Finally!!! Internet!!!!

Something went wrong with our internet for almost a month. At the same time, we had our phones disconnected sooner than planned. So literally, I’ve been “disconnected” from the world for the past couple of days (or weeks??)….and it’s been great! It’s amazing how much more we get done when we take some time away from the things that were invented to supposedly help us get more things done (gets?). As a result of this “de-tech-xification”, I realized that I have to be more conscious of how much time I allot to the use of gadgets. I am not really a techie person, and I don’t enjoy just “surfing” the net and all, but once I do get online and a friend starts chatting with me, I really find it hard to say that I have to go when I really need to go.  That’s what keeps me online most of the time. And we all know that once we spend time on something, we are saying no to a lot of other things. Just because one can afford to say no to these other things and keep doing whatever it is we are saying yes to, doesn’t mean that it is the best use of our time, nor does it mean that it’s okay to keep at it. It’s so obvious, I know, but oh how I often need to be reminded!

With that, I’d like to say, “Thank you Lord, for allowing whatever it was that was hacked to get hacked (causing us to lose our internet connection), and for allowing dennis to wait  for more than an hour even if there were just two other people in line (causing him to get frustrated and have our line cut right there and then).”

I shall try to keep doing the following:

1. Turn on the computer, only before the children wake up and during our lunch breaks.

2. Stay invisible (Ssshhh!).

3. Stop clicking on links that will lead me to other links (Little Miss Input, right here!)

I’ve come to believe that the Rule of Three works best for me (is there really such a thing, or did my dad just make me believe this??). I find that it’s doable, it’s sustainable, it’s memorable….so let’s stick with these three and see if we can stick with this for at least 21 days, shall we?  Twenty-one is supposedly the number of days it takes for a particular thing to become a habit (or to break a habit), plus it is divisible by three, so we’re good.

Before anything else, I’d like to point out that we still don’t have internet in our new home, and that’s the main reason why it’s been taking me forever to post updates. Almost everyday, I think of something and I go “Oh, I have to write this!”, only to be reminded that I won’t be able to. For some reason, my brain goes on protest whenever I try writing using Microsoft Word. I think it still equates it with the many sleepless nights of writing papers way back in college that now it refuses to function even for “leisure” sake.

The other night Dennis and I decided that it might be best not to have internet at home. The office is just a few minutes away so it is easy to go online if ever the need arises. We thought about the many things we could do instead of spending time online— we could read more, communicate better, play with the kids without any tempting distractions….in short, we will be more fruitful with our time. We were both convinced and we were in agreement in this particular decision.

And then we woke up the next day. Dennis told me he realized that we actually need to have internet at home since a big part of our lives is connected to being online. We both love to blog, we get connected and keep in touch with other people through the social networking sites, we have an online bookstore…so yes, it actually is a “necessity” if you look at it from that perspective (Of course you and I both know we would actually survive without it!).

I still want to be more fruitful, though. I still want to be able to read more, to communicate with my family better, to spend more quality time with the kids without any distractions. I want to be up-to-date in today’s world, yet still be old-fashioned with how I spend my time with my family. As the Bible puts it (in a different context, but I think it’s still applicable in this case), “It is good to grasp the one and not let go of the other. The man who fears God will avoid all extremes .” (Ecclesiastes 7:18)

I guess it all goes back to reminding myself of my priorities, and being DELIBERATE in making sure I practice what I put on paper.

“If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.”, right?

Let’s put this in practice. I shall list down the things I plan on doing and not doing in order to make the best out of having technology, and not let technology get the best of me.

1. God first.

I am reminded of this question from one of our pastors: “Are you quicker to answer a phone call or a message from Facebook than you are in picking up your Bible and hearing from God?”

2. My husband second.

How guilty I am of often thinking it’s okay for me to stay online since my husband can also go and be online anyway. I will make an extra effort to shut down my computer so as not to shut out my husband.

3. My kids next.

It’s amazing how fast time flies when you’re browsing through the net! You spend an hour only to realize there really wasn’t much that you’ve accomplished; nothing really life-changing that you’ve done. If you have only spent it playing with your kids instead, you would have already planted seeds of character in their hearts that will bear much fruit in the future. So here’s the action plan:

I shall use my laptop only when the kids are asleep.

4. My household after the kids.

Oh, even if they are asleep, I still have to make sure all my household chores for the day are done.

5. Last (and yes, the least)– internet.

Okay, so now I am online. It’s a good break especially for someone who stays home most of the time. I still have to always keep in mind the reason why I go online in the first place. It is to grow as a person– through the knowledge gained from the internet, through the many resources and references available– and to grow in my relationships– by getting connected and keeping in touch, by blogging, by “saving” time on some chores and tasks so I can better allot my time… I AM TO GROW every time I go online. If I am failing to achieve this, time to sign out.

At the risk of sounding redundant, I say it again:

I will make the best out of technology, and will make every effort in not letting technology get the best of me.

Moving from a three-storey house to a three-bedroom condo unit is quite a challenge, especially when you are blessed with a mother who loves giving you stuff.

Since we got married, my mom has always had this habit of finding something for us, convincing herself that it is something we MIGHT just need sometime within the decade, and then buying it and shipping it over to our house. When we had kids, all the more my mom wanted to give us things so she could hear that her grandchildren had a “wow” moment over something new that she has just bought for them.

This is something I am most grateful for, especially since we cannot really afford to buy a lot of the things we want, but now I am faced with the challenging task of purging all my stuff and learning to live with irreducible minimums.

“Irreducible minimums.”

This is what we always have to repeat to ourselves if we want to progress in our quest for a less cluttered household. Every time we start sorting out our things and letting go, there is always that temptation of “I MIGHT need this someday”, even though in most cases that “someday” never comes and we know it. When we find ourselves stuck while in the process of purging, this question would come in handy:

“What are the irreducible minimums?”

I got this concept of irreducible minimums at a teaching training a few years back. The technical definition for this term is something that is impossible to reduce to a desired, simpler, or smaller form or amount.We were reminded to stick to the irreducible minimums when it comes to teaching and speaking in public. Oftentimes, there are way too many things we want to say, so much so that we overwhelm our audience and they end up not remembering anything from our session.

I love how this concept applies to most areas of our lives, not just in public speaking.

Whenever we try to teach our kids a new concept, we have to try to stick to the irreducible minimums so they can better grasp and remember the new things we teach them.

If we are to prioritize and fix our schedules, we have to narrow down all our engagements to the irreducible minimums so we do not stretch ourselves too thin and lose focus on the things that really matter.

Whenever we find ourselves in a discussion with our spouse (or anyone else for that matter), it is always wiser to stick to the irreducible minimums with our words. As the Bible says it, “When words are many, sin is not absent…” (Proverbs 10:19).

In organizing and decluttering our household, again we have to think through all our stuff and decide which are the ones that we really cannot live without, the irreducible minimums. Everything else falls into the “nice-to-have” category.

In our lives, what are the irreducible minimums we know we need to accomplish or to have so at the end of it all we can say we have lived abundantly and to the best of our abilities? Do we live each day accordingly?

Irreducible minimums.

I’m sure by now you get the concept.