You've read about browser control software, right?
You know. The kind that blocks ads or logs you out after you've procrastinated too long.
All fine and dandy, but not the solution. Here are some low-tech things to try instead:
Get The Important Stuff Done Before You Switch The DumbPhone On
"Yeah right," I hear you say. "My computer IS the important stuff!"
Really? What about learning a language, or even just developing motivation for learning one? Believe it or not, people have learned languages for a long time without the aid of machines.
But even if you still need software, you can model what I'm doing for Mandarin Chinese. Technically, it still involves using a machine, but I use it like an ugly old Walkman.
Which leads us to:
Stop Carrying The Internet With You Everywhere
Sometimes I worry about becoming a Luddite. I do not have a single device that accesses the Internet unless I find wireless in a cafe. And even then, I've designed my life in a way that I rarely need it.
Friends and strangers alike ask me how I survive without it, a question that perplexes me. From ages four to twenty-four, I managed to meet people all over the world without having an email address or a cellphone.
Heck, I even used to arrange meetings by post.
The point being is that if you can't figure out why you're not achieving your goals, look to the roaming Internet first. And then consider the following life-changing activities:
* Use an app like Plain Text to write a book, blog post or article (like I'm doing right now) instead of scrolling through Facebook and clicking the Like button. That's a fast path to nowhere.
But all wealth comes from writing, including social, intellectual and financial wealth. I guess the occasional "LOL" might add to the pool, but I'm certainly not counting on it.
* Create a mind map with (gasp!) pen and paper while using your spayed or neutered DumbPhone to listen to a podcast or lecture. You'll remember more and come up with incredible ideas as you work.
* Meet a human being and have a conversation with no devices on or near the table. Switch it off so it doesn't buzz, beep or otherwise bang its way into your attention from within a bag or pocket.
And above all, learn and love this phrase: "I'll look it up later." Then use your to-do list to create a Memory Palace that helps you do so.
Speaking of which:
If You Create Them, Use Them
Many people tell me they've created one or more Memory Palaces. They even send me excellent drawings that demonstrate substantial knowledge of the Magnetic Memory Method.
The only problem is … They never use them.
Regarding today's topic, failing to use your inner mental technology opens you to more information pollution because you're not spending time massaging the right stuff into your memory.
Stuff like:
* Facts that build general knowledge.
* Names and dates of historical figures and events that develop your understanding of how and why we got here.
* Critical Information from a textbook so that you can ace exams.
* Poems, quotes, plots and jokes so that you always have something interesting to say. Heck, if you've got good poems, stories or philosophical ideas memorized, you'll always have something fascinating to think about even when you're on your own.
* Passwords and credit card numbers so that you're not pouring time down the drain looking stuff up.
Memorizing These Things Could Make The Difference Between Being A Mouse Or A Millionaire
But if you're tootling your time away consuming and creating blasts of i
Published on 9 years, 7 months ago
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