jakorte's blog

Sometimes restrictions can be more freeing than we ever imagined. Trading a house for an apartment meant having to off load extra items, and re-evaluate finances. I walked away from the house with just two rooms of belongings and a bit of cash that I’m sure will come in handy when my eight year old vehicle inevitably needs repairing or replacing.

Some expenses went down, others went up. Others went completely away. Like the house phone which only ever received messages for some delinquent family named “Berciaga” who thought it would be a good idea to give everyone my number to call. For almost 5 years I weeded through calls from schools, truant officers, doctor’s offices, repair shops, major retail stores, mortgage companies and banks, the list goes on and on. I found myself telling my tale of “they-annoy-me and they-fooled-you” woe to anyone who called looking for them, including one thugly sounding fella who demanded, “Gimme Joey, now!”

Where was I? Oh, yeah – down loading. Going from three computers to two computers seemed like a triumph until I recently involuntarily downgraded to one computer. Of course the old tower, used mostly for storing itunes is the one that now refuses to turn on.

Significantly and a very thought out deletion – no television. About 6 months before I moved, I realized that I just hadn’t watched tv in just that long. Was going to eliminate it, but the sales rep talked me into a basic news plan for $21 a month, down from $70. However, I still didn’t find myself mindlessly parked on the sofa, so I said so long to that expense.

I wasn’t really in for bucking the new electronic system of things. I was just trying to lessen the load; remove distractions, find more time to do things I want and need to do. I’ve got cards to make, books to read, exercise goals to meet, frontiers to conquer, and a café to run – there’s no room for boredom.

However, on the slightly over-consumption side of things, I rarely have less than three screens open on my laptop computer at any one time. Writing the newsletter, playing a game, checking email, and balancing my checkbook are common multitasks. I do sometimes find myself lost in that realm for a few hours at a time. I came across an article the other day citing research that indicates multitasking is damaging our cognitive processes.

Hmmm... where was I? Oh, yeah... extoling the virtues of restriction.

In this issue: Fractured Multitasking, Video Magazine Ads, Bryan Beckstead.