Perfectly Organized or Gizmo Distracted?

Responsibility for the Older
I remember a time when I was younger and my day was fairly easy to get through - get up, eat something, go to school, eat some more, go home, eat some more, watch TV. Not too complicated. I certainly didn't have any ambition to make it more complicated. The youthfulness I once possessed also dictated that I do as little as possible.

Now, as an adult, I find myself not only managing the aforementioned tasks (replace "school" with "work"), but also everything else in between. You see, rarely as adults are we allowed the mental freedom of a highly regimented school life. Most of us these days have jobs and lives that require us to juggle much more than our previous juvenile existence could ever demand. Nobody is standing around to tell us what to do next. It's normally up to us to figure that part out.

Truth be told, nobody ever taught me how to manage all of this crazy responsibility. I've made some observations over time and read some really good books. That's where my education ends, though. I would argue that how we manage the chaos of adult life is actually part of our unique personality profile. That being the case, much of what follows is "How I think I Organize best" rather than "How you can Organize best."

A Gadget Here, A Gadget There
Let's face it. Today, we've presented with a new gadget, productivity hack or life enrichment promise just about daily. The tech pundits keep us salivating for the next big thing. The 43folders types proudly show off their binder-clip PDA's. Just about everyone has a "secret" to happiness on top of that.

I contend that the more you need a PDA or an organizer, the more overwhelmed you are. Just like every other trait in life, memory and self-discipline are both a human trait that each one of us possesses a unique amount and type of. I contend that while you can use a Palm Pilot to keep you on schedule and jot down little notes, it's not natural or desirable.

We as human beings must reconcile human limitations against the demands of modern life. For most of us, remembering all but just a few most important details requires the services of a man-made instrument. There are very few who can naturally remember everything. I believe this is largely due to the fact that we are expected to manage, track and procure an unnatural number of tasks every day. We chase the dream of prosperity in hopes of some form of wealth, and as a result, we sacrifice that which is primal to our nature.

While I could probably write a whole novel on the cause/effect relationship between technology and unnecessary complexity of our lives, I think it can be summed up nicely. For example - each time you add a new gadget, you are in fact adding a new responsibility in your life. You must protect it, interface with it, recharge it, learn it's quirks and keep it synchronized with it's host. Now, this set of responsibilities may not apply to all your gadgets, but it should cover the important bases. Now you have new complexities that you previously didn't have. Some who have grown up with said gadgets in their hands should have no trouble adapting, but consider the impact to their lives. Just because you know how to manage a gadget, doesn't mean it's a good use of your time. Furthermore, after awhile, you're managing so many gadgets, your dance card is completely full.

Filler' Up!
Is all this technology and gadgetry just a bunch of distractions and time fillers, or is it truly beneficial? It's easy to contend that that will be different for each individual. Perhaps the best analogy that has been passed to me over the years is this: Your life is a jar. In it, you have a few very large marbles. The jar appears to be full. These large marbles represent the important things in life - family, friends, home, etc. Then, miraculously, you can pour in smaller marbles into the crevices between the big marbles. Now it's looking really full. These smaller marbles represent the less important things in our lives - TV, driving, shopping, etc. Then, with even a bit more amazement, you can pour in sand - and this in fact, fills every last gap in the jar. This represents the noise in our lives - traffic, nay-sayers, fear of the unkown, etc. The point of all this is this: There's alway room for something unimportant in our lives.

That being said, consider that your reading the blog of a 29-year-old computer geek. I would consider that sand in my jar. For you, it might be one of those medium size marbles (if so - you are my latest best friend!) Is it worth it? Now, I'm not suggesting directly that you shouldn't read my blog. But, I would suggest that you consider what else you could, or more importantly, could NOT be doing.

Here's a suggestion to ponder - rather than filling your life in with "sand", try to remove some of that sand (particularly the really fine-grain stuff) and see what happens. It may make you start to question your value system, and maybe just perhaps, how you consume and interface with the world.

Relaxing is Mandatory for the Complex Life
When was the last time you sat back and really relaxed? I don't mean sitting on the couch, watching TV or playing a video game. I mean really detach from the world and just vegetate. Perhaps you read a slow-paced book or doodle in your notepad. The point is to not solve any problems, force any new learning or create any stress or discomfort. Relaxing is really the art of letting go for a period of time.

If you live a life run by reminders, meetings and task lists - you must relax regularly! If you go on year after year, toiling away at work, you'll eventually become so miserable and ill that you'll burn out entirely. I think we can all agree this isn't particularly desirable.

Let's step back for just a moment though. What if we were to decide that we didn't need to chase wealth or fulfill our gadget wielding lusty desires? What if in fact we said - Hey, I want to simplify my life and enjoy it! Now there's a novel and admirable concept if you ask me. There are those out there who might contend that hard work isn't necessary to become wealthy. True, but in it's place is a lot of luck. I've watched several of my friends and colleagues over the years chase the proverbial carrot. It's not to say that it's a waste of time to do so, but you have to be willing to risk all. Unless you're a member of the Fortunate Few Club (the one where everyone of the members lucked out on their first business venture and became wealthy quickly,) you'll be spending a lot of time and energy to earn that paycheck. Relaxing is your self reward for a job well done.

Bringing it all together
By now, you've probably wondered why this blog posting has gone on for so long. I can say that I've been writing it for weeks now, so don't worry - I'm not the prodigy that can bust this sort of thing out in 20 minutes. I'm a regular human being like you. I enjoy spending time away from work, distractions and imposed responsibilities. I rather prefer to have my life balanced. Take this diatribe of sorts and do with it what you will. I'm not suggesting the Gregster'-way is the right way. Ponder instead the points here:

1. As an adult you have more responsibility than you did as a kid.
2. Consider your memory and self-discipline capacity. Keep to it if possible.
3. What's really important in your life? What's small marbles? What's sand?
4. Your gadgets require some TLC. Do you have the time and is it worth it?
5. Relax and detach. Regularly. Repeat.

Productively,
Gregsta'