Who's with me?

I've been thinking a lot lately about life, and how I spend my time.  I guess that's what happens when you have a LOT of spare time.  You either waste it away, or spend it wisely.  And I've realized that this wonderful thing called the internet consumes a LOT of my time.  Which isn't always a bad thing.  As a photographer, the internet is the sole source of promoting my business.  It is my education source.  It provides quick and easy communication with other photographers, clients, and vendors.  And its a wonderful thing to be able to FaceTime with my family back in Canada and America.

I have no shame in the fact that I use Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, Gmail, and Blogger on a near daily basis.  They provide a means for me to stay up to date with family and friends, give me great recipe ideas (which I have actually started to use!), provide a gateway for business, and spark little fires in my creative side.  I've come to realize that it's not so much the use of these things that is a problem, but the timing of when they are used.  Am I guilty of pulling my phone out to check Instagram when I'm out with a group of people?  Regretfully, yes.  Do I continuously scroll through Pinterest while sitting in the passenger seat as Brandon and I are driving somewhere?  You bet I do.  And most people that I've FaceTimed with will tell you that I'm really not the best at it.

There was a point in time where I thought I was really good at multitasking.  Well, ladies and gentlemen, I am here to tell you that I am not.  In fact I'm quite horrible at it.    And I hate to break it to you, but you probably are too.  Studies have shown that we are actually less productive overall if we try to multitask, and our relationships with others can take the brunt of it if we're not careful.

I loved the talks given in the Sunday Morning session of General Conference this year.  So many of them had reference to being "unplugged" and setting aside a time of day to dedicate to being with the people that we love, rather than being focused on our phones and computers.  And so my goal for this week:

Let's remember what matters most.  Let's cut out the distractions, even just for a few minutes each day.  Let's engage in meaningful conversation with the people around us.  Let's get to know people.  Let's unplug a little bit each day.

Who's with me?