Offline 23 hours a day

Great take especially ‘ Media silence creates a vacuum, which your own thoughts expand to fill.’

I’m curious how you save answers from AI to read later & make use of those? AI is interactive in nature and takes few iterations to get your Qs answered.

It’s super tough to be offline with work emails on phone, being connected to family abroad through video calls, etc. I’m happy that you’re able to do it!


I craft my prompts in plain text files. Then when online I use the datasette.io/tools/llm tool to post each prompt to five different AIs at openrouter.ai/ which saves the answers on my computer. I go through them all slowly offline. — Derek

Yes, Derek!

I had an internet budget of two hours per day over the summer. It was amazing and I want to get back to it. I had a few caveats (anything that was realtime interactive with another person aka learning or teaching over video) and I really don't feel like I missed anything.

Thank you for your continued inspiration.

Really interesting idea , I've read somewhere that the situation you explained with the Wall-E scene is called in Spanish "Cognitive sedentarism".
I use to force myself to try to recall random facts for minutes like "who was the singer of that 80's song ? but your approach to identifying why do one need that answer for, goes far beyond.
If one new word where needed to describe the Wall-E situation I'd choose "sedimenllectual" or "sedimenlectic attitude".

There is a science fiction short story I once read about someone exploring the last unexplored / unmonitored place on the planet. I think it was in the middle of a lake in Africa and the surveillance net slowly expanded to fill the last cracks as the story progressed, causing the last unknown things to disappear into the fog.

It feels similar to what you are describing, something being lost in the hyper-connected world.

I can't find the story though. I think I read it offline funnily enough, so it'll have slipped away.

You continue to inspire me with your insights and curiosity. I'm wondering, do you have subscriptions for all the AIs or it's the free tier version? Because you wrote in Tim Ferris' blog recently that you don't have subscriptions. And finally, why use so many AIs?
I pay OpenRouter.ai a few pennies per prompt. I post each prompt to five different AIs (through OpenRouter.ai interface) because their answers vary, and it’s always good to get different viewpoints. — Derek

bring me to ideas:
- having your local but still bit stupid LLM may be better for your brain
- my local LLM is my rubber duck on steroids
no internet necessary!

That's so cool, I'd like to try someday. I beat social media this year and even just that has done wonders for creative thinking.

Hi Derek,
Very important article for right now.

This line stands out:
Media still screams about what I urgently need to see now....

We need to get our attention back.

Best.
Allen

I'm curious how your offline approach to writing software differs from standard development patterns that assume continuous connectivity. do you have library documentation, Wikipedia, StackOverflow, etc. downloaded in a format you're able to browse and search locally?
Yes. Downloaded Wikipedia using KiwiX and I have ebook manuals for PostgreSQL and Go, my main programming tools. — Derek

Inspiring! I was also thinking about the concept of JOMO," The Joy of Missing Out", as opposed to the FOMO most people experience. Especially nowadays every new LLM model is claimed to be the "best" and everyday there's an industry "destroyed" by AI agents.

I find it rather disheartening that people today have to intentionally construct the world in which I grew up. The best part about living in retirement is the ease with which I can reject technological incursions into my life. Would it were not so.

You go Derek!

Reminded me of this wonderful post: pcalv.es/offline-only/

Particularly this part:
„We went from going online to being online. Connecting to the World Wide Web required deliberate action, the dial-up tone the incantation that opened a portal from my small bedroom in a village in the middle of nowhere into a vast landscape that I barely comprehended and explored voraciously.“

Little bonus to my previous comment: the original post that inspired Paulo’s „Offline Only“: chrisbolin.co/offline/

What a joy to stumble upon this website! I'm still training myself to live without the distractions. I turned off my internet for a whole day and experienced such calmness and productivity. When purpose is strong one can ignore the distractions, but when it is not, I find it easier to create an environment for myself.

Interesting post, Derek. It prompted me to write a post where I take a contrarian view.

rishidass.net/posts/you-dont-have-to-disconnect

What do you do (when you’re not working) while you’re off the grid? Do you play any instruments?
I really only do two things in life: (1) give my son my full attention, or (2) work. When not doing one I do the other. That said, I have a broad definition of work, which includes all reading, writing, learning, coding, exercise, etc. AKA “me time”. — Derek

That is very nice. We also have a house in the forest, really in the middle of the jungle. And the best part is when the electricity shots down for some reason, the internet is off with all the electronics. I love to light the candles and feel Neanderthal again.
Great to connect with nature. The absence of technology obliges us to wander, and to look at the stars. Great to hear from you. Greetings from Rio!

I love you Derek! thanks for sharing. this is big and wonderful.

yep, used to have to go sit at a table under a mulberry tree to cadge a connection for an hour or so. rest of the time, internetless, and being productive knocking stuff up on computer in a mobile home - and no worse off for it. remember cyber cafés? internet is addictive and makes your mind go to mush. mainly.
watch out for the AI, it will steal some of your edge if you start to rely on it.

oh, oops: 'productive on a computer' - do you remember when you did not own a computer?

What a great way to live. i have not been so disciplined but i live on an island called Vieques in Puerto Rico. there are many wild horses here and life is very simple and a throw back to a gentler time. i do get on the internet (but try to limit and spend time watching wild life, tending my garden and painting. during Covid i watched alot of movies and shows. i had never done that before but i felt my brain was turning to mush so i am back to spending free time reading instead of watching. I always like to hear about what new things you are doing ? is your son with you? Thanks for continueing to inspire and cause others to reflect!!! Carmen
Yes he is with me, and loves our home in the woods even more than I do. ☺ — Derek

Hi Derek!

Back in 2012 (and after listening to you at Tim Ferriss' podcast) I:

•Stopped watching TV
•Stopped reading newspapers
•Stopped following professional sports
•Stopped trying to get my family's approval

As I result I had plenty of time to do meaningful things.

I´ve published 15 books ever since.

It's not about making tons of money.

It´s about doing the things I love.

Being online while trying to do the things you love is the best recipe to frustration.

Thanks again for the inspiration.

In an effort to rebuild my attention span, I've taken to creative writing. It's an uphill battle but I'm already reaping some benefits. One day at a time!!

Totally.

I just spent a week in the wild beauty of Death Valley, camping. I had intended to take a few photos (no cell signal for me out there), but my charger set-up failed, and I was ocmpletely without my phone. It was wonderful. I turned my curiosity to my environment, gazed at stars, stared at the wind, observed plants and animals and the rugged terrain, and enjoyed the silence and stillness.

Now that I'm back home and back online (obviously!) I am carrying that energy within me and I'm refreshed. I also feel so less compulsive/reactive about the news, the feeds, and the online world in general.

Always nice to have time to read your blogs. I heard recently the Apple IPod is making a comeback. I thought no way, why would that be when I have all the songs I need on Spotify. Turns out people are sick and tired of all the excess that comes with the phone, and they want to switch off and just have a bunch of songs on a dumb box. I thought that was fascinating, and says something else about where we are headed.

Nice work my friend!

I love this post! An excellent reminder about something I know has worked well for me in the past.

Thank you

I always get a little jolt from a "Derek Sivers" email. This one especially because I wrote about you and posted it on LinkedIn the other day.

www.linkedin.com/posts/dreamdevelopment_i-sometimes-feel-like-a-mad-scientist-ideas-activity-7436448792607911936-LBbV

Thank you for always including us in your journey of discovery.

Love this. Ive found a similar peace by simply deleting all social media. If a news story is important enough, you will hear about it anyway and if a friendship is real it will survive. The 'news'you dont hear and the 'friends' you lose when you get off social media were not worth keeping anyway.

