Sometimes there isn’t even a notification.  I’ll check my phone, swearing I heard or felt an alert and there is nothing there. As if that wasn’t bad enough I work at a computer all day with the freedom to have multiple windows open.  A few of those windows are always Facebook and Twitter.  I see the indicators that there is a message and I’m compelled to click or I might miss something.

I was a very early adopter to digital media.  It’s something I’ve always enjoyed and I loved to be in the know.  At one point, when Blackberries were still cool, you could reach me a million different ways.  I had BBM, Twitter, Email (several accounts), SMS, Facebook and of course you could call.  I had custom alerts for each one so I knew what I got without even looking.

 

Today I’m so connected that I’m constantly being interrupted.  The problem is I don’t see them as interruptions.  I see these alerts as fuel for my creativity.  I see new ideas, posts or thoughts and it sets me off into my own rabbit hole.  Just as I’m getting ready to really dive in there I get another alert, another idea and another rabbit hole.  I’ve dug so many but none are very deep.

I look around myself now and see the remains of ideas gone by.  The next big thing that I wanted to pour myself into.  That is, until I found something else.  Maybe it points to more of an internal issue.  Keeping focused on a single goal long enough to see it come to fruition.  I’m 12 credits short of an Associate’s in Marketing.  I’ve been working on it for the better part of 16 years.

I have several domains that I’ve registered but never built sites.  Logos for companies that don’t exist anymore or worse….never did.  Maybe the drifting from idea to idea has allowed me to shield myself from failure.  If they never get off the ground they can’t come crashing down.

So I’ve decided to take a break.  I’m not sure how long.  I would imagine no more than a week.  I probably couldn’t last that long anyway.  The only thing I’ll keep open is this.  I write here but I don’t have an audience so it’s really just me and my thoughts.  Maybe one day I can look back and see from where I’ve come.  Maybe my kids will get a better understanding of what made dad tick.

In any case I want to remove the distractions.  I want to focus on one or two things.  I want to see them fly.  I don’t even care if they crash as long as they get off the ground.