Where Does Our Attention Go? (updated)

Blog Writing Experiment: Day One

After speaking with a friend here on the farm [1] I felt inspired to try an experiment on this blog. I haven't posted for over a month now, and there are many reasons for that. Namely, life here on the farm invites me to not be on digital tech often, but I'm also finding interests that require my attention and care, and many of them are off-line or off-screen. I'll unpack my absence from the blog in due time.

What is the experiment?

My experiment is to write on this blog everyday for a week, and to feel into how the experience lands for me. As in, what feedback about the experience will I receive. I'll share more about the experiment as time goes on.

So here is Day One.

July 14, 2022.

It's 7:42am and I'm writing this blog post in a journal first before typing it up as I want to spend less time on screen as possible. I'm also enjoying spending more time reading hardcopy books (rather than kindles) and writing with pen and paper (rather than on Microsoft Word or on a notes app).

I feel the difference in my attention and energy when I've been on my laptop or phone, even after 5 minutes (I feel it now typing this blog post up later in the day. It's 4:27pm, after a warm work day. I feel like having a nap...). Especially if the reason I go on tech is to use it to distract myself or avoid facing difficult choices or truths in my life. I'm realising more and more how I prefer to live my life feeling inspired to make Jun (similar to Kombucha, but just green tea and honey rather than black tea and sugar); or make my own body lotion or to participate in hikes with friends from this farm community or in board game nights, than be binge watching TV show episodes or even editing images for this blog.

Not as a means of saying the latter is necessarily 'bad' or 'wrong', as everyone has their own reasons for choosing how they want to spend their time, but more as a realisation where I want to channel my attention and energy.

Right now, it's here. On the farm growing organic food for the community and for surrounding businesses; tending to meaningful friendships created here; nurturing my relationship with Sasha; exploring making herbal remedies; exploring creativity/entertainment/inspiration/self-expression/connection off-line; sitting in the orchard, under the young trees tending to my needs such as solitude, tenderness and quiet.

For me this is life. And I'm grateful and challenged every single day.

An invitation for self-reflection:

Where does your attention and energy go? Is it truly the way you want to live your life?

I invite you to reflect on this question.

Journal. Meditate. Take it for a walk. Talk with other people about it.

Or just let it be in the back of your mind as you go about your day to day.

Feel and listen to the answers.

Jx

Update: Aug 18, 2022

The experiment worked for three days. Incidentally, the wifi stopped working on Day 2 and Day 3 of the experiment so I couldn't post them on the days I wrote them. I still have the posts written for those days, and may still share them at some point, but for now:

I began this experiment exploring the idea of perhaps blogging daily for a year.

I'm still pondering on this idea as I do want to improve my blog writing skills - and what better way to do that than to write blog posts?

I'm currently in the process of putting my energy and time into a business idea (maybe I'll share about it soon ;p), so right not this wont be realistic practice. Although my friend (mentioned above) suggested posting posts even if they're short, and if I set an intention to write short, and yet still relevant posts, it may work. Food for thought for sure! We'll see what the future has in store :D

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[1] For those who don't know what I mean by "the farm": I'm currently living on an organic farm here in British Columbia (Canada) in a work exchange set up: Chuckleberry Farm.

At this stage, I will be calling this place 'the farm' or 'the community' or even 'home'- all depending on the context.

I've shared about the journey with getting here in this post: Onwards We Go

*Note on names:

I’m not giving exact names of people and locations to respect people’s privacy.

I also practice not publicly sharing where I am presently, for my own personal privacy.

I may edit this post in the future and share names if I’ve been given permission to do so (if you see names and links to other people’s websites or information it means I’ve been given permission by that person). I may also share more exact locations when I’ve moved on from a place.