I love this: ‘Media silence creates a vacuum, which your own thoughts expand to fill.’ and envy you being able to do this. I have begun more and more recently to return to analog - I read more physical books. Check emails only twice a day. Have a hard 55 minute on Social Media use. Watch old movies without device at hand. Still get the occasional dopamine twitch but overall I think this is doing me good.

Hi there my friend !

The absence of noise is a joy.
I'm still entangled but far less than I used to be and I sleep better !!
Working on music and watching older cinema with family is my daily routine.

Always love and respect !

Eric

We demand photos!
I don't take photos. — Derek

I think there’s a lot to be said for tuning out the world and focusing. Love the WALL-E reference!

I've watched many YouTubers do a "I lived in the 90s for a month" type of video. They always say they felt more at ease and connected to the world around them. It sounds like your experience is similar. I may have to give this a go!

It reminds me of my life in early 2000s when I first moved to New York, had very little to no money and no permanent place to live, surfing between streets and random apartments. I'd go to the internet cafe on the 42nd street late evenings after jobs and typically spend an hour there just catching up on things, writing what I need down in my thick ass notebook and going on with my life. My woods where the tall skyscrappers and the jungle was of a different kind :) It was somehow both crazy and serene at the same time, especially late at night. Walking those streets with nothing but my thoughts, my CD-player and my notebook, not even a cell phone or a pager (who needs one when a pay phone is on every corner) Thank you for taking me back to that state of mind Derek.

I've done this. Two interesting things happen:

1) For the first few days, my thoughts are boring and often re-hashing of old podcasts or conversations. After that, the originality starts (and I'm surprised I have the capability).

2) After a week or two, when I go back to, e.g. podcasts, I find I'm slightly annoyed that its forcing out my own thoughts, because I came to enjoy mulling over problems, imagining things, and coming up with new ideas.

Hi Derek, Sounds like a great way to work and live in modern times. one hour online. Definitely some inspiration for me there. Are you in NZ?
Yep! — Derek

I commend you for doing that Derek. That's often been a fantasy I have had (the woods bit). The internet seems more and more parasitic these days as well. It's good to know it can be done and you can benefit rather that die of bug bites and boredom.

Hey!

Your kid with you in the woods too? I love the idea — I use http://Freedom.to on my phone and desktop.

But with wife and kids making such a decision requires voting. And then, gets harder.
Yep! He loves it even more than I do. — Derek

You discovered why I camp. 3-4 days without cell/internet and you can feel how different your brain feels. If you don't talk to anyone else even more so.

I am very grateful to have grown up in Kenya and to have started using the Internet in my late teens. I didn't have a computer so I had to go to an Internet cafe. I had limited resources, the cost was Ksh 10 per minute (in comparison, today it is 50 cents per minute) so I quickly learned to maximize my little time online. I got flashbacks when I read this: "The time limit keeps me super-focused. I know why I’m there. I know what I need... I post my questions to a bunch of AIs, and save the answers to read later." Of course the major difference is the AI but back then, I used to search, copy-paste articles to a word document, font 8, (to maximize paper use lol!) then print it all out to read later at home. I still have those articles, a screenshot of early 2000s Internet! Now in my late 40s, I'm finding it easier and more desirable to spend less time on the Internet. I had good training in my early 20s....:-) I am fascinated by AI. Which AI tools do you use the most?

Hi Derk,

This feels so familiar to me. We moved in 2022 from Denver Colorado to rural Maine - Mount Vernon. And curiously, magically there's a jazz group here in this tiny town; we play together every Thursday night 8-10 of us. The music is magic.

Thinking of you!

Tom

Derek,
For many years I have done things to which people respond "You're so brave" or "I could never do that". I'd cut my hair really short, wear a very patterned dress or paint my house a bright colour. The responses always annoyed me because I thought, I am not brave, and of course you can do the same.

Now I find myself thinking the same things about your life offline. I think it's a message to myself. Be brave Miranda and do it.

Thanks for the insight,
Miranda

Hi Derek

Which books or resources you recommend for people who plan to have kids ?

Your top 3 or top 5 must read .

Thank you 🙏
See sive.rs/book for Brain Rules for Baby, Gardener and the Carpenter, and Playful Parenting. Those are the best 3. — Derek

In my opinion, we tend to be constantly connected, partly to be constantly available (for fear of not meeting work demands), partly because of the morbid anxiety of missing an interesting notification. Instant messaging (one-way or two-way) is one of those technological innovations that catches us evolutionarily unprepared. We must learn to manage it. Quickly. Even using shortcuts like not having an internet connection. Connection, like other innovations, amplifies human senses, reducing the distance between us and the world. Reducing the distance increases the number of interactions with the outside world. Increasing the number of interactions with the outside world reduces their intensity. Permanent, unmanaged connection makes us live in a limbo of shallow neural depth due to the excessive, uncontrolled number of stimuli.

I've been disconnecting more and more and feel great. The hype about AI has ruined most online spaces for me, as someone who is always quite fast and productive and sees the reality and flaws of these machines. They're awesome but still wrong or unhelpful a lot of the time and if rather stay sharp.

Yes! I want this! Tune out the noise outside to hear the music inside.
Ooooh! Well-put! ☺ — Derek

Love to hear from you. I’m an “influencer” but been dealing with health issues recently and has forced me to pause all work and focus on healing. I am now craving a different career and being completely offline. It’s like all the pressure of having to show up and be “relevant” is melting away(although sometimes I hear that ego voice yelling at me to pOsT) I’m realizing my value isn’t in how may likes and comments I get 🥲

Congrats on your new home in the woods, Derek! I think you just created the title of your next book "Posting this for my future self". I can't wait to see what you'll come up with next! Now that all the noise is removed, you're like a kid in the candy store! Your brain is probably glowing just like the brains in the jars, in the movie THE MAN WITH TWO BRAINS starring Steve Martin! Way to go and thank you for inspiring me and many others by always carving out such a unique route to the top of the mountain. My TV recently went black last Friday night and I believe the LED strips have gone bad and burned out, so I can barely see the picture anymore. I have started to create new music instead of flipping the channel and searching for something to watch. I am not racing out to replace my tv, so I kind of feel like I'm in the woods right now too! :).
Trey
WhiskeyChild.com

Loves this and on my mind. After a year of big life changes (letting go of choices made in fear rather than fit), I have space to transition to my next identity. No partner, no job, no ties—except for aging parents. However, I am sitting in the void between who I was and am becoming.

Even with all this time," I notice how easily the void gets filled. I read, respond to messages, do this administrative thing and that blahblahmustmust and then suddenly I've been on one screen or another for hours. It's incessant. According to many allegedly wise humans, I best give myself lots of mental space to reconnect with my inner voice. Your post has inspired me again.

Today, I just arrived at a dogsit in Cobble Hill on Vancouver Island. CH is a rural area just outside Victoria, BC. I'm on a 5 acre property with a couple mexi-mutt pups, chickens and few horses. Starting Tony Robbins' virtual UPW experience tomorrow (Derek, I started reading Tony's work after you so decidedly said the book ATGW changed your life). I have decided I will be offline the 2 days following the seminar. CUNweek

I'm following this topic DS!

Two things:

1. Just yesterday I thought that Internet availability should be limited to two 1h slots a day for everyone. Not feasible though, of course. And lots of drawbacks as well. But I like the idea.

2. What are you actually working on so much every day then? Examples?

Thanks

Hi Derek - I saw you reply below saying you don't take photos.

Why not?

Don't you miss the moments and times they bring back so readily?

Wouldn't you love to look back and see the photos of your son (and you) by the house in the woods in 20 years time?

Genuinely curious to read your thoughts.

