The Challenge…..and it’s a doozy!

Okay Ladies, it’s that time of year for me again…Internet Free Week…and guess what! I want YOU to play along with me! (I’ll bribe you here at the end!)

• No Facebook (Farmtown, etc.), Myspace, Twitter, or any other social networking sites.
• No Blog
• No Email
• No Craigslist
• No iPhone Apps
• Etc. Etc.

WHAT!! IS THIS WOMAN CRAZY??!!

NO, I’m just working on a goal and it will work a lot better for me if you are all working on it too.  You see, here’s how my day goes….

1. Get up, go check email/facebook
2. Try to go do something productive…short attention span….must take a break from work….oh, I know, I’ll just go CHECK REAL QUICK what all my friends are up to….
3. Stuck on computer checking email/facebook/reading blogs/etc.
4. Try to go be productive again….short attention span…take a SHORT break at the computer….the cycle starts again…….
5. TURN OFF computer in an attempt to REALLY get away from it and actually accomplish something.  Find myself walking into the computer room and realizing the computer’s off….leave to go do something else…..
6. Computer on when Ryan gets home so HE can check email/surf Craigslist
7. Check Email/Facebook before bed.

THIS IS RIDICULOUS!!  How many times to leaders in the church need to tell me to do something else?  Click here for the article on computer addiction from this month’s Ensign!  Pay close attention to the addiction checklist at the bottom!  When Elder Bednar was here he said Moms needed to not spend their free time watching Soaps and on the Internet.  It was easy to stop my Soap but since I’m on the computer working so much it’s almost impossible to stop the Internet!  Then, Sunday they talked about the time we should be dedicating to the Lord and how people think they don’t have time for their Church responsibilities yet they have time to play on Facebook each day.  Shame on me for wasting time!  My blog is important, it’s a record, but it only needs updating once a week.  I do need to be on the computer for some things pertaining to making money but otherwise I should be spending more time with my kids, getting something organized, reaching out to friends, or working on my church responsibilities. 

So, here’s what I’M going to do.  I’m going to start Monday Aug 17th and go through Saturday, Aug 22nd.  I am allowed to go online for working but NO internet unless it’s for work.  If I could I’d do NO computer just to make it easier but I can’t so I’ll just have to work harder.  Feel free to ban yourself from computer completely!

Now, here’s what I suggest….take a  big piece of paper.  Write on it things you need to get done or quick 5 minute ideas for a distraction….TAPE IT TO YOUR COMPUTER SCREEN!!….Even better, TURN OFF YOUR COMPUTER SO YOU ONLY GET ON IF YOU REALLY HAVE TO…..Now, every time you walk into the computer area you’ll see the computer off but even better you’ll see your list of things you can go do!!

Every time I THINK about getting on the internet I’m going to….

• CALL someone I haven’t talked to in a while (better print my phone list off the computer!!)
• Exercise
• Come up with an impromptu activity for the kids
• Go to my TO DO list and check something off.

I’m going to add some important things to my checklist that I’d like to accomplish before the end of the week and hopefully I’ll get them done!

• Get my church stuff done mid-week
• Sort the kids clothes so I know what we need for school
• Organize my HM & Photo stuff so I can get things in order and me more organized
• Get my VT done!
• Balance my checkbook
• Invite someone over for dinner that we don’t know well

Now, if NONE of my friends are on to email me, post pics/blogs, or leave notes on Facebook then I won’t have anyone to go check on and the break will be a lot easier!

All you have to do is be successful by YOUR standards.  If you work on the computer and your success is only checking facebook/email ONCE a day, then you win.  If your success is cutting it down to twice and staying on for only 10 minutes, then YOU WIN!  If you’re success is just doing that one day the whole week and you worked really hard to break your addiction for that one day, then YOU WIN!!  My success will be staying off completely other than working & checking email once a day (for work).

So, will you do it?? 

I’ll even add an incentive.  Anyone who does this with me and is successful will get either FREE babysitting by me for as long as you need for one day OR I’ll make you a super yummy treat.  I’ll even do a FREE single family portrait if you want/need it.  You know what?  Why don’t we have  a Social at the end so we can get together and TALK about our weeks…we could even bring pictures! =)  If you live out of town, I will call you and actually TALK to you on the phone and we can figure out what fun thing we can do for each other to celebrate!….though I may have to email you for your phone number….lol.

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WHY AM I DOING THIS??, you ask?  Here are my thoughts.  These are strictly my thoughts and I’m going to get a little churchy here so you don’t have to read this part if you don’t want to…..  I think the Internet is an amazing tool.  I know that all good things come from the Lord.  I know that the internet and social networking sites have led me to many opportunities to spread the gospel where I might not have in the past.  I can post something about my faith and have my friends read it without having to have actually called them up and said it or mailing it to their house.  I have made friends at church with several women that I may never of had the opportunity to talk to if it weren’t for our time online.  I have been able to extend that friendship beyond our blog reading to actually talking at church and getting together for activities.  I have been able to network with friends in other cities who have shared my same callings and get ideas of fun things to do with the Primary kids.  THE LIST OF GOOD THINGS COULD GO ON AND ON!  BUT at what point is it TOO much?  The prophet has asked us (in an article several months/years ago) to use the internet & texting to spread the gospel.  Use it as a tool.  We have also been counseled on more than one occasion that even good things need to be done in MODERATION.  If we only dedicated our time to church we’d miss out on our family.  If we dedicated all of our time to our family, we’d miss out on opportunities to serve others and share the gospel.  Even good things can be too much if they’re all you do.  SO, has the internet become too much of a good thing??  How can we INTEGRATE the internet (facebook, email, blogs, etc.) into our lives (not our lives into it) and use them for good without letting them take away from other important things we need to be doing.  Are you checking on your church sisters via the web and the latest status they’ve posted or have you actually talked to them on the phone this week? Did you find that friend from elementary school that you’ve always missed yet still are only checking her pictures and telling her how cute her kids are instead of picking up the phone and giving her a call??  I HAVE!  I hate it!

So, there you have it, my REAL reason for all this cutting myself from the internet stuff.  I want to better myself and I know that I spend too much time on the computer and that days I don’t I feel a great satisfaction for the things I’ve done.  I would much rather talk to my friends on the phone than get an email.  Now, don’t get me wrong…I LOVE an email but a phone call means all the more.  So, turn off your computer and CALL ME!!  And maybe we can get together Saturday the 22nd and talk.  Luv ya!!