I had the realisation this week that I’d started to see reliable high speed broadband as a basic human need. It came in the midst of a 72 hour period during which I had none.
I didn’t vote for Mr Cameron, but I was pretty happy to see on Channel 4 news that his government is pledging to plough £300m into enhancing the UK’s broadband networks.
After my days of feeling that a key pivot of my business had been entirely disabled, I can concur that the UK needs it to support its endeavours for new entrepreneurial growth.
So, you might expect that I’d be having a rant today about lost productivity, but you’d be wrong. As it turns out, there was some unexpected magic in my broadband blackout.
The Power of Surrendering
After hours of battling with my ISP to get the problem resolved, it became apparent that the whole thing was out of my control.
It crossed my mind that I could do offline stuff on my Mac: draft emails, blog posts and whatever else was on my To Do list.
It also crossed my mind that maybe, just maybe, I was being directed to attend to other things. I’ve worked my butt off recently and have a busy summer, ahead of a break in August. Perhaps the right thing to do was nothing?
And that’s what I chose. So I put my frustrations aside and paid attention to what was present for me.
My brother and nephew have been around this week and so I was able to be with them in a way I may otherwise have not. We had some special moments of fun, warmth and connection. I finished reading The Tao of Pooh and got back into reading Ian Rankin’s Rebus. I hung out in a local (wifi-less) coffee shop. I watched TV and slept longer hours than usual.
It was like a thaw set in. All I can tell you is that I felt myself relax to a different level of being.
Trusting to People and Relationships
Fuelling my desire to fix whatever technical problems, was a feeling of responsibility; a wanting to be present for people I work and connect with remotely, and for actions that were in progress. Among them key things like my newsletter development, and artwork for my offline marketing materials.
Facing the reality that, without internet, I was unable to follow up in the ways I’d have logically wanted, I found myself knowing that people would understand. I decided to trust that the relationships I have with people are bigger than temporary communication problems.
People would get my real intentions, or they wouldn’t. I’d prefer that they did. But if they didn’t that was going to have to be too bad.
Allowing my own fallibility, and trusting to the goodness of people, assisted my process of letting go.
Realising Results Don’t Always Come From Pushing
When I was writing about the opportunities in the silence the other week, I hadn’t anticipated this silence of my own.
But during those broadband-free days, where a concern had been the impact on existing and new clients, something interesting happened. I had some good old-fashioned phone calls from new people looking for coaching support.
It did make me chuckle. I’d obviously freed up some energy in myself and people had found their way to me despite my internet problems. It was very affirming of something Nick Williams often says:
“There are greater forces at work than market forces.”
I end this week back online and on excellent form. Besides anything else, the time and space has amplified in me something I already knew:
Work is not just the action that happens out there in the world, the activity and the striving, it’s something that happens in here too. It’s a process that’s afoot at a soul level, in ways that we don’t always understand or even need to.
The synchronicity of the timing for me of all this doesn’t escape me either. Next Friday I’m running the first workshop I’ve marketed through this blog. I have the most awesome group of people coming and I’m very excited about being with them.
Of course, the topic of the workshop is worklife, central to which, I believe, is our being. Isn’t it interesting that, as I take my work to a new place, something shifts deeply in mine?
As I said, something magical happened this week.
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Twitter: hritweet
Christine…In a couple of weeks, I am going to be leaving the states and spend two weeks in a Tuscan villa with no connectivity…Despite the fact that I agree a little disconnectedness (a word?) is a good thing (http://bit.ly/9pizgv), two weeks is a long time…I’m hoping for a little magic…
Thanks for sharing, Shaun! I hope you find magic in your disconnectedness (if it wasn’t before, it’s a word now!). I don’t know if you’ve ever been to Tuscany before, but I can tell you it’s beautiful. You may just find a different kind of inspiration there. I’ll look forward to hearing!
You always have such a wonderful way of looking at your obstacles Christine.
I know there was frustration and the normal human responses on there which we all have AND you turned it around and saw the beauty and syncronicity of the situation you found yourself in. Thanks for the inspiration and lovely to have you back too. 
Jen
Thank you, Jen.
I do feel that my time away this week was a gift. So it’s my pleasure to share it
Christine, one of my friends who does a lot of work through phone conferences always gives herself an 1 hour treat when someone messes up the appointment. It’s here way of using the time as a gift, rather than to see the missed meeting as an annoyance. I don’t think that my habit of reading people magazine while I wait for my girls at Taeknowdo is on the same spiritual level, but it feels like a treat anyway…
When will we get an update on the conference you’ll be doing in the NYC area? Oh, and the international one on the coast of Scotland?
cv
cv´s last blog ..Authentic CSR: Should Dawn publicize its involvement in Oiled Bird Rescue?
Thanks, CV! Frankly, spirituality is such a personal thing. If reading people magazine is your way of just being with yourself, who am I….?