A.
I'm just not a photos person. I don't like looking at photos so I don't take photos. For 25 years so far, I've kept a verbose daily diary that digs into the inner world. That's much more useful to me to remember past times. — Derek

My experience with stopping inputs has been similar. Spacious is the best way I can describe it. Having room to breathe, not suffocating from what the outside world demands you should know.

Have you tried a 10-day vipassana course? Takes you a bit deeper into these thoughts and feelings when you stop entertaining the mental stimuli altogether.

You: "What answer am I hoping to hear?"

Me: I (kind of) do this - without 'going offline'. You (kind of) inspired it. With a blog post years ago, on "What would Derek say?"

Your advice back then: If you want to ask me about something, pause to ask yourself if you know what I would say - and proceed anyway.

Hmm... I've applied that to many other things. Thank you!

Yes, go for it- many moons ago, as a young marshall artist long before the internet. Meditating was the way of studying practice focus relaxation on many levels, which led me to interdimensional exploration. I learned much about our universes why and how we came to be, which ultimately led me to travel the world to fulfill my purpose. As an Older man now i share knowledge when asked, depending on where I am. And I enjoy simplicity. I plan to travel again, mostly to give a new generation of musicians and singers the opportunity to explore and grow before life gets tough, and it will. These are my bucket list years. But they are also years I saw while exploring, as I previously mentioned. So Serek ENJOY !!!

I feel so blessed to have come across Derek's writings. It's such a breath of fresh air. I battle with being offline so much. I know it is worth sacrificing, but the pull of FOMO is so strong, it keeps pulling me back in. Especially now that the media is just out of alarm and affright you. That discipline to just zone in on my thoughts and independent mind and keep my blinders on is one I struggle with daily. But Derek since you've done, I can at least try.

Derek if you get to read this, please share. How do you get to resist FOMO,to not get pulled into the drama of others, to not get sidetracked by the emergencies of others and to keep your blinders on?

I struggle greatly with that. And my subconscious mind justifies it as I need to be aware of the threats and changes happening around me so I don't get caught on the blind side or 'left behind'

You're my hero man. I've missed reading your pieces and your books. It's been so long. Your scribbles/scribblings (I won't use the AI to find the right word) seem to always come at the right moment. I really needed this. I was always sharing your stuff with a dear friend of mine, I haven't spoken to in a while. It just reminded me I have missed her very much.

Enjoy your peace my friend. I hope I find mine too.

Somewhat unrelated but so your son is living mostly just with you? Or does he have (real-life) friends? Does he go to school? Doesn't he miss his mom?

Wonderful perspective, Derek, something in it moved me before I knew why. Thank you.

What are you reading at the moment, or are you between books?

Jim Collins has a book coming out next month after twelve years of research. You would have made a good subject.

I'm still in the swamp, but collecting things, for when the ground firms up and I can design the life rather than react to it.

Keep inspiring, Derek.

I too recently purchased a home in a remote area with no phone or internet service. The first tech detox was very difficult and a bit stressful. Now I relish the WiFi free time. I spend a lot of time painting now. Never knew I had that skill and I love the progress I am making artistically. Love your journey and enjoy the parallel path.

It sounds like you’re actually enjoying not having Wi-Fi at your house. Why are you going to have it installed at all?

I often try to remember what I did before I had a phone in my hand. I know at home I listened to CD's. I still listen to music but not whole albums, streaming gives me the popular stuff I like but leaves out the unpopular tracks.
The unpopular tracks are my favorite! ☺ — Derek

I'm so jealous. And also scared 🤣🥰

I've done the full disconnect (eg 2 weeks no internet) but never the little bits of internet every few days. I agree this is how life was for a time when we had the internet cafes!!!

What do you notice about your feelings toward the internet during/post your sessions now?

Why change? Why not cancel the fast fibre?
It can be useful when not addicted. ☺ — Derek

This is cool. This inspires me to do something similar. I’ve been using LLM’s a ton lately. I’m going to delete it from my phone for a bit. I ask it too many questions. I’d rather do the thinking on my own. And honestly, I’m better without it. It’s been a clutch and an excuse to be lazy. Thanks for sharing your experience and thoughts.

I just wanted to share a bit of the evolution I’ve had since finding your work.

For years I was the classic corporate overachiever, consuming content and chasing ideas. I was learning concepts faster than I could realistically implement them. Success came quickly, but so did the burnout. I was building a career at a relentless pace while also trying to stack a “perfect” personal life on top of it. Marriage, family, and all the expectations of what life is supposed to look like in a middle American suburb.

At 39, I had a moment of honesty with myself. I was tired of the endless cycle of consuming, performing, and chasing the next thing. Instead of continuing down that road, I decided to slow down and actually seek understanding rather than just accumulation.

In many ways, I took a left when most people would have gone right.

Your books and content played a meaningful role in that shift. They helped me start thinking differently about how to approach life and work.

Today I’m running my own businesses, a nonprofit and a consulting firm. It is far from perfect, but it is more aligned with who I am and how I want to live. I am still figuring it out, but I am doing it with a very different perspective.

I wanted you to know that your work had a real impact on that journey.

Thank you.
☺ Thanks Kristen! So cool to hear. — Derek

Do you think you could do that even when not "forced" to do so? I mean, even in a flat in the middle of a city? That's a challenge. I want to find the right nudge. How did/would you work that out? Beside the laptop, I am concerned about the all at heand reach smartphone

I am doing the same.

Have you thought of what strategies you might apply to help you stay disconnected once you get fiber at your new place?

If I could suggest something, I think that purposefully throttling the connection to something like 256Kb/s could help you.

Wow, you're living my dream life!

How can you afford all of that if you don't mind me asking, how expensive/affordable living like that?

Love it Derek
-darren

Best thing ever

My family has a little spot off the grid. You have to hike up a hill or drive to town to get a signal. When we are there it is amazing how nice it is to not reach for a phone when you are bored. A stack off books, small odd jobs to do and a chance to sit with your own thoughts. It is a wonderful reminder of what life was like when I was younger. Enjoy your peace and quiet!

Fascinating insight as usual! I've been thinking a lot lately about the way so much of my time lately is taken up with consumption leaving very little headspace for concentrated creativity. This sounds like a real world case study of the idea that reducing your consumption may actually open up stronger pathways and connectivity to your creative life force. Thanks for sharing - I needed to read this!

Interesting idea. Was considering buying an old 2nd generation cell phone without internet access.
No possibility for digital procrastination and still able to answer questions from my staff. (And the battery lives forever)

Would you say these experiments work out for social media related work or will the platforms punish you for logging in too less?

Why do you want to solve problems without help? Why is that important to you?

I love this for you! Thank you for sharing! I did similarly during the pandemic in a former schoolhouse next to an Amish farm. Now I'm making an early 2000's laptop into a no internet machine. It's been so fun to put together and will be just as much fun to use. What ebook manuals do you use/recommend for PostgreSQL and Go? For beginners?

Hi Derek,
Your notes are always inspiring! We’ve known all along that less is more… Enjoyment of peace and solitude vastly surpasses the distraction of an incongruent cacophony.

你好!

Hi Derek, I get the benefits of unplugging, but being a techno-optimist, I find it saves me time. Your analogy can be akin to walking by foot vs a bicycle, or doing math vs using a calculator.

Sorry for playing devil's advocate!

That’s so cool and interesting to try!
But I have two concerns:
1. When you’re thinking about something, you may need some basic or fundamental information to move forward. If there is no internet, how would you get that information and continue your thinking?

2.Another question is about boredom. For me, if I don’t have internet access, I might start to feel bored and want to find something to do—like reading or listening to downloaded MP3s. It feels like I have a tendency to fill that boredom somehow. How do you deal with this?

Thanks for your reply, and wish you all the best!

