Last week, I wrote about how not selling my time has changed my perspective on my priorities. Another thing I've been thinking about a lot is how noisy my life is. And I've been working hard to quiet my life down.
Years ago, I read Digital Minimalism. One question that the author, Cal Newport, asks is: How much time do you spend without someone else's voice talking in your ear? This question stopped me in my tracks because my life is *noisy.* A lot of that noise is borne out of a desire for efficiency - listening to a book while folding laundry, taking a call while on a walk, talking to a friend on the phone while driving. Those aren't bad activities, but they left me with very little time when I was listening to my voice and my voice only.
So I've been trying to embrace a little more quiet in my life; a little more time with nobody's voice in my ear. This could be driving without taking a call, exercising without watching TV, or walking without listening to a podcast or book. For me, it often looks like leaving my phone at home when I take the dogs for a walk or starting skiing or bike riding without listening to music (and adding music when and if I feel like I've had the quiet time I need).
My question is, how much time do you spend without someone else's voice in your ear? And if you're unhappy with the answer, how could you spend a few moments each day with just your voice?
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