As a child, the beginning of every school year marked a trip to the department store to refresh the wardrobe.
The years passed, you wore the clothes, threw them in the wash, wore them again, grew out of them, and eventually gave or threw them away. You physically grew up.
In high school, you ditched the 10-key calculator for a $100 version that generated detailed graphs. The former calculator no longer met your mathematical needs.
In the gym, you take the 25-pound weights off the barbell and replace them with the 50-pound variety. Your muscles are physically growing, and to grow again, your body demands a bigger challenge.
On the couch, network sitcoms bore you and now, you seek out shows with less predictable punch lines. After years of watching the tube, you're smart enough to finish the joke before you've even heard it.
In the kitchen, you started by enjoying a mild salsa by a generic brand. Along the way, you built a tolerance and now, you crave something spicier.
You grew out of "it." You became numb and needed something better, something more progressive, more of a challenge.
I'm finding similarities with the tech industry and online activity. Sometimes you grow out of it; other times you simply stop needing it.
For myself, subtracting those items from my life that I've grown out of makes room for new challenges and ways to grow.
What I'm subtracting
I need to take more vacations. Because after an extended time away from my routines, I come back with a new outlook on what's important and how I can improve my quality of life.
To that end, here's what I'm subtracting:
- Blog subscriptions that weigh on me -- I dread reading them; I rarely gain anything.
- Twitter accounts that result in more drama and stress than gain.
- Digital "obligations" -- I don't need to be on every social network just because it exists and it's "hot."
- Fake Facebook friends -- if I give Facebook my time, it's only for true in-real-life friends -- not the digital equivalent.
What I gain by subtracting
I'm not subtracting without reason. There's a purpose behind every action. Here's what I (seek to) gain: - Space and clarity -- there's more space to make sense of all the important things in life. Less clutter = more clarity.
- Time -- there's more of it, or at least there's the feeling that there's more time, and that's just as valuable.
- Focus -- without the distractions, I'm more focused and productive so the tasks that need completing are my priorities, not the drama around them.
- Perspective -- everything isn't important, everything doesn't need my attention, and I can't be bothered by valient attempts of omnipresence. The tangible experiences, the time, and the stories -- those are my renewed priorities.
I'm not sure why we're programmed this way, but there's something in us that hates decluttering.
Even though some blog posts are repetitive and boring, it takes a lot of will to physically click 'unsubscribe.'
While some Twitter accounts do nothing but raise my blood pressure and instantly make me recall stressful situations, it takes a lot to complete the simple 'unfollow' action (what if I miss something big?? what if they say something??).
Perhaps it's the digital age's infatuation with knowing first. Perhaps its the physical struggle of breaking-up with a comfortable routine.
Whatever it is, we should all make a point to subtract every so often. Otherwise, we end up with a bunch of clutter and no time to make sense of it all.
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