Derek,

I love this! I’m an artist when I go on location to paint on camping trips the places I go have no internet. It’s the best no wasting time looking for ideas online or getting depressed with the current state of the world. I get so much done and when I’m not sketching or painting I read more or just take in the outdoors. I only wish I could do this once a week.

You are a true innovator thanks for sharing this would love to hear more in the future.

M

always enjoy your thoughts. i did a cabin in the woods, but needed internet for my girlfriend to work remotely. we had all the convenients of a city home but were 45min to anything and no near neighbors. i would like to take that next step and disconnect. thanks for the inspiration.

regards,

joe

I feel this. I am a person who will over consume with most forms of media, be it video, written, or social so I have to be mindful of that and use it to my benefit. I live in a bubble. I have this theory if it's important enough someone will tell me. I then have an option if what I want to explore deeper. It seems to be a novel concept nowadays with children growing up in a connected society but targeted disconnection seems intuitive to me perhaps because I grew up at the crossroads of the internet materializing. I see in my art practice a shift happening though with people wanting more of the human interaction aspect. I love this because those experiences aren't curated by some algorithm to what I think or want to view, they open up my world to other views and perspectives in turn feeding my want to learn and giving my brain a freedom to explore wherever that leads me. I am happy it is trending that way because I always read as awkward online lol I'm much more charming in person and how I get at least 70% of my work.

Love this! Thanks for always thinking differently , leading the way and sharing your wisdom

Much respect.

Me too, In a Slightly Dofferent Wat ... Thx ... Nice !!

it is glorious to unplug from the agenda-led feed of info and tap into the infinite intelligence within the more I practice, the more the continuous dialogue with LOVE expands. The irony is recognizing the more you know the more you don’t know exponentially actually brings everlasting peace

thanks for always sharing the real

Doing the same. Letting go of the known and disappearing into the unknown. It’s liberating!!!!

open.spotify.com/track/4tTzvoeIC5Xts0FeFKgmCB?si=IAbC4oAbReWR3v9M9ujT2Q

But… Starlink already does that!
From deep in rural, highland Scotland :)

very smart and self-aware move. better to live deliberately. if you follow the herd, you'll always end up scraping shit off the bottom of your shoes.

Hey Derek! Silence is very valuable and 99% people these days don't even realize they are filling all the gaps with some sort of noise.

I think meditation should be highly encouraged to learn for every person over 12.

Um, I really like how you define work in a comment below. My 17 yo son has such a narrow and unfortunate definition and I’m sure he’s not alone in this.

as much as I hate to admit it , I am getting more work done as well. I have many different interests and I wear many, hats.I have recently gone back to my designs, and find sewing , especially the pieces I work on by hand to be very relaxing and productive , in helping me to think. I am able to work out lyrics and stories , I write and I have started keeping journals again and writing in my books, on paper. The other thing that I have been able to do is memorise,telephone numbers; what a concept! Remember when we used to be able to remember telephone numbers when we had to? I still can remember mt Grandmothers number and mt original landline I had forever. A brain is a terrible thing to waste, and sometimes the constant use of the internet is a big distraction. Thank you Derek, for this one, I agree, lets all try to more focused and engaged, theres a big world out there, and living in the moment is all we really have ,especially now.

The house in the woods is a big part of the mental calm for me. I took to the woods in 2017 and haven’t looks back.

Nature nurtures and calms.

Hi Derek

It's very hard to create vacuum . I also tried to keep my self offline ( Like I have disabled all notification except call and text message ) but still due to business responsibility and the way this world is moving , I found its very hard to give time to ourself. Its makes me anxious if I am not connected. Sometime I think at later age I will be able to do it without anxiety.

When building saunas, I used to joke that the foil vapor barrier, in addition to its intended purpose, also keeps our phones from getting a signal inside the hot room.

More and more of us are seeking out and appreciating disconnected microbursts like a long bike ride, hike in the woods, and extended sauna sessions, as gateway drugs to the radical separation you’re living.

Media silence: it’s a choice. A good one!

Sounds heavenly. While I love the idea of going offline the way you have, I may have to get there in baby steps. For now, I’ve stepped way back from the news feeds, and it has improved my life immensely. Instead of feeling like everything is awful and that I have to constantly react and respond, I check in once each morning, see what’s going on, and think about whether there’s anything meaningful I can actually do. If there is, I do it. If there isn’t, I try to put it aside.

I realized the constant stream of news was leaving me anxious and worried all the time. Stepping back has helped me take things in, keep perspective, and then go on living my life. My anxiety level dropped almost immediately.

Boy, I wish I could get away with that. Much envy. Keep it up as long as possible. Kudos!

Coding without internet is something I can no longer do for the most part. Between using coding agents and downloading packages, this seems pretty limiting to do the work entirely offline. I can code on an airplane for instance, but only a very specific kind of scoped task that I can do “on my own”. I have to say that it is relaxing to code that way though. These days I do almost all of my development using Vibe Kanban, which allows me to work on several tasks in different projects at once. Though the complexity of all of this is probably driving me nuts without really thinking about it.

In one of your emails you mentioned that Go has become your favorite language to use. Is this still the case? I really enjoy Go but haven’t used it in a few years. What have you been building with it?

Hey Derek,

I believe it. Your desire to explore and learn also deserves a lot of credit for your productivity, but I suspect your financial freedom & independence is crucial too.

I’ve been trying to rethink and create in my spare time but I struggle doing it in between work and demands of home life. Not to mention my skills in creating and coding in the digital age are nowhere near yours.

I can’t help but notice that even in your world travels and love of places, you have the ability to carve out your own private space and time to devout to your interests.

From my phone at the kitchen table,
Ryan
rdrobny.me

I'm loathe to allow A.I. agents to spread the word...cue NY, NY tune....

Advice?
www.jbpravda.com

Blessings to the crickets 🏏 🙏

Hi Derek!

You have this beautiful style of video reading that exudes pure light. I loved the genuine joy it gives off. Thank you for sharing.

As for the offline work, we experiment with the same, but also want to incorporate "more" of this into our day to day life.

Even if it's just 2-3 hours a day "offline" - it would make a substantial difference.

Any tips for incorporation?

- Timeline (2-3 hours OFF during workdays + Evenings OFF)
- ???

As a response to someone else you wrote that you don't take photos...is that a set-rule you have so you stay present and in the moment? Giving people/nature/yourself the attention it deserves instead of adding thousands of photos to some storage somewhere that you'll never look at again? Or...do you just not want to take photos of your home/family and share them anywhere?

Both make sense to me, but I'm curious what your prime driver is.

Photography is a hobby of mine and I love it, but I can also recognize when it's obtrusive or detracts from attention and memory...usually when a phone camera is involved.

This is beautiful! What have you learned about yourself? I wish we could make this a requirement for our young to experience. How do we add "disconnection" as a part of their curriculum to connect to the tangible world? I think about WALL-E often and how much it parallels life today. Today is my last day of work as I've decided to take a year long sabbatical. I'm inspired by your post to add more "offline" days. Thank you for sharing!

I am curious about the other aspect of being ‘connected’ to the outside world, which is the ‘synergy’ you get from active (and real-time) collaboration with others. Are there aspects of your work that you know will be more productive if done in this way? If so how do you adjust or compensate for this?

When I first got internet in 1998, until I got broadband in 2002, I was on dial-up and it was exactly as you say, you'd make a list of what to do, connect, do what you needed to do then disconnect. I do like being connected all the time but there's part of me that misses those days, it was a lot more focused.

I love this! Just back from nearly three weeks in India and one of my big realizations is that (at home) I've fallen into spending way too many hours in front of my computer. And, it's not productive! With a work block of up to 2 hours maximum per day in India, I accomplished everything I needed. So, I'm totally re-working my schedule and blocking focused work time with a specific objective. Tiny step towards being off-line most of the time. Thanks for the inspiration!

