Carla Arena

Still on Simplicity

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by

Carla Arena
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I spent the weekend checking things at home, deciding what I should take back to Brazil, throwing things away, selecting stuff for donation, uncluttering. I also had good laughs with my sons checking their crazy school stories that I keep and cherish as precious moments of their growth.

unclutter

All this kept me thinking about my digital forward motion. Simplicity, right? So, how about if you and I take this moment of the year when we’re wrapping things up to unclutter. How about

  • unsubscribing to e-lists we’re part, clutter our mail boxes and we waste precious time everyday to delete the messages without even opening them?
  • making some participation priorities? What is feasible right now for us in terms of connections, active participation, conversations? Which lists, blogs, communities should we contribute to? Which nodes of our network really add value to us, personally and professionally?
  • deciding for online spaces that help us be more productive and efficient? Which spaces are only time consumers and don’t really add any value to us?
  • dumping old concepts and embracing the new? How about making a detachment exercise?

I’ll start by unsubscribing to some e-lists and changing notification preferences to some groups. I’ll keep tweeting. This is where I feel truly connected, I share and receive so much from the network. The Webheads, this fantastic group of educators keep me going. Always looking forward to stronger bonds with them.

It’s also time to rethink my google reader architecture. How can I make the most out of my reader?

As for my detachment exercise, I started a big one. My husband is ripping all our CDs and we’ll have a Media Center at home. This means we’re giving all the CDs away. It’s a big step for me, but time to move forward. It’s my biggest challenge now, to overcome this feeling of attachment mainly in a period of moving, in which we need to decide what stays and what we let it got. I guess it’s a perfect moment to just let certain things go.

How about you? How could you make your digital life more pleasant, productive and efficient?
Let us remember. Simplicity is key. It lightens our souls, let us connect even more tightly, and make us laugh more often. Which digital practices will you box and let it go? How can you make even wider, open online spaces without sacrificing what matters to you?

It would be great to hear your tricks and ideas.

Comments

4 responses to “Still on Simplicity”

  1. Cristina Costa Avatar
    Cristina Costa

    That’s indeed a big step my friend. How do we move without letting things behind, yet without taking everything with you. I started that exercise some time ago myself, when connectivity was not even around… for me. Books and CDs were the hardest to leave behind in terms of material things. People, places and moments you try to take with you.Some will go with us and stay, other won’t.
    Changing places always implies changes at many other different levels. But they are not necessarily bad. They are usually good 🙂 I have learned a lot with/from these experiences. Above all, I think it has helped me to grow up ( a bit), to be stronger and not to value so much the material things. 🙂
    And from my last move, what I’ve especially appreciated was that most people ‘came’ with me too, because they are now online. The books stayed and the cds too, but those are not that important…I can access them else where.
    having said that, sometimes is great to go back home…although after such a long time it doesn’t fully feels like home anymore…still it’s a special place.
    Please keep sharing your stories and experiences, we have so much to learn from them! 🙂

    Reply
  2. João Alves Avatar
    João Alves

    Those are good new year’s resolutions. I think I should follow some of your ideas myself. My RSS reader needs a good cleaning. I should waste less time reading email coming from so many lists. Maybe I should unsubscribe a few. I think I will filter some of the mailing lists directly into folders. This means I won’t have them filling up the inbox.

    Reply
  3. Pat Faustino Avatar
    Pat Faustino

    Dear Carla,
    This is really a difficult moment for anyone. We have been adding to our piles everyday and, in a way, who we are depends on how big our pile is and what it consists of! However, in a process of simplification, knowing how to let go is essential for a renovation of the spirit as well as the home, hometown, state, country and so on… I wish you the best of luck my friend. In terms of how to siplify digitally, that I will have to learn with you ( I think I need to complicate myself more first). Anyway, good tips!
    Congratulations on a very well-deserved nomination, my friend. You’ve worked very hard!

    Reply
  4. Carla Arena Avatar
    Carla Arena

    Thanks @Pat, for the warm words. And you’re right, we need to find the right balance between let it go and what adds value to our piles.

    @Joao this is a good new year’s resolution! I’ve done some cleaning in my lists, but still need to find even better ways to be more effective. I liked your ideas of filtering emails through folders. Will try that!

    @Cris Keeping friends and family close and letting material stuff just go is one of the most important moves, isn’t it? I decided to get in touch with some people I haven’t talked for a while and are dear to me, and it’s just so good for our souls, connecting to beloved ones. The rest, we can always replace, but authentic, deep connections, this is another story as everyone of us is unique and has something to add to the other.

    Reply

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