Unplug!

Personal technology has completely transformed our work and home lives… and in most ways for the better. For many small business owners, technology is an the essential part of business operations. Our computers and smart phones are lifelines to our businesses.

We call, we email, we text, we tweet, we Skype. We check on orders, follow-up with vendors, employees, customers or clients, and stay on top of what’s happening in our industry.

All important. But what about when the technology starts to become an obsession? We don’t dare turn off our phones lest we miss something really important. We grab the phone as soon as we wake up and it is on our chest as we fall asleep. We check our email constantly without even realizing we are doing it.

How do we find the right balance between being attentive to our businesses and attuned to other aspects of our lives and the world around us? Is it possible to manage a business well without being “always on” and “always available”?

I think it is, but stepping away from personal technology takes a conscious effort. The first step: make a specific commitment. You can commit to “unplug” for one hour a day, one day a week, or just one day a month. Perhaps you can create a new tradition of staying away from the phone or computer until you have been awake for 30 minutes, or no phone at the table during meals. Hopefully, whatever your commitment, the end result is that you will feel renewed, refreshed and open to new possibilities. Unplugging may allow for new business insights.

If this sounds appealing, a good time to start is now! (Like time management strategies, it is always good to just start right away.) You can “unplug” with others by participating in the National Day of Unplugging this March 6-7, sundown to sundown.

Or you can plan your own “unplugging” tradition. The idea is to decide what is important to you. What are your reasons for disconnecting from technology? What would you like to do with that time (however long it is)?

On this year’s National Day of Unplugging, I plan to take a long walk without my phone, take my grandchild to the playground and have a family meal filled with good conversation.

If you unplug, what will you do?

Tiffany Schlain, filmmaker and founder of the Webby Awards made this short film with her husband Ken Goldberg that lampoons the technological addictions of this generation. She and her family have been observing a weekly uplug for the past few years.