You know what, I really enjoyed reading this and the comments as well. So I will bite.

I am recovering chronically online person. I am always battling with my digital habits.

I work from home on my computer doing a classic kind of corporate job. It has so many benefits in terms of personal freedom but it of course comes at a cost.

I would love to never log on again or just do the minimum. For many years, I stayed with no smart phone. So peaceful.

I am constantly running little experiments. Since Summer I have stopped following the news. I just don't go to any news sites, no videos, don't click on news things. Of course, somebody tells me something. But it is not the end of the world. I find that news items 0.01% items have anything to do with my life and what is happening in my town. I am sad that bad things are happening in this world, but I know there is very little I can personally do, but I can win in my local environment.

Reddit was terrible for me, I also completely quit it. Classic social media also. I have even blocked by LinkedIn feed. I have experimented with dropping off whatsapp, youtube. I like being off my smartphone on the weekend.

Going off to the woods, doing full Walden or semi Walden, is not pratical for most of us, that does not mean we should just give up and accept the chronically online culture.

There all kinds of ways to fight back and keep your autonomy vs surrending to the attention economy.

Technology is a tool a smartphone can mean I can go for a cycle in my downtime and still be accessible to my company in my quiet periods, it is also a means to check my work 24/7. One is a good outcome, one isn't!

You’re such a good thinker and observer. This is similar to the concept of purposeful discomfort or even the more well known “necessity is the mother of innovation” or “meaningful friction” (my personal favourite way to describe this concept).

Our society is obsessed with eliminating discomfort or friction but at the same time it eliminates what makes us human, what exercises our brains, fosters innovation and makes us unique.

I’m really trying to rip off the bandaid on go back to a flip phone for this reason BUT IT’S SO DIFFICULT. What’s more difficult however is all the stupid problems that are created by this so called smart phone that’s meant to eliminate problem, it’s more like a problem make rather than a problem solver. The two area very closely related.

I'd give up a kidney or a testicle to have unlimited access to a cabin with a wood stove, a splitting axe, a cache of canned food, a hundred legal pads and pens, many candles, and nothing else. No electricity. Tried to make this happen a few years ago, but haven't found anything yet.

Would love to switch to a flip phone and a hotspot, so I can still work from anywhere, but it costs twice as much as just having a smartphone. Better off just being disciplined with it. Turn the phone off at night, stick it in a drawer, leave it at home during walks, et cetera.

occamsraisor.com

I've been sort of this way since studying in Cuba...where wifi is capped to certain hrs you pay for or where blackouts now come unpredictably...there's only intention once I'm connected....

and downloading things for offline read or use is such a thing here...
many forget to make offline versions of apps or such

Hello Derek,
Another great article and excellent thought provoker. I had heard about similar experiences to try and so far none have really worked. The only one that I kind of stick to is to keep the radio or any source of music,news etc. off while in the car. It has allowed me to have some great conversations with myself and helps with being a better driver. I can’t do it everyday as sometimes I need that pick me up from music, or I need to check something. I have tried to limit social media and read more but get distracted easily. Maybe someday I’ll have your patience and spirit to set a schedule for good.

Do you miss watching movies...

Hi Derek,

Interesting thoughts! I agree, time away from the constant internet and social media use does wonderful things for my brain. I'm curious, you said above "I want to be able to solve problems without help" but then you speak of using AI to answer questions for you. How do you view these two contradictory items? And do you ponder the ethical considerations of AI use, such as the environmental costs of it? Especially the water usage?

I hope you keep enjoying the off grid lifestyle and it keeps you close to the land!

Derek, yes, the Universe abhors a vacuum and will move to fill it. It doesn’t care, specifically, what fills it. The mind is its own universe with many unexplored regions. Like you say, if outside input is curtailed, the mind will conjure on its own to fill the vacuum. Sometime what turns up is profound, as in original thinking. Sometimes it is bizarre and scary. The unexplored regions of the mind should not be taken lightly. Without socialization, people have gone crazy, consumed by their own behavioral and intellectual aberrations. Look at what was going on in the mind of Vincent van Gogh as evidenced by his art. If the mind is deprived of external sensory input, will the door be opened to the cosmic world allowing astral entities to whisper their message? Is this where great leaps in knowledge come from, as well as great leaps in depravity and destruction? I wrote novel on this topic. Be careful out there, Derek.

I always preferred this way of living and joke that if I can go back to any point in my history of life it'd be the time before the incessant use of email, internet, and even pagers. There is something that happens when you're out in the natural world that most people would say is "healing", when really that is our natural state. Thank you for sharing this reminder.

Derek, you never fail to surprise. This seems like an incredible luxury worth fighting for!

This setting in the woods, isolated from communication with the outside world, feels like the start of an excellent Outer Limits episode!

Hey Derek.
Boy, did I need this perspective!
Doom scrolling is real, and I needed the reminder that it isn't required or helpful to one's mental health!
Thank you.

"Read not the Times. Read the Eternities." Henry David Thoreau, Life Without Principle (1863)

Cal Newport is going to love this time blocking method. Deep Work on Hard Mode! True Digital Reset!

"Some day soon they’ll connect the fast fiber here to my home in the woods. So I’m posting this for my future self, to remember how peaceful and productive it is to block the inputs, and make a vacuum to expand my output."

Great experiment to practice, and excellent exercise to create reminders for ourselves like this.

Thanks for this thought today. I often feel the benefits of this type of separation, and get sucked back in again from time to time. I may give this a try to see what one hour online would be like.

Thank you for sharing. I was never big on social media but tried several as part of marketing for my business. Then I promptly got off. I am just not interested. I also only skim headlines, have started to keep my mail app closed while working (which is mostly writing) and only using my phone if I have to do so. I’d rather look around while waiting in line at the grocery, go for a walk and hear the birds, sit and just stare at the horizon. I love that you’re physically remote so that you are disconnected, and that you’ve created a routine for getting connected when you need to and in the manner that is most helpful to you. Really love your search questions. I do a lot of research and then I’m very curious in general, so I love a good search. Will ponder this. And, I also ask across the AIs as I get different answers. Often each follows a different thread. Sounds like you and your son are having a ball. Enjoy. Thanks again.

Re: not taking photos

Consider analog film (or polaroid) photography as a way to keep photos of your son while being mindful of creating the images. I have turned to this for my son as limitless phone storage makes for photos you might rarely look at. While film/polaroid imposes somewhat of a limit.

Derek,

If you get bombarded by news feeds during that hour online, it could be a very depressing hour. Of course you are probably disciplined enough to ignore the bad stuff. As a retired guy, that just took up guitar and French lessons I need the online lessons and assistance to improve. And FaceTiming with my daughter and her new son is something I can't and won't cut out. So getting down to one hour would be difficult. But if I could take 6 hours (not sleeping) and shut down everything, I know it would be a big help for me mentally. I'll try that step first. Thanks. As always I enjoy your emails and have your "How to Live..." book by my bed for an occasional quick read before I hit the hay. Cheers!

Derek where did you move to? Are no longer a musician? ( practicing musician)
See sive.rs/about and sive.rs/music - I stopped making music in 1998. I moved to New Zealand in 2012. — Derek

I agree, solving problems ourselves is more rewarding and allows us to keep our minds clear and strong.
Another advantage: distancing yourself from all of this saves money, as you can avoid many expensive subscriptions.
Finally, it should also help preserve certain forests, as we are not using electricity.

