20,000 words.
Call it a clever opening, maybe, the combined efforts of Nina Yau and myself in the thirty chilly hours we sat with laptops open as a dazzling array of landscapes hurtled by. Call it a product of the caffeine, if you like, the six or seven cups we each downed after boarding the Coastal Starlight 14 for Portland, Oregon. Call it a reflection of the obvious instead: writers, when left to their own devices, tend to write.
Revolutionary thinking, that.
Myself? I’ll call it all the proof in the world of something we’ve long suspected: a day without Internet is a day where things get done.
A Practical Paradox
Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to the Information Age. We’ve saddled our techno-fueled lives with the most optimistic label of all — a name that invokes images of freely-flowing data, enhanced productivity, and all the promise and appeal of an increasingly-connected globe.
We got funny cat pictures instead.
In all fairness, though, the Information Age has delivered on a pretty generous portion of its promises. Our concern today is where it falls short: the “enhanced productivity” mentioned above, which any Internet addict can admit doesn’t really capture the full scope of what we’re dealing with. We have enhanced capability for productivity, sure, from both software and hardware advancements, but there’s a sad truth that sneaks right behind: we’re less and less productive — less and less focused — than ever before.
There are reasons for that. Many of them, in fact, which we’ll tackle in future posts. For now, let’s focus on the simplest — and quickest! — change you can make to enhance your productivity.
Go Where the Web Can’t Follow
You can see where this leading. I’ve spoken before about — and plan to revisit soon — the appeal of taking time off from technology, whether by nixing the Internet or closing the laptop entirely. When it comes to productivity, however, I’m an unabashed fan of the former option.
It’s the best of both worlds, in a sense: a chance to lay fingers on keys and work quicker (especially if you’re the writing type), with none of the inevitable distraction of a WiFi connection lurking over your shoulder. Thirty-odd hours on a train hurtling along the Pacific coast drove the point home when Nina and I decided to set down the coffee and get to work.
There were no distractions. There was no Twitter to peck through, no inboxes to sneak a peek at, and no real ability to hop online for a quick bit of research (followed, inevitably, by the social media dance). There was only a blank page, incredible scenery to my left and right, and one undeniable realization: I didn’t have a choice but to get things accomplished.
Research? I had to do it later. I was left, then, with the opportunity to focus, and the result was nothing short of spectacular: 10,000 words of my own and counting. This is, by far, the most productive I’ve been in the last few weeks, and it’s the kind of work ethic I’d like to recover even when I’m back in the land of free WiFi and infinite distractions.
How to Avoid the Internet
Call it a sign of the times, I guess, that we even need to consider doing this.
Still, there’s immense value in hiding away from the long reach of the Internet when you’re trying to get things done, and I’ve done some thinking on how exactly we can do that in our everyday lives. A day and a half on a train is a pretty convenient opportunity, sure, but not exactly commonplace for the average Internet addict.
Try these on for size instead:
1. Go where you don’t know the WiFi password.
I have a coffee shop I call my second home in West Hollywood, but on occasion I’ll branch out and waltz into somewhere new. The coffee, of course, doesn’t always stack up, but I’m grateful still for the chance to sit down and crank out some work. The key? Don’t ask for the WiFi password. That’ll seem strange, no doubt, for the Mac and coffee generation, but it’s a pretty simple trick I’ve employed time and time again to give myself a welcome respite from my connection.
2. Disable your router.
A brute force option, admittedly, but pretty effective in the short-term for nixing the ‘net around your home. Unplug the router, if you want, and move yourself some distance away from the little black box. This might not seem like much, but the thought of having to get over to the router, plug it back in, and wait for the WiFi signal to disperse, etc. might be just enough of a nuisance to keep you focused on the task at hand — working without the siren song of the connection calling your name.
Both of these take a slightly bolder stance from my previous advice on the subject. I’m not often the “all or nothing” type, but my own reliance on the Internet has encouraged a far stricter approach to how and when I surf the web. Even programs like Concentrate, which allow you to block certain websites for a set amount of time, don’t always cut it, as I find it too easy to justify a brief Twitter check that inevitably leads to time wasted clicking every link in sight.
This is a theme I’ll be pursuing further with the upcoming relaunch of Three New Leaves — how technology, despite enabling us to do things faster (and arguably better) than ever before, has left us with this unrelenting sensation of not having enough time instead. My lengthy train ride from Los Angeles really drove home the value in taking a mini ‘vacation’ from my connection, especially since time outside the Internet is time generally spent more mindfully — more focused — than it would be otherwise.
The suggestion here, in any case, is simple: take some time away from the Internet. If you have work to be done or some project that otherwise demands your attention, do yourself a favor and nix the ‘net for as long as you need. Thirty hours might seem a little excessive, but I can’t deny the results — this article very much included.
You don’t always need the Internet to be productive. A few hours to breathe — a few hours away from the Too Much Information Age — offer that much and more.
When not being productive, please assume terrified position instead.
