Turn Off Your Mobile and Emails To Have A Great Time, Know How...

Yeah….I am a tech freak… an email, social network junkie. I receive a lot of, say hundreds of emails, Facebook and Linkedin messages a day and hundreds of social network connection requests and a lot of SMS too… and in revert I send hundreds more.

Every day before going to bed I try to make ZERO UNREAD Messages in my inbox and mobile message box. It means I prefer to not to go to sleep with unread SMS, social messages or emails.

Recently in late December, when I resigned from job, decided to have a break; I got time to give myself and I just planned to have maximum of it. I started keeping my cell phone turned off and staying away from emails and social networks for the whole day. In short – no unnecessary email, Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn i.e. , I went partially offline. For a couple of days it was even 100% unplugged.

It’s not 1^st time I did so. 3 years ago, I did it when I was a college graduate it was the first time for me and I didn’t find it a big deal as I hardly had any major contacts out there. But this time when I have a whole set of network and being known as networker in my group, it is first time in 3 years that I am unplugged.  And believe me it is terrific.

However, this may not sound like very impressive and unprofessional as well, but it was quite traumatic to me and if you have never done this, I would highly recommend it and will ask you to give it a shot because of 3 wonderful  lessons I learned -  

1. I have time to think, to plan about my career, about life, and yes, about work. I said I am partially offline means I am not completely off of work. That’s impossible for me to shut down that part of myself and my brain. Being away from the minute-to-minute distraction of email helps me to think more clearly about what’s really important at home & for my work.
   
2. My company did just fine without me and this was a key learning for me. We all think that we're irreplaceable in our organizations, but the fact is we're not.  What happen in real is like this – If one don’t show up for work, nothing serious happens, the world keep on spinning and the company keep on working, considering you as an employee who is on a very long break. I have seen that, when someone from a company is out, sometimes good things happen as others are able to step up and do more of leadership activities than they ordinarily would.
   
3. Last but the most important……I am heaving quiet great time with and my family and friends, who have been almost not in touch in last few years, got to know me better.

If you have already… I strongly believe, you might had a wonderful time….

So come one… move out of that tech environment for a while for yourself….just give it a shot.

By-

Alok Kumar Upadhayay