Killing Home Internet Is the Most Productive Thing Ive Ever Done

Killing Home Internet Is the Most Productive Thing Ive Ever Done Earlier this year I made the conscious decision to remove all Internet service from my home. It ended up being the best productivity decision I’ve ever made. I was not content with the time I was wastingâ€"I felt I could do more purposeful things with my time than spend it on the Internet. This doesn’t mean I think the Internet is evil, bad, or wrongâ€"it’s not. The Internet is an amazing tool, one that changed my life for the better. But you run a popular website, how could you possibly go without Internet service at home? My answer is easy: I plan my Internet use. I don’t do so in a regimented wayâ€"it’s not like I say, “OK, I’ll be on Twitter from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. next Thursday.” If I see something I want to research on the Internet, I write it down and use that list when I have Internet access. Now I’m forced to leave the house to access the Internet. I’ll go to the office, the library, the coffee shop, or some other place with free public Wi-Fi, and I’ll grab a cup of coffee or something to eat and work on all the stuff I need to do online (publish writing, check email, read blogs, get on goofy websites, etc.). Additionally, because I’m out of the house and there are people around, I meet new people. But you’re a writer, Joshua, and that’s why it made sense for you! I need the Internet for homework/work-work/Netflix/online dating/online gaming/updating my Facebook status/playing Farmville/surfing eBay for shit I don’t need/stalking my high school boyfriend/etc./etc. You probably don’t, and maybe it’s time to look in the mirror and be honest with yourself. I was able to reclaim the time I once wasted. No longer am I taking unconscious breaks from my life to watch YouTube videos, movie trailers, or to look at funny pictures on some random site. Now when I’m on the Internet, it has a purposeâ€"it is a tool I use to enhance my life. Sure, sometimes I log on to watch some funny videos or laugh at memes, but I go to the Internet with the intention of doing these things. Whenever I’m on the Internet now, I use it in a deliberate way, in a way that benefits me and my life, a way that adds value. When I got rid of the Internet at home, I did it mostly so I could focus on writing without distractionsâ€"but I found so many extra benefits since I got rid of the Internet: My time at home is more peaceful now, as if my home is a sanctuary. I have more time to read. I have more time to write. I have more time to think. I have more time for friends. I have more time to exercise. I have more time to walk. I am less distracted. I am less stressed. My thoughts are clearer and less fragmented. I no longer crave the Internet like I once did. My mind is more focused on important things. I don’t have a monthly Internet bill. Here are some of my tips to help you use the Internet in a deliberate, more productive way (this is what I do): Check email no more than once a day. Keep a list of what you want to do on the Internet (watch videos, listen to songs, stuff you want to read, etc.). Subscribe to your favorite websites and blogs via email, so they come directly to your inbox. Give yourself one or two hours per week to just goof-off on the Internet (make it a treat, like that piece of candy). That’s great for you, Joshua, but I could never do it! Don’t kill your Internet, then, but consider this: Embark on a 30-day trial. Take your modem and get it out of the houseâ€"take it to work, take it to a friend’s house, or do whatever you need to do get it out of the house for 30 daysâ€"just make sure you don’t have access to it. You will hate it at first. You’ll want to get online to do something stupid and you won’t be able to. Then you’ll want to get online to do something “important,” but you won’t be able to do that, either. It’s like quitting smoking: you’ll have a craving to get online, and it will take a while to get rid of that craving (that’s why I recommend at least 30 days). You will be frustrated at firstâ€"very, very frustrated at timesâ€"but you will live, and your life will be better without it: you will be able to do more worthwhile things, and you will remove some of the discontent from your life. If not, you can always go back. What do you have to lose? Better yetâ€"what do you have to gain? If you find value in The Minimalists, consider donating a dollar. You May Also Enjoy How to Start a Successful Blog Today Learn how to start a blog in less than an hour. Follow the step-by-step instructions we used when starting our blog, which now has reached more than 20 million people. Creating this blog is one of the best decisions Ryan and I ever made. After all, our blog is how we earn a living. More important, it's how we add value to other people's lives. Read more 30-Day Minimalism Game Let's play a simple game together. We call it the 30-Day Minimalism Game. Find a friend, family member, or coworker who's willing to minimize their stuff with you next month. Read more 11 Ways to Write Better We are all writers now. Whether you write books, blog posts, emails, Instagram captions, or text messages, you are a writer. No matter your preferred medium, here are a few tips to help you write more effectively. Read more Subscribe to The Minimalists via email.