I know you’re kind of joking, but the NYC and coast of Scotland conference ideas are not so crazy. The next few weeks are ones of vital “implementation” for me. Then I’m planning some push back time over the rest of the summer when I’m going to review where I’m at and how I can take stuff to the next level again. Conferences may well be on the agenda – I have connections to some great conferences organisers here in the UK. And then of course there’s yourself and my other dear worklife proponents in the US!
Twitter: JulieWalraven
Hi Christine, I appreciate this post! I have had my share of technical difficulties and a few others this year but I can say I learn from each one.
Yesterday I was administering a behavioral assessment to a client which meant he used my computer. During that 20-30 minute period, I stayed in the office (which is quite large) and sorted paperwork, opened mail, and filed. I was a little surprised how that short time let me get so much sorted.
I think I might put in some self-imposed, in the office, but no online time each day to keep my files and other projects up to date. It isn’t that I am constantly talking but the temptation to know what is happening can be huge. Obviously when I have clients in the office for appointments, I am not on Twitter or FB or even reading e-mail but I find that the rest of the time, I do check-in more than I need to.
Thanks, as always for a thought-provoking post.
Julie Walraven | Resume Services´s last blog ..Keep Your Eyes Open
Thanks for sharing this, Julie.
I’ve known it to be true before, but have just had it reinforced this week, that disengagement is as necessary as engagement to the whole process of sustaining our selves.
Twitter: ali_davies
Christine, your post raises some interesting thoughts for me, such as does having constant technology connection make us more productive or less? Are we possibly missing opportunities by overly focussing on technology? I am still pondering on these thoughts and sense that as with all things we need to regularly challenge our ways of doing things and what we focus on. Maybe scheduling regular time away from our reliance on technology would allow space for other stuff to come in and creativity to flow.
Ali Davies´s last blog ..Time Management – the REAL reason you don’t have enough time
I must say your comment rings true for me too. My offline time did cause me to ponder how good it is for us to treat the internet like it’s ether. It’s such an extrovert activity, but it does need balance. I’ve generally achieved that by having evenings and days, especially at weekends, when I don’t tune in. But I’m considering experimenting with doing this for bigger blocks of time too. Whether I choose to use these times for holidays in any traditional sense would be beside the point. Also whether I’d chose to put pressure on myself by scheduling posts in advance would be another question.
Twitter: marcwinitz
I really loved this post Christine. I work in tech and I have to say that sometimes it is good to step away from it and just live. It also reminds us that not all the world is completely connected yet, not necessarily a bad thing. Plus the unexpected pleasure of making do with your circumstance, there is a lesson there: Involuntarily surrending to a loss of the status quo is not a bad thing. Great post Christine.
Marc Winitz´s last blog ..Are You Hitting A Wall?
Thanks for the comment, Marc. I liked your words: “involuntarily surrendering to a loss of the status quo is not a bad thing”. I found last week when I accepted that I simply wasn’t going to be able to do what I’d planned to, that a whole new world of possibility opened up. Took me to a different place in myself. That felt good! Yes – the lesson is to step away more and just live.
Ah Christine, I’d be more comfortable in the fires of hell that having no wifi.
Weirdly though I know it’s good for me to disconnect. I spend much more quality time with my family and do lots more things like reading.
Looking forward to Friday!
Ben´s last blog ..Friday’s Homework – Getting Things Done
LOL!!
As you can probably imagine, I’m a big reader, but over the last months have read less offline than on. But it was terrific last week to allow myself to pick up books again and just get into them. Also, the unexpected time I spent with my family was priceless.
Looking forward to seeing you Friday too!
Twitter: bobbessette
Hi Christine,
I think that sometimes a techno-break is a really good thing. I spent a day with my wife away from any type of technology and it was tremendous. I think Jen Smith, at ReachOurDreams shuts off her computer for each weekend to be with her family. I think that is a great concept but, for me, that is the time I can really do my work on my blog, etc.
It looks like you have been a busy bee but I am just getting back at it. I hope everything is great in your world.
Best,
Bob
Bob Bessette´s last blog ..Who are the best people you know?
Lovely to see you, Bob, and I hope all’s going well with you getting back into blogging etc.
I’ve had pretty good boundaries around the time I blog and Twitter, especially in recent months. My wifi blackout came during times when I’d wanted to use it during my “work” times, and being self employed and pretty reliant on it, I felt quite lost. Still, there were great lessons around exactly what you’re talking about here – not being dependent on it, and indeed what Marc Winitz said about remembering that not all the world is on the internet. Because I love the whole social media “thing” this last point is frustrating to accept, but it’s true enough. I’m recently understanding that a whole tranche of my market don’t use things like Twitter or Facebook for their business lives at all….
Take care and see you soon. Warm wishes….
Twitter: adrianswinscoe
Hi Christine,
Great article and it’s surprising how getting derailed from time to time produces some marvelous things.
Looking forward to your workshop on Friday. Thank you for inviting me.
