I made a decision at the dawn of the “CrackBerry” age.
I vowed to never take email on my cell phone. No matter how conventional it became, I would not succumb to the urge of becoming perpetually connected. My colleagues questioned my logic, and they pointed and laughed as I proceeded to carry a device that was not set up for sending or receiving email.
It seems hypocritical for me to make this statement since my service company is a leader in the research software industry. How could I shun such an obvious productivity enhancer? How could I ignore the advances in wireless technology that allow you to carry your office in your pocket? How could I sell technologies that deliver messaging to a BlackBerry and not actually carry one myself?
Think of all the down time I’ve wasted in transit when I could have been emailing. Think of all the time I’ve made a key customer wait for a response to a critical concern. Surely this has been disastrous for business. Or has it?
I’ve made this conscious decision based on a simple process of reflection. It is based on the way that I work, the way that I am most productive. As an entrepreneur, I have a tendency to be productive through a series of explosions. I am not a workhorse producing a steady stream of predictable results every day between the hours of nine and five. Instead, I work in waves. There are times when I am incredibly productive, producing results in a few focused days that will drive my business for a year. And then there are moments in between when my best choice is to power down and rebuild my energy reserve.
It is the disconnected time that is often referred to as waste— time that is better spent taking care of a few more things before the day is done. I have come to believe the opposite. This time is equally valuable, since it allows me to rest, listen to music, play games or read a book. These activities allow me to transition out of my work role so that I can embrace the rest of what life has to offer.
I’ve watched countless executives run their thumbs under the table immediately after the familiar buzz of their mobile. This Pavlovian response is the exact opposite of real productivity. I avoid the need to respond altogether by disconnecting from the message. This affords me the time required to pick priorities and stay focused on what I need to accomplish.
All in all, I choose to live life outside of the office. And I remain firmly committed to my disconnected lifestyle. Yes, I am unplugged. But I am more engaged in what I choose to do.