Super cool
Thanks for the video format
T
haifa. holy land

It does sound serene to hear 'in the woods' perhaps because it conveys a media-free sabbatical. Enjoy your time there and thanks for sharing your thoughts.

Wow, Derek,

sounds like a permanent vacation!

I have been experiencing something similar. As I am semi-retired from a law practice, I receive much less phone calls and emails. It is a pleasure on the days where I do not have to leave my home for work. I enjoy having long strips of time to do whatever I feel like doing.

Enjoy, and stay well!

Jerry

Back in the days of dial-up Internet, it was a brief connection, then back to our life. The beauty and curse of always-on, broadband connection is that you’re immersed in media: social, news, email, texts. One’s attention is screamed at by others.

Good for you.

Ma' man...have your books, have followed you via the parasocial landscape that is called podcasting. You still continue to be a guiding light. One day I'll grow into the freedom you are now experience! gotta sell ma' businesses first and jettison myself off of the conveyor belt.

Very inspiring!! I can’t wait to set my life in a similar rhythm with the internet, as I find myself at the edge of frustration with my own lack of self control.

This makes me think of all the times when I was working at a VERY fast paced, always on, scale up in the early 'aughts' and would call out like a prairie dog at my prairie dog hole of a desk "Take me to the non-digital island" - and then would pause to think about what that life would be! <think small island, white sandy-beaches, crystal blue water, swaying in a hammock and sipping something cocktail-y reading a book with real tangible pages.

And I was almost on that island recently in Langkawi reading one of your books on the beach, while on a swing (but on a Kindle)

And I hope to see you IRL in Adelaide next week!
(Fangirl of your "first follower" TED talk that I reference often)

A couple of questions:

* How does prolonged disconnection from the internet change the quality of thinking, not just the quantity of work produced?

* At what point does convenience from technology become dependency?

I am a teacher and talk quite a lot after work as well. I had sore throat after 30 min of non stop talking. Any tips to protect my throat but also get my job done please?

Dear Derek Sivers

My name is Jes Petersen, I am 63 years old and I live in Roskilde, Denmark, Scandinavia.
Some time ago you wrote to me regarding the /now setup, because i hadn’t updated it regularly. I remember I thought that it was probably just some automated system writing to me, maybe AI, everything is AI these days, and I didn’t bother to respond, or maybe I responded very briefly. After that I thought, what a terrible world I live in, I don’t even believe real people will contact me anymore. Regardless of whether it was a robot, or the real you, yesterday, just before I fell asleep, I decided that I would write to you.
The first time I heard about you was some years ago, and I believe it was a Tim Ferris podcast, and I liked the way you approached life, kind of go-with-the-flow attitude, and not the least your approach to your education at Berklee Music College, showing that there are many ways to obtain knowledge, not necessarily the most expensive. Very inspiring.
One of my “projects” is to spend much more time off-line - disconnected from the noise of the world. I am moving in that direction, but sometimes I doubt if the world will keep existing without me keeping an eye on it :-)

So that is it from me for now, I wish you a great time, wherever you live.

Best regards
Jes
Thanks! Yeah it’s weird many people don’t reply to my real handwritten emails because they think it wasn’t me. — Derek

Hey Derek,
So many AI models have come out in music. They are especially well in making these awesome instrumental, Gemini Lyria, Suno, Ace Step are ultra perfect. The vocals are also catching up in such a rapid pace. Do you think human songwriters and singers are good enough than AI? I think there is little to no difference in the songs generated by these models and humans.
When digital instruments took over the real instruments it was inviting for the people who did not have any instruments or for the ones who did not know how to play them. But with these AI tools literally anyone can make these powerful songs. The only difference left is that of the quality, it is easy to tell the one if it's AI. But, the tech will eventually catch up on this. Now, the main thing left is that of the Artist's story. Songs can be generated by anyone, but the only difference is that to the Artist's story.

What different can be done to pop up in this overcrowded industry? Or is it dependent on connections only now? There has been a slowdown in new artists. The current mainstream artists have been around for so long already but they still remain so relevant in the industry.

You are living the life that everyone wants and needs. Good for you and keep updating.
Regards

I can't wait to be able to do this. Disconnect and connect with nature, I have two to three more years to make this a norm in my life.

Would you acknowledge that building your career leveraged the aspect of you being online? And now that you have a large following, you can afford to be offline for 23 hours?

How would you advise someone building a new career and simply just starting out? Because in this day and age, we are who Google says we are aren't we? First thing people lookup is your online content to determine how to rank you in the spectrum of society..

This is me just sharing thoughts. I do wish I could go offline, however I am also of the impression that I gotta stay online to stay relevant... so I'm trying to navigate the internal conflict hence the questions. Help?
Create, focus, create when offline. Then go online to post. Then disconnect to create again. — Derek

Thanks for the article, Derek!

It reminded me of one of my favorite articles, "How I Got My Attention Back" by Craig Mod - craigmod.com/essays/how_i_got_my_attention_back/

I fully agree that there are many benefits to being offline - not just with respect to productivity, though. When I find myself offline for extended periods of time, these are usually not situations in which I can (or want to) be very productive. Yet, I generally experience greater overall contentment and often don't feel like I am missing something. There are definitely many advantages to being offline more often.

Are you alone there, or with someone?
My son lives with me. — Derek

Everything we do is so interwhined with internet..
A few years back I was able to go a full month without using it, now that feels incredibly difficult.
Thanks for reminding what matters :)

I admire your discipline, Derek. I haven't completely disconnected, but I'm doing it gradually. I live at the beach now, which makes it a bit easier. I'm down to 1.5 hours daily (90 minutes) connected. But I have bills to pay and health care to worry about, along with a lifelong habit of following the news as a former news reporter and crisis communications executive in Washington. Any tips for me?

Cheers,

Gene

This reminds me of an article I read some time ago: craigmod.com/essays/how_i_got_my_attention_back/

We really are in the Age of Distraction. Too many things looking for our attention. Just as the guy in the article, and now you, we should look for more ways to be guiding what we spend our time or pay attention to.

I try to be mindful from time to time but sometimes it is not possible 😆

Hi Derek,

Do you ever listen to music while you are trying to focus on deep thinking? Do you have any other tricks to get you into deep thinking?
Never. I understand music, so having music on is like having someone speaking to me. — Derek

This is really cool. I feel like as a startup founder, this would be insanely difficult, but I'd love to do this for blocks of time. I think this is sort of what vacations like for me but honestly not even, I'd like to implement this.

Hi Derek 👋😃
So great to hear from you!!
I understand and feel with you!!
Looking forward to some exciting things ahead!!
Have a beautiful day Derek!!
Rachel 😃👋🎶

Big step. This level of digital solitude is on my bucket list. It’s interesting and a little scary to think about what I’d think about.

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.”

We congratulate you for your decision, way of life and courage, and envy you, but the majority of us will not have the guts to change our life. Well, I always say that I do not have the guts YET.
Thanks for inspiring us!

Good timing on this! I'm going to be teaching a class for emerging adults on how to be politically informed in two weeks for my library and one question I was going to offer was "How often do you need to read the news to be informed?" Once a month? Once a week? Once a day? More? So often the answer comes from impulses without us. Your quote personifying media is an apt image to guide the audience to look within for what they truly need. Thank you!
See ourworldindata.org/does-the-news-reflect-what-we-die-from + www.betonit.ai/p/this-is-your-brain-on-news — Derek

Hey Derek, three days ago I deleted all my social media apps (except WhatsApp) from my phone and my laptop, and now I feel so free. My productivity has tripled, and my brain fog has decreased tremendously.

My goal is to launch an online business in six months. So, until I achieve that milestone, I'll be "fasting" from social media.

