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My Month of (Almost) No Internet

I’m starting 2014 with the hardest month of my Year of Living Without so far: no Internet all day.

OK, let’s rephrase that — I’m not going to use the Internet all day, except to post stuff to my blogs/sites or for programming. And for an hour at 5pm each day.

That means from morning until 5pm, I can’t check email, read stuff online, do admin stuff for my business online, go to my bank websites, look stuff up.

To be clear, here are the only exceptions:

  • To look stuff up or read about programming. This is because I’m spending about half of each day in January to learn programming. I started learning before, but just a little each day, and it wasn’t enough to overcome the difficult stuff after you learn easy beginner stuff. Yes, I’ve done CodeAcademy and similar tutorials, but no, they don’t get you to the point where you can build stuff yourself. I’m going to build a web app in January using Javascript/JQuery/Node.js, and I’ll need to Google stuff to learn syntax and figure out problems and stuff. I’m also reading Eloquent Javascript and then will tackle Javascript: the Good Parts.
  • To post content online. This is basically to post a new article to Zen Habits, mnmlist, unschoolery, Sea Change and the like. I’m going to write it all offline, then go online for a minute just to post it. No checking email or Twitter.
  • For an hour at 5pm each day. I still have a business to run, so at 5pm I’ll process email as close to empty as possible, and take care of admin tasks.
  • For one live webinar. I plan to hold one live webinar on mindfulness for Sea Change.
  • Read 30 minutes each night. After my 5pm email/administrative session, I’ll give myself 30 minutes sometime later in the evening to read RSS feeds and saved long-form articles in Instapaper.

What will I be doing all day instead of using the Internet? Mostly these things:

  1. Meditating. Every morning, first thing.
  2. Learning Spanish. I’m spending about 30 minutes each morning studying Pimsleur Spanish.
  3. Programming. As mentioned, I’m going to spend about half a day every day learning Javascript and building a web app. The main purpose is to learn how to learn programming, so I can teach my kids. But also so I can build cool stuff.
  4. Writing. I’m going to write my blog posts and other content offline. I’ll also be working on my new print book, Zen Habits.
  5. Exercising. I’m planning to work out every weekday at noon.
  6. Spending time with family. Reading with my kids, playing with them, etc.
  7. Drinking tea. I’ve been having tea at 4pm with the kids.

I’ve modified my etc/hosts file to block my biggest online distractions.

I’ll report back to all of you at the beginning of next month — wish me luck!

Oh, and yes, I wrote this offline.

December: A Month Without Refined Carbs

In December, for my Year of Living Without I went most of the month without refined carbs. That means no sugar, white flour, white rice, white potatoes. It was mostly easy, as I’ve been eating this way for about 6 months (with some exceptions here and there).

Here’s what I learned:

  • It’s not that hard. I actually enjoy whole foods, so I focus on foods I love — berries, nuts, avocados, tempeh, quinoa, black beans, tropical fruits. Yum.
  • I allowed myself to eat lots of refined carbs for my 50-mile ultra marathon. I think it was probably necessary, but I overdid it. My stomach didn’t feel great.
  • There are sweeteners in more things than you’d probably guess. A few times I accidentally ate something that had some sweetener in it. I just shrugged and wrote it off to a learning experience. But it’s hidden everywhere!
  • I cheated a couple other times. I had some fries once, and a couple bites of cookies a couple times. No biggie, but sometimes you just want a taste.
  • My mind is really good at self-rationalization. Those 2-3 times when I cheated, I told myself things like “it’s OK, just this one time won’t hurt” and a bunch of other similar statements. If you aren’t aware that your mind is doing this, it’s really powerful. I didn’t notice it until afterwards, but when I can notice it as it’s happening, I can beat it.
  • I eat less when I don’t eat refined carbs. It’s amazing how addicting sugar and flour can be — you start eating a bite, and before you know it you’ve eaten way too much. By focusing on whole foods, I just ate enough.

Overall, not one of my harder months. I’m planning on eating this way most of the time, with a few guilt-free bites here and there when the occasion arises (birthdays, etc.). I’ve learned that some sweets/flour are totally fine, as occasional treats, not as a main staple of my diet.