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23 Comments »
I'm a writer, minimalist, and health dork with three goals in mind: to teach you how to lose weight, move more, and be happier by living a simple, natural life. It works. Like what you read here? Get 3NL delivered straight to your inbox!
so true, so true. i took the train from Chicago-Portland for WDS and spent about 50 hours without the internet. at first, “worried” about what I’d be missing, but soon relieved that I could focus on everything else going on. and when I did open the computer: SO. MUCH. DONE. Plus, I read an entire book (!) in one day. Take that Internet!
congrats on your productivity – excited to see what comes of those 20K words!
Exactly, dude. SO. MUCH. DONE.
It’s weird being disconnected for any length of time, but the benefits are tremendous. I’m sure you can agree — especially with that finished book behind you!
you are so right, of course. I’m in the revisions stage of my short story and work at the dining room table with a printout (yes – paper!) so that i can’t log on and waste time.
In fact, I’m heading over there right now! Powering down….
Excellent, Danielle.
Best of luck with the revisions! And kudos to you for taking time away from the ‘net to give it the attention it no doubt deserves.
10,000 words. Joyous! That’s a lot of writing in a 30 hour span Matt.
I’m getting ready to dive head first into some serious writing time in the next week or so. My situation has had too many distractions on the home front for months… and there’s no Starbucks in my town as a back-up plan.
Hmm. Maybe you’ve just given me a challenge. I’ll match your 10,000 words in 30 hours. Feels good to write that!
No kidding, Tanja. I’m amazed there was so much productivity to be had!
Best of luck with that challenge. Just remember: nix the ‘net and I think you’ll hit 10K and more.
There is an option 3. Shut down your laptop altogether and go read a book. Not popular for writers, I am sure. But excellent for the rest of us mortals!
About a week ago when I was moving all my possessions out of the house my (now ex) boyfriend and I used to share, I decided that there was no way I was going near Facebook while the urge to post nasty things on his wall was tempting. (I would never do that. Hence being disturbed at being tempted by it.) I have been shocked and amazed at how much easier it has been to keep my head together without it! Not knowing what is going in in everyone’s lives has been… dare I say it… HEALTHIER. You only ever get the edited bits in Twitter/ Facebook etc anyway, its not like a real conversations – and since logging off I have had a lot more of those!
I think the human brain can only handle so many information feeds before it starts to tune out. It’s a choice… online information, or real friendships. We remove one when we take much of the other. I know what I choose.
Fair enough, Mia.
I’m tempted to take your advice!
You make a fascinating point about being overwhelmed. I’ve taken to calling our modern times the “Too Much Information Age,” and it’s a topic I’m really excited to tackle once 3NL relaunches. It comes down, in so many ways, to quality versus quantity — do we want a staggering number of Facebook friends/Twitter followers, or do we want a handful of real-life relationships that can carry us through thick and thin?
Much like you, I know what I choose.
Fine advice, of course, but I am primarily impressed by the fact that you were able to read and type on a train without barfing. You are made of stronger stuff than I, sir.
I tend to be more distracted by my television than my computer, anyway. There are gypsies and ghost hunters and all kinds of crazy people in there. Crazier than me, if you can believe that. I find this oddly reassuring.
Haha! Motion sickness has never been an issue for me, so let’s just chalk that up to good luck.
Great advise and great post. Glad to see you guys accomplished what you were committed to doing on that train ride.
I wish more people did spend more time at cafes. Someone I still can’t get the internet to work on my laptop at my preferred coffee hang out. I remember starting 3 blog posts and finishing one while on my way to PDX. Polished that first post at the hostel because I knew nothing about the wi-fi.
Thanks, Aggie!
I always love pieces like this. Instead of trying to build a bigger boat, simply turn off the faucet.
One way I’ve found to increase my focus is having dedicated machines. My MacBook is my “work” machine. I only use when I want to write, create or design. My iPad is the “play” machine. Email, Twitter, RSS, and of course, cat videos.
This designation helps me not get sidetracked I’ve developed the habit that the machine I’m using dictates what activity I am doing. While it may not make sense for some, it’s been a tremendous help for me.
Thanks, Troy!
That technique makes a lot of sense. It’s hard to get sidetracked by play things, after all, when the machine you’re working with is exclusively devoted to work.
Ha…I just wrote a short story on a barf bag in an Airplane. It took me about twenty incredibly focused WiFi-free moments. Less is more, digitally, too. There’s the iCloud and the iSmog. I make the latter every day I log in.
In my last post I made up a word “monokinesis”–I think it just means focus.
Thanks, Matt
I’d be curious to read that story, Mark, and see if the unique thing it was written on had any bearing on the final product.
Thanks for the comment! And the reminder to catch up on all of your wonderful words.
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Aw, the good times on Amtrak! We must do that again sometime, Matt!
Matt, a far, far easier way to disconnect without disabling your network (y’know, in case you have a wife or girlfriend who needs to use it
) is to just disable your network adapter on your computer.
Just go into the control panel, find your hardware settings, and disable whatever piece of hardware connects you to the ‘net.
Works great!
The internet-free zone is one reason why I love airplanes. I find that I am able to get high quality work (writing, coding, reading) done quickly because there’s just not that much else to do.
Same here, Jack! Were it not for the fact that I can’t stand sitting down for so long, I might hop more planes in the name of productivity.
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