I liken that to benevolently pulling the rug from under one's own feet. Every so often it becomes a both necessary and healthy thing to do. As you illustrated firsthand, by eliminating the "noise" it enabled you to begin solely listening to your own thoughts and, in doing so, trusting your intuitive leanings and problem-solving mind. I think it's something that Alan Watts, P.D. Ouspensky, and G.I. Gurdjieff would totally applaud. I certainly do!

Great advice, what platform do you code on?
None. Offline. Vim in the terminal. — Derek

Ah. I love this. Just recently I realised that 'searching' had become one of my distraction drugs of choice, and I've been wrestling with that. It was comforting and helpful to read your thoughts.

I do something similar, Derek. I take my laptop to the coffee shop, where I'm able to focus and get the gruntwork done, which keeps my living space free of those particular anxieties.

Compartmentalizing one's life seems essential now, as so much screams for our attention via our devices. What used to be a simple telephone now sends me alerts about war. There's something wrong with that. I salute your internet-free 23 hours a day.
>> What used to be a simple telephone now sends me alerts about war. << I love this line. Thank you. — Derek

To me, it was a great moment of awakening to find out that my "outside noise" was music. As a musician myself, I created, played, performed, and taught, and I'm still teaching, have been teaching, music for a long time. When I found out that there are pockets of time in my day when I don't listen to music or disassociate myself from music, I find my thinking is very clear and my productivity boosts triple. Maybe it's time to shift my focus to find a different purpose of music in my life.

I'm so tired of the internet taking control of my time and my attention.
It's up to me to allow myself to disconnect, relax, and play, hopefully be bored or unstimulated enough to listen to my creative ideas inside. And to use the internet as the powerful tool of access that it is, rather than spend every day of my life being used by distraction and advertisers. I take some small comfort in knowing that there is a group of people on this page who get this. What this looks like tonight for me is listening to Stevie Nicks and editing my photographs. :)

Hope you have a creative and productive night, Derek and all!

That’s just great
We all need to limit media as best we can
It can easily become toxic

A lovely idea. Did you play any music during those 23 hours? I ask this because I believe music is a basic need for all of us.
Often, yes. I have my music collection offline too. — Derek

Hi Sivers,
Thank you sharing this unique experience with me. I do believe in it b/c when i was kid, My grandparents were live in a hill valley. the case would be quite similar with yours. i want to express that i feel the silence vibe when i was there. i really miss those times and experience. unfortunatly, it cannot be realized due to some objective reasons. i'm jealous of you.

This hit me at the perfect time. We are doing some work on some property out in the country and I’ve been thinking of internet andTV as essential items like power and water. I’m going to reconsider

Currently doing an “input tabula rasa”. I do every few years, every day I feel I
m “myself” more.

Brilliant! Congrats on being able to articulate such powerful ideas!

This is brilliant. A bit extreme perhaps, but I totally understand. It is so hard to have our OWN time. Meditation helps, but deep work is incredibly important.

I'm with you and happy for you, Derek. Compared to everyone around me, I'm offline more than any friends and acquaintances.

I don't currently have the luxury of moving.

So I've been slowly building a very aggressive system of blocks to the internet that have been profound in freeing my mind from the incessant need to click next.

keep it up.

Interesting, @Derek, come on!

Inspiring, as usual. I reassess everything each morning, so I’ll try one hour in the morning and one in the evening and see how it goes. I already know I’ll read more, work out a bit more, and be much more present. I’m not really into social media, though.

You are missing LOTS of bad news...The Atlantic calls it "the antisocial century". Human life is pennies now..I just hope our kids do not live in a dystopian hell in 20 years as I am about to check out of the life hotel...

There is a global shift happening as we are being brought into a higher vibration. On some levl, this "reality" is a type of projection (science is starting to see this as a high probility). Our souls take on a body and pass through a veil in order to forget we are a part of the Source of all that is, (not in a religious sense), and this allows us to have experiences we would not otherwise be able to have. Imagine if you knew the outcome to everything, it would be no fun and few lessons could be learned. We agree to linear time (which limits our vision and creates a sense of not knowing) and we agree, on this planet, to learn, mostly, from limitation and pain. After thousands of lifetimes of pain and limitation and forgetting as we over and over pass through the veil (robbing us of bringng lessons learned from preious lives), we are ready to leave this survival-based existence and to move on to learning from joy and expansion. This shift to a new earth requires a change on our bodies and minds. One of the main things required is stillness. Which includes a letting go of the ego-based chaos that is happening in the world. This last gasp of the ego to hold onto control is causing conflict as it struggles to hold on. OUr souls can see this and realize that it is just a part of this transition.We are being asked o "go within" and not to engage in the emotional loops that are a part of the chaos. You already have a great advantage as your philosophy of "going with the flow" and not resisting is a valuable skill. Grasping and resisting are the things that will get in the way of a smooth transition. Every psychic and channeler is talking about this shift and they are all saying the same thing. The odds of them doing that all at the same time are zero. The earth was/is a great experiment. Never before was there a collection of souls with different timelines and such a diversity of life all put on one planet. We are being watched to see how this unfolds. There are infinte realities and you have infinite selves. Each one with a different timeline/story. Those timelies can merge and are converging. There is also a timeline for the collective, not just the individual. And he collective timelime is influenced by the individuals. RIght now there are 3 main possible timelines for the collective. Our timelines are being woven into one of those collective timelines. The contrast is between "Service to Self" and "Service to Others" or Ego-based versus Soul-based. Younger souls who may need more lessons in limitation and pain worlds may stay there while others will go with the higher vibration and move to an earth based on joy and expansion. (I don't think families will be split as we have infinite selves so no one is "left behind" but everyone will be where they are supposed to be). The new earth will have new economies/politics/work/community etc. 2026 will be a big year of transition. You are perectly placed in New Zealand, an ideal place to ride out the shift.Watch with no attachment as old sytems collapse as the vibration of he planet will no longer support control-based systems. Our souls agreed to be here at this time and we each have a role to play. Many do not think there are realities beyond the physical world, but science is seeing that other dimensions are required to make the math work. In fact, new math from the 7th dimension is being downloaded by Robert Edward Grant as we speak. It will revolutionize physics. One interesting thing he was given is that goemetry is the highest form of mathmatics and that the entire universe can be built using just the mathmatics of the rules for a right triangle. Sacred geometry is truly sacred as it build worlds. This new math will be proven out and adopted and will lead to incredible new tech. Hold on, it is going to be wild ride. If you want to get more info I would recemmend Bashar (Channel) or "Wisdom from North" as podcasts which discuss the metaphysics of our reality and the details of the shift. There is so much more to creation than any little human brain could eer imagine, but our souls know, deep down we know. All we are really doing is remembering. So much exists outside of linear time and and physical reality. Love your diconnecting and I feel it is your soul remembering what is truly valuable, especially at this critical time.Keep going within, that is where all the answers are.

Bonjour Derek,

"Bien vu", as we say in French!

I completely understand you, especially since I've been without a television for years and I do my best to disconnect from the internet and my phone as much as possible --and I'm pretty good at it too!

…and to confirm that we're right, a friend just forwarded this message to me : t.me/cruel_historyy/9956 (I wouldn't be surprised if it's quite accurate --although it's frightening!)

On the other hand, thinking back to your other post: social media is a real "chronophage", isn't it? I've mostly disconnected from it…

It's always a pleasure to read your posts, thanks for sharing your insightful thoughts!

Keep enjoying beautiful New Zealand, how lucky! ...I miss it so much!

MP

Derek

I'm sorry I've lost touch. I'm still very grateful for the spotlight you helped shine on my little book!

Hope you are well.

Love the focus that being unplugged gives you.

