhenmywifecomments
Seriously though – I love the rewards thought. Don’t want to suck the joy, play or fun out of life. The worst thing to take from this post would be a pro-workaholic lifestyle.
Tony …. Good thoughts. “Garbage in, garbage out” was what I thought of when I read this post.
I’ve already noticed how increasingly productive I’ve become when using a little app called Focus Booster.
Also, full screen Pages is a must. It’s amazing how much you can bang out when there are no distractions in the way!
I’ve moved my Twitter app (Tweetie) to the second space of my desktop. Like you said, out of sight out of mind. I’ve also almost quit using Foursquare altogether. It got obnoxious…. Checking in every which place. If nothing else, it’s a discipline of being fully present.
Anyhow. Good thoughts, bro.
Thanks Justin. Full-screen Pages is killer, love it! I actually use a Pomodoro app like Focus Booster but it is for my mac dashboard. I use it as a “batch” timer all the time. It let’s you have different time periods. I use it each time I enter into a Batch time frame to make sure I stick to my “guns.”
For me I have a lot more things that take then give.
I wonder why the things I give time to are things that take my time and energy.
I use to love reading, now I can barely make it through a chapter.
I discovered a couple of weeks ago that one of the main reasons why I was not moving or having energy to complete things was because I was not surrounding myself with people. For me, people give me energy and get me excited. The only people that were surrounding me were people from twitter and my blog. Unfortunately that does not do it for me. I need to be apart of a physical team, one that works with each other, communicates and shares life with each other.
That is what gives me energy, everything else seems to zap the energy right out of me.
Tony this post is causing me to do some major reflection. Thanks
Thanks Kyle. I have actually found that my attention span decreases the more attention I consistently gave things like Twitter, Foursquare and Facebook. The longer times I leave between my interaction with those high message inputs I quickly feel/see my attention span increase.
funny that I come across this post in Google Reader. Help me
Same here dude.. *sigh* I’m addicted.
Hah – Google Reader might be an input that gives for you guys – it is really important to make your own lists and do your own check to see where you are spending your time.
What takes for me might give for you, and vice versa. I just shared my examples as a frame of reference for how I am trying to make changes.:)
Wow. This is amazing, T. So glad I read this today. Incredible insight. I’m gonna steal this and pass it on.
Please do! Thanks Brannon.
Interesting post. Not sure I really agree that Google Reader is always a taker. For me today, it’s how I found this post by you and I am hopefully able to sometimes visit posts like this and give back to others by encouragement or challenge. If used in the wrong way (consuming content) I see your point.
Our pastor recently compared our life with God (confession, praise, etc.) as breathing through a snorkel. You can’t just breathe in without breathing out. Your post hits the same target, and I believe our life in community with others (online or offline) requires breathing in and out (consuming and contributing) as well.
Great to see you contributing more via blogging! Goes deeper than tweets / Posterous content.
i’m a subscriber…
Thanks Gabe – I love the insight of your pastor.
Yes. Great post – very challenging. I pretty much always have twitter open and check it far too often!
A good friend told me once that he tries to go on a sugar fast every once in a while to kill his cravings. I did not realize how compelled I was to monitoring what you tagged as “inputs that take”. As a profession requires me to monitor and engage with several communities, but it can lead to all the draining symptoms you listed. Reading Seth Godin’s Linchpin was probably what compelled me to break my compulsive habits. He is relentless in going after the things that keep us from creating. I began to turn them all off and monitor, like you do 3 times a day. I found I was inspired more, less stressed, able to give to others more and generally have more margin in my life. I find without margin I am lost and most of all the most important input, God, is pushed to the side.
I am feeling the same thing. I am faster, bring more strategy, and higher quality engagement to my Email and Social messaging when I do it in batches versus the “always” on approach. When I am always one I find that I feel like I am just a rock skipping, wide and everywhere but never deep or making a lasting impact.
So funny. After we met for breakfast a few weeks ago I moved my FB and Twitter on my iPhone to my back page of apps. Also, I haven’t checked Google Reader in about 2 months. I only go to facebook if someone has left a comment or something on my wall thanks to email notifications. My main issue is still Twitter. I check it too much. I still feel like I would miss out on something. Trying to curb that. I am also trying to get where I only check email right when I get in the office, after lunch and before I leave work. I also stopped using check-in apps about 3 weeks ago.
I probably watch too much TV, but not near as much as I did before Christmas. I do watch a lot of college bball and football, actually an unhealthy amount. But, as far as TV shows go there are maybe 5 a week I watch.
Definitely needed this reminder today. Thanks for blogging again.
Sounds like you are making good progress on seeking health in these things. I don’t want to make it sound like we can’t enjoy things – just want to encourage we take a step back and see their effect on us. You rock John – hows the church doing?
I agree about enjoying them. I want to enjoy them without them owning me though. That’s what I’m trying to do with Twitter. Take a step back and own it. I can’t let it own me. As far as the college sports watching goes, that’s just who I am. Church is good. Definitely learning through things.
I’ve been dealing with the same thing. I’m not sure the point of social media is for us to interact more or communicate with more freedom? Either way, we’ve entangled ourselves. A lot of us live full, whole lives without social media. There are days when I’d like to pull the plug on all my accounts. And just walk away. Not sure that is the mature thing to do.
Has social media or whatever the distraction…became like idols for us?
Great questions Jim! I have felt like just deleting and walking away so many times I can’t count them all. But when I reflect I realize that feeling or the symptoms that lead me up to it are heart issues, not tech issues.
This is 100% wicked sauce. Thanks for communicating so clearly on such an important area of modern life.
dang…you’re doing it again. i’m in this mix because of your good heart and head. yet recently i’ve had dozens of conversations with folks…parents…students…influencers…all trying to understand the “firehose” of information. my basic response has been about being more strategic in what you process and work with…but i’m seeing and sensing its deeper. grateful for the challenge to rethink…and avoid the distractions. old edmund is right. blessings.
Tony, good post & good conversation going here on an important topic.
I’ve found most inputs don’t fall cleanly into a “give” or “take” category. Pretty much any input can be a take when it feels like an obligation. Likewise pretty much any input can be a give when I look forward to it and the quality is good.
What I’ve found helpful for me is not only to batch process inputs but to prioritize within each input. For example, I have some blogs which I consider must reads, others which are important, and others which I only read if I have time. What’s helped to reduce my stress is limiting what’s in my a-list and b-list inputs and giving myself permission to totally ignore my c-list inputs.
I went 4 months without reading Google Reader. I had over 5,000 unread posts. . . but honestly I really didn’t miss all that much. I really enjoyed this post and it has really reminded me of how important balance is: I must learn to balance the things that are important over the things that are unimportant.
Thanks for this great reminder!
Thanks Benji!