Still on Simplicity

I spent the weekend checking things at home, deciding what I should take back to Brazil, throwing things away, selecting stuff for donation, uncluttering. I also had good laughs with my sons checking their crazy school stories that I keep and cherish as precious moments of their growth.



All this kept me thinking about my digital forward motion. Simplicity, right? So, how about if you and I take this moment of the year when we're wrapping things up to unclutter. How about

• unsubscribing to e-lists we're part, clutter our mail boxes and we waste precious time everyday to delete the messages without even opening them?
• making some participation priorities? What is feasible right now for us in terms of connections, active participation, conversations? Which lists, blogs, communities should we contribute to? Which nodes of our network really add value to us, personally and professionally?
• deciding for online spaces that help us be more productive and efficient? Which spaces are only time consumers and don't really add any value to us?
• dumping old concepts and embracing the new? How about making a detachment exercise?
  

I'll start by unsubscribing to some e-lists and changing notification preferences to some groups. I'll keep tweeting. This is where I feel truly connected, I share and receive so much from the network. The Webheads, this fantastic group of educators keep me going. Always looking forward to stronger bonds with them.

It's also time to rethink my google reader architecture. How can I make the most out of my reader?

As for my detachment exercise, I started a big one. My husband is ripping all our CDs and we'll have a Media Center at home. This means we're giving all the CDs away. It's a big step for me, but time to move forward. It's my biggest challenge now, to overcome this feeling of attachment mainly in a period of moving, in which we need to decide what stays and what we let it got. I guess it's a perfect moment to just let certain things go.

How about you? How could you make your digital life more pleasant, productive and efficient?
Let us remember. Simplicity is key. It lightens our souls, let us connect even more tightly, and make us laugh more often. Which digital practices will you box and let it go? How can you make even wider, open online spaces without sacrificing what matters to you?

It would be great to hear your tricks and ideas.

Moving Physically and Digitally

I'm moving. Physically and digitally.

I'll be back home to Brazil soon. I thought. This is an opportunity for reshaping, resizing things in my life. Here's the plan. I'll make the change not just physically, but also digitally with one single motto. Simplicity.

Though I love my Explorations blog, and could still write stuff there, it takes me a great deal of effort to blog there because of bugs, layout that doesn't follow my commands... I'm never satisfied. I have the great support of the guy behind Bloxi, Gary, and I've been faithful, loyal to him for his invaluable and prompt help. However, at this point, I need to be realistic with myself.

My life will change drastically when I go back to Brazil in terms of schedules, free time to blog and do other stuff that I love. So, simplicity and quality of life are key.

That's why I'm starting this new blog, fresh, blank, simple, from the beginning again. I have no idea where it will take me, but that's what I want now. Simplicity, quality of life, meaningful connections with myself and others. Moving back home and forward, physically, mentally and digitally.

How about you? What do you want for 2009?