Ahead | Golden Gate Recreation Area, San Francisco, CA, USA | April 2008

The Internet has destroyed my sense of time and place.

I am guided by the presumed ability to be anywhere, to instantly communicate across time and place and access information whenever and wherever; these misplaced expectations have nonetheless become the foundation of my daily life.

It has uprooted my ability to devote patience, reflection and critical thought when faced with the Skinner-like variable ratio positive reinforcement created by the Internet’s flow of information. The promise of the silver bullet lies behind every link.

Finding the long path has become harder and harder over time for me. More ideas, more information, more tasks, more goals to share my “continuous partial attention.” Focus comes only long after the lights turn out do, when I can feel I’m not missing anything.

How can we reset our expectations and focus our attention on the here and the now? Ask yourself:

• “Is this a priority or a goal?”
• “Is this what I want to be remembered for?”

Set your time, energy and passions toward your priorities and focus, energy and life will return.

Sounds simple…

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More on setting a path…