Best

Ian

I have a similar situation with a space I share with my family. It's near a national park, no neighbor for 20 acres in any direction (or more). I go there to unplug and just be. It's awesome.

Now after about a year of work on a new server, I'm almost back to an automated system that will only need to check in on from time to time.

Hello Derek,
Thank you for your inspiring post!
While I was reading it, I was wondering: do you live in your new off-grid home by yourself, or with your family? I am not sure if I would be able to cope with this lifestyle living on my own. Somehow the internet, unfortunately, provides single people with a (rather false) feeling of connection.
Anyways, I hope you will stick with this lifestyle for as long as possible :)

Petr
With my son — Derek

"I have no idea what’s going on out there, so I develop what’s going on in here."

Love, love, love this, and feel inspired to start my day offline, too. I'll report back!

I read something the other day about leaning into those quiet moments, essentially dealing with boredom and not filling those quiet times with noise.
I'm sure I have pretty bad ADHD, and filling those quiet moments with a dopamine hit is quite difficult at times, but as I am getting older (now 45), I would like to live without all the noise and attention grabbers that the internet brings with it. I was in Portugal for a weekend recently, and I was pretty much disconnected the whole time apart from when we were back in the apartment, which was minimal.

Hi Derek,

After reading your post, it brings me back to my own work as a coach. I work with people and help them achieve their goals, their vision, but even more important, I get them to focus on what they want to become. I wonder, from the way you've approached this, what do you want to become? The wise man in the woods?
No. I want to be a wise man in the world. But it’s helpful to know how to inhabit the edges. — Derek

I remember those times. And a small smile spreads across my face at the thought.

I recently did 30-days with no socials or news and it felt great! No impending doom messages flooding my ears and ears. I now feel less impulsed to connect and click the button.

Maybe going backwards is the way forwards.

I love this:
"What answer am I hoping to hear?"
It reminds me of when we wouldn't decide on, or impose, a preference (it's not a thing to argue about) like witch movie to watch.

We'd flip a coin and be disappointed or delighted. If we both had the same reaction we knew we were "just being polite".

That's not an actual bad thing. But can be bad if taken to excess. I've found, as you have, that answering that question "What answer am I hoping to hear?" Or "What do I actually want?" is a better starting point.

fwiw, I'll watch anything with someone I want to share an experience with.

Peace,
David

PS My phone, which is also my internet, and with chromecast, my streaming, stopped charging. I didn't replace it for a month. Time changed. For the better.

That's great! I'm so glad! I was partially 'unplugged' if you will lately - our electricity was off and I truly enjoyed it. I enjoyed collecting the energy for the electrical boxes from the sun - and what a treat! energy in a box and no charge! Lol - Limited internet and electronics though and things really got focused it was very good for me - I'm so happy for you you deserve it - Enjoy! :) Much Love - Annor

Love it; the days when "the internet was a PLACE" were a different era in a powerful way.

And there's also just something about getting outside your own space, to clear the mind for what you're trying to work on. My family has long practiced a tradition of packing up our laptops+headphones, toys/books for the kids, and plopping ourselves in a space away from home (e.g. library or coworking-like space) to do various focused work. Even with wifi, some of my best heavy reflective or creative work happened in that environment.

Really vibed with this isolation tactic. All of the media these days are just-so-depressing. Sometimes I feel to lessen the anxiety it's better to just be ignorant of it. Sometimes it's better not to know, you know?

Thanks for the insightful notes. I really enjoyed the podcast you did with Tim F a while back. I will slowly go through your 250 interviews and cherry pick the words of wisdom. Keep on rockin my friend.

Derek, I so admire your courage to live on your terms. It makes me look inward to turn on the search light and explore my hidden self. Thank you...

sounds peaceful - i believe you live on the other side of the globe of your family.

have you just accepted that it's going to be just you and your son and that you'll see your family once a year or every other year?

there are two wolves in me that want to run a business/change the world and another that just wants to have kids/hang out with my family lol
My boy is my only close family and we spend a ton of time together. I don't feel on the “other side of the globe” from anything. — Derek

Intriguing circumstance, may I ask which country you are. Reasons being of security. I tried what you're now doing in Africa 10yrs ago but am back to the UK again. I must say I enjoyed it at the inception till I noticed some odd fellows. I will try it once more, am now in my 60s. Goodluck with your lifestyle I love it. I wonder if i can do this isolation i publish an online news site. Greetings to your boy. Does my name ring any bell to you?

A singer (The boss) complained "54 channels and nothing's on." Yes, like Manual (at 45ish) noting that much input means diminished intensity to everything.

My sister had no kitchen radio. She only had music during her drive to her town post office box. She was just fine. I guess because of the radio scarcity she enjoyed it.

A computer expert I know will drive three hours to the next city without ever turning on his car radio. A commenter asked about FOMO. I lower my FOMO when I play albums on road trips (but not in my city drives) so I can feel, "Hey, now I'm a music lover too, I'm so grateful" and then in time the joy diminishes. At least I don't play albums while commuting in town, as then the joy would diminish even faster.

I don't have computer FOMO, strangely enough. I manage my tendency to fritter on the computer by having places to go, and scheduled things to do. When I fritter I ask, "What am I avoiding?"
And yes, I fritter "too much" but the web is only "too much" if it keeps me away from doing anything meaningful. The web hype has no meaning for me, so I hardly notice it, except to feel contempt.

Derek, I like your reply to Zach (146ish) where you don't do music when you think. In my case, as I can't multitask with music, although I have a radio at home (which is mostly off) I mostly play ambient music: no words, no distracting strong beat, and no bars or measures that I notice. I feel grateful, as it plays, for a world with such cool music.

I have no computer usage schedule as I expect the pendulum to swing between too much and valuable scarcity. But not a very wide swing.
That's as much as I can usefully share at this time.

A singer (The boss) complained "54 channels and nothing's on." Yes, like Manual (at 45ish) noting that much input means diminished intensity to everything.

My sister had no kitchen radio. She only had music during her drive to her town post office box. She was just fine. I guess because of the radio scarcity she enjoyed it.

A computer expert I know will drive three hours to the next city without ever turning on his car radio. A commenter asked about FOMO. I lower my FOMO when I play albums on road trips (but not in my city drives) so I can feel, "Hey, now I'm a music lover too, I'm so grateful" and then in time the joy diminishes. At least I don't play albums while commuting in town, as then the joy would diminish even faster.

I don't have computer FOMO, strangely enough. I manage my tendency to fritter on the computer by having places to go, and scheduled things to do. When I fritter I ask, "What am I avoiding?"
And yes, I fritter "too much" but the web is only "too much" if it keeps me away from doing anything meaningful. The web hype has no meaning for me, so I hardly notice it, except to feel contempt.

Derek, I like your reply to Zach (146ish) where you don't do music when you think. In my case, as I can't multitask with music, although I have a radio at home (which is mostly off) I mostly play ambient music: no words, no distracting strong beat, and no bars or measures that I notice. I feel grateful, as it plays, for a world with such cool music.

I have no computer usage schedule as I expect my web pendulum to swing between too much and valuable scarcity. But not a very wide swing.
That's as much as I can usefully share at this time.

What's interesting is that all approaches have their pluses and minuses even when we can't see the other side. Keeping everything thin, not over committing to use time resources for others is great for giving yourself the open space and resources. And yet, what is being missed by that exposure is hard to fully comprehend at times. Until you put sufficient time into understanding the deeper thinking others possess on various subjects, you usually don't understand the perspective enough to gain the full benefit.

So really, whichever choice you make, its a good choice.

The theme of your most profoundly written book.

Beautiful. I love this.

My brain shifted reading this. I crave freedom from WiFi and its Pandora's box of influence.

I really like this perspective! Thanks for sharing Derek!