Anyone with a mobile phone or tablet will tell you that it doesn’t take long to lose connection. Once I stopped formally going to work a few months ago, my connectivity dropped abruptly. Overnight, my email traffic declined by at least 90%, calls were rare, and interestingly, return calls took longer to be made. This is natural and was anticipated. What I didn’t realize was that I was contributing to my low signal.
It’s not like I was going through a ‘dead zone.’ I was still keeping up with friends and colleagues; however the frequency was a lot less. I was compensating by reading other people’s stimulating conversations through the internet and magazines, but that was not as stimulating as being in them. Personal note: participation is the best stimulation.
How had my drop in connectivity affected my progress as a book writer (I have decided to call myself an author only after I have finished writing)? The main impact was fewer sparks of insights and triggers of past realizations. It’s like a dimmer switch that has been turned down; the place is the same but you can’t see as many details around you.
Over the past week I made a point of reconnecting with some people I haven’t spoken with since I started my sabbatical. It was electric and felt like I was still in my former dynamic work zone. The dimmer switch had been instantaneously turned in the other direction. Not only was I having fresh and engaging conversations, I was also exchanging ideas, reflecting on alternate perspectives and considering options that were new to me.
I now appreciate that regardless of what you do or where you are, you must stay connected – it’s an accountability. Life is a lot brighter and more fun when the lights are on. For me, it will help me be a better book writer too. I would love to hear your feedback.
Phil
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