Adrian
Adrian Swinscoe´s last blog ..How the England team reacts to the Robert Green’s World Cup mistake will define them as a team
Thanks for the comment, Adrian, and I agree, getting derailed can indeed lead to some marvelous things!
Looking forward to meeting you on Friday!
Twitter: IAC_Heather
Downtime. There is nothing as rejuvenating yet we fight it and only take the time when we are forced to. For me, it’s because my office is too easily accessible and I know there is always something I could be doing.
Thanks for sharing this as a perfect reminder that our web presence and our readers/followers will be there when we return.
Heather Villa´s last blog ..How to Re-Use Old Coaching Sessions
Thanks, Heather!
I think that the truth is there is always something we could be doing. Being “forced” to take a step back from that belief was no bad thing!
Twitter: jblack2012
It’s amazing how a few hours of being “un-plugged” can really regenerate you. We spend so much time in front of the screen trying to communicate with others that it’s occasionally handy to have someone pull the plug for us without our control.
I get more wealth-buulding ideas from walking my dog then I ever do form staring at a blank screen.
-Joshua Black
The Underdog Millionaire
Joshua Black | The Underdog Millionaire´s last blog ..The Quiet Art of Networking… No More Shooting Your Customers in The Face
Yeah, Joshua, the whole experience of being “un-plugged” was indeed regenerating. I ran a workshop yesterday and had, as you’d imagine, lots of prep to do for that. Initially I thought I’d do it AND maintain my online presence this week. The experience of last week gave me the insight and permission to ease off on myself. I needed my creativity for yesterday, so it was important not to “burn it” by spending, as you say, too much time in front of the screen.
Twitter: anngatty
Hi Christine:
Time to divorce yourself from the norm can be an extremely healthy experience and unfortunately, too many of us rely on external forces to make us to make such a worthwhile break from our daily routines. I have taken a break from my wi-fi work routine just recently, so that I could make time to prepare my son for his military boot camp that starts next week. If I didn’t take the time off from work, I would only frustrate myself trying to do both work and mother responsibilities and do neither well. I wanted to be able to focus on my son and knew that people would understand when I got back to work. Taking breaks from the normal routine is refreshing and when we return we have a new sense of focus and energy level. Thanks for your article and I enjoyed the way you created such a positive perspective!
Ann´s last blog ..Ways to Manage Stress -Calming a Stressful Lifestyle
I really hear what you’re saying here, Ann. Trying to do everything would only have meant you’d have been fully present neither for your work nor your son. Important for him – and for you – to have had the experience of being there. And, yes, people do understand.
Thanks for being here!
Twitter: AaronHoos
Christine,
Thanks for the post! It was a good reminder that I need to unplug a bit in my own life.
All the best with your workshop!
Aaron Hoos´s last blog ..How newspapers can survive in the age of free content
Thanks, Aaron! Hope you do indeed give yourself the time to unplug. There’s a whole new and different world out there.
I appreciate your best wishes for the workshop. It was awesome. All the better for me not having put lots of social media pressure on myself this week also.
Twitter: lionslinger
There are always an opportunity with every even that happens in our lives. Instead of taking heed of our expectations we must learn to let go and open our eyes to what is before us. The broadband blackout you have experienced has indeed provided you with the wisdom to go beyond what seems to be a glitch.
Hello, Walter. How are you doing.
I appreciate your endorsement here – the blackout did indeed give me the wisdom to go beyond the “glitch”. Some of the best learnings come from magical experiences like this. Don’t you find?
Twitter: philmontero
Christine,
I think it’s great you took the opportunity to take a break from your work and be more present with yourself and family. I know as an entrepreneur I am often challenged by the same thing – and my first tendency would have been to try and get offline work done as well.
Just faced this myself yesterday briefly and opted for playing some ukulele rather than cleaning up my inbox – felt great!
By the way I love The Tao of Pooh – I have given away more copies of that book than I can remember to people who I thought would benefit from it’s message.
I guess you truly learned something from the chapter on busyness!
I trust your workshop will be tons of fun and a great success!!
All the best – Phil
Thank you, Phil. Playing some ukulele rather than cleaning up your inbox – what a joy!
Funnily enough, the chapter on busyness was right where I’d gotten to before the “blackout” struck. It truly spoke to me. I love those serendipitous moments when messages seem to be coming at you from various points. The magic comes when we listen!
Good to see you here and hope you have a great weekend!
Twitter: RyanHanzel
Hey Christine,
I can relate to how your feeling. Just recently arriving back off of my deployment to the desert I have been given ample time off. It took some adjusting for my family and I (especially me since I was used to constantly moving). I am now realizing the important and key things in life again. It is great to get a breath of fresh air.
Ryan Hanzel´s last blog ..9 Ways to Get Over Writers Block — Guest Post
Welcome “home”, Ryan. I know you’d been looking forward to getting time away. I can only imagine the adjustment that’s required to reintegrate with your family having been in the desert. I salute you for the work you’ve done there and for valuing so much the life you have beyond it too!