I spent an hour one afternoon cleaning out my email. I went with the inbox “nuclear option” (delete or archive everything) and also unsubscribed from over 350 newsletters. Then, I declared it the best use of 60 minutes.
INBOX ZERO! Not even a “Welcome to Gmail”!
It is a relief NOT having over 3,000 unread messages waiting for me. If that number gives you heart palpitations, be assured that most of these emails were press releases and blanket blogger pitches that I have every “intention” of getting to, but please… let’s be real. NEVER GOING TO HAPPEN.
I had some misgivings about unsubscribing/deleting messages to things from my tech writing days. It was sad to let that part go, but it’s much better than letting the guilt and stress consume me everyday. So I just held my breath and moved it all to “Trash”.
Trash. What a funny place to put something I once thought of as my “life’s work” and “passion”.
For the past few years, I’ve carved out a modest and meager online reputation as a freelance tech writer. Living in Silicon Valley, being courted by top tech brands, and working with some of the best, I had found my “tribe” in the tech world. It was exhilarating to coast up Highway 101 to meet a potential new client or fly over the the glittering Vegas strip on the eve of another Consumer Electronic Show. I would get a little light headed in my own fangirl ether and swoon over this gadget, that device…
As quickly as I was sweep up into it, it all fleeted just as fast.
I have not written an honest-to-goodness, Grace-caliber tech post in over a year. I’ve barely written any posts in over a year. It’s not a coincidence that that seems to coincide with our move back to Texas. I’ve been told that things are supposedly “heating up” in Dallas, but frankly I don’t feel the fire… in me.
I don’t feel the fire in me.
Months upon months ago, someone reached out to me an AMAZING OPPORTUNITY his company is investing in. Would I be interested getting it started? I would only have to commute an hour and half every day (puke!), but there is NO ONE ELSE DOING what they’re doing. It’s a GAME CHANGER.
“It’s like Groupon and Facebook for dog lovers who like Pinterest!* What do you think? Are you interested?” he cooed over the phone.
I just closed my eyes and thanked them for thinking of me because that’s the polite thing to do. Then, I let them know that there’s already something just like that (“It’s called Pinterest.”) because I just couldn’t resist.
There are people… everywhere.. doing awesome things and I love it! I appreciate it! I truly do, but my head… my heart… my focus. It’s just not there right now.
As most of my tech tribe heads off to (or is already in) Las Vegas this week for CES 2014 (i.e. our Christmas), I’m writing my lesson plans for the next few weeks and refusing to let myself get jealous. Okay, too jealous. I sincerely hope to be back in my bright and beautiful tech world someday. Someday…but that’s day is not today.
Today, we’re starting our Map Unit and my daughter has a treasure hidden somewhere in this house. This is what I will be going after at the moment.
*Disclosure: I made up this “product” for the purpose of this post since I signed an NDA with the actual company prior to our phone conversation. But trust me, it was pretty darn close to this…. My response, however, was genuine.
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