Zen Habits

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Neither Averting Nor Craving in Each Moment How Taking Care of My Finances Changed My Life Tips for Traveling with Kids My Grand Travel Experiment The Parent I Aspire to Be The Best & Less-than-Best Motivations for Learning The Miracle of Suspending Mis-Belief 7 Strategies for Dealing with Toxic People Finding Motivation on Important But Non-Urgent Tasks Learning Tips for the Top 8 Learning Challenges The 30-Day Learning Challenge The Place Where You Are Feeling Determined to Change Practicing Non-Judgment Hold Your Own Feet to the Fire Don’t Waste Your Opportunity How to Beat Procrastination with Daily Training The Time When We’ll Be Present & Content A Simple, Powerful Self-Compassion Method When Others Frustrate You Your Internet Habits Create Your Reality The Case for Replacing Exercise with Play Leave Yourself Wanting More Fail Faster at Habits The Anti-Bucket List Getting Started with the Discipline Habit The Case for Caring About Your Work Questions of Priority The Futility of Always Pushing Myself to Be More Pare Down with the Declutter Habit You’re Not Doing Life Wrong Getting Lost in Just Doing An Addict’s Guide to Overcoming the Distraction Habit The Source of Contentment Savor Discipline: Merge the Interests of Your Future & Present Selves What You Can Say Instead of “I Don’t Feel Like It” The Things That Get in the Way of Doing The Girl Who Saw Through the Illusions A Gradual Approach to Healthy Eating Unconditional Acceptance of Yourself My Typical Day: How I Get People to Think I’m Productive The Contentment Habit The Delightfully Short Guide to Reading More Books In Praise of Limits The Art of Being My Dad 5 Ideas to Create an Amazing 2015 Essential Zen Habits of 2014 Karate Chop Practicing Slowness & Being Present Overwhelmed by All the Changes You Want to Make My 2014 Successes and Failures Finding the Motivation to Change Your Entire Life When You’re Lonely The Brain’s Fast Mode 5 Questions to Simplify Your Life During the Holidays The Zen Habits Holiday Gift Guide The Four Hidden Habit Skills The Power of Delay Overwhelmed & Rushed? Do a Stress Assess Writer as Coder: The Iterative Way to Write a Book Please Support the Zen Habits Book Are You a Lift or Drag Force? When Resistance Smacks You in the Face When Your Plate is Too Full The Quickstart Guide to Quitting a Bad Habit The Zen Habits Book is Almost Done A Quick Guide to Gaining Confidence When You Socialize The Empty Container The Realization A Guide to Changing Self-Destructive Behaviors Pushing Past the Terrifying Dip in Motivation It’s Not Too Late to Change Bad Habits The Smart Way to Stick to Habits My Most Effective Learning Tools What I Do When I Fail How to Put Your Writing in Public The Productive Sprint The Biggest Reasons You Haven’t Changed Your Habits Seized by the Thunderhold of Fear What to Eat for Fat Loss The Heartbreaking Cruelty of Comparing Yourself to Others A Brief Guide to Overcoming Instant Gratification How to Get Motivated After a Vacation 7 Strategies for Facing Your Internet/TV Addiction How to Breathe 7 Discipline-Mastering Practices 7 Rules That Keep My Life Simple An Education in the Majestic Sierra Nevada The Lies Your Mind Tells You to Prevent Life Changes How to Believe in Yourself Don’t Waste a Moment How to Find Your Life Purpose: An Unconventional Approach How to Be Great Making Yourself Work Inhabit the Moment How to Master the Art of Living The Delusional Fantasies We Live With Each Day Living the Simple Life How to Be Prepared for Anything Turn Toward the Problem The End of the Day Philosophy The Painful Beauty of Impermanence How to Change Other People Pursuing Happiness When It’s Already Within You The Quickstart Guide to a Decluttered Home Parental Zen: How to Keep Your Cool as a Parent Looking for Love How to Stop Your Habit Changes From Getting Derailed Why We Have Regret The Essence of Fatherhood: 6 Simple Lessons A Call for Revolt: Advertising is the Anti-Minimalism The Frustratingly Slow Pace of Making Changes My Struggles with Eating Boring Food The No Procrastination Challenge Creating a Lovely Morning A Father’s Manifesto: Raising Young Men Who Respect Women Turn Inspiration Into Action Coming Back From a Setback The Gift A Guide for Young People: What to Do With Your Life No Excuses: Minimalism with Kids How to Make a Marriage Work Love Notes Flavorless: My Month of Food Boringness The Letting Go Ebook, Free The Miracle of the Self-Compassion Habit How I Tackle a Big Writing Project The Habit Action List The Reality of This Moment Confidence in Your Business 10 Ways to Do What You Don’t Want to Do On Making It Through Tough Journeys The Hard Stuff Often Matters Most What to Think About During Exercise You’ll Be OK The Most Important Two Minutes of Your Life A Call for Compassion for the Defenseless The Cure for Your Distraction Syndrome You’re Not Worse Than Other People Being Mindful of Your Stress What if You Didn’t Have to Worry About Yourself? The Universe of a Single Task Simplifying Is Painful Becoming Emotionally Self-Reliant How I Cleaned House & Simplified My Work Life The Busy Person’s Guide to Reducing Stress My Month Without a Smartphone What I’ve Learned as a Writer What the Exercise Habit Did For Me Fear is the Root of Your Problems This Moment 36 Lessons I’ve Learned About Habits The 3 Do-What-You-Love Conundrums How I Conduct My Business Constant Task Switching The Habits of Five Amazing Founders The Incredible Importance of Sleep for Habits & Motivation What Really Motivates Us to Stick to a Project? I Tried to Quit & It’s Too Hard! 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Contentment from Billionaires Warren Buffett & Charlie Munger Smile in Each Moment A Guide to Practical Compassion 6 Steps To Healing Yourself The 7-Day Vegan Challenge Why You Should Write Daily Achieving Without Goals Flowing with the Stresses of Kids (or anyone else) Habit Mastery: Creating the New Normal Defeat Distraction: Refocusing with Purpose Expanding the Envelope: A Method for Beating Anger A Guide to Practical Contentment The Practice of Work Mind & Vacation Mind, Simultaneously How to Eat Real Food Without Spending Hours in the Kitchen Quitting Your Habits The 38 Best Methods of Successful Exercisers How To Make It Impossible To Fail The Not Knowing Path of Being an Entrepreneur How to Change Your Life: A User’s Guide Getting Your Family On Board with Life Changes How to Stick to a Habit When Life Falls Apart Zen Mind in the Middle of Chaos & Stress Create a Sacred Space in Your Heart Meditation: The Most Fundamental Habit Creating the Genuine Connections We Long For 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