#DigitalDetox Update for March 2022

It's been a while since I've updated everyone about where I'm at with my #DigitalDetox challenge. Well, it shouldn't be surprising that I have checked some of my challenges off the list but am still working on others. And new ones have been added to the list.

So, where exactly am I at?

Let's start by quickly going through the ones that I've ticked off the list.

The Easy Challenges

Some of these were super-doper easy, not requiring much thought.

Like Challenge #23: Read a book. Hello? This is me you're talking to. A writer and editor. Reading is part of the game. I have actually lost count of the number of books that I've read since I've last reported on my progress. Granted, most of them were nonfiction, but still… I read a lot.

And Challenge #25: Turn off all digital devices before bed. Seriously, dudes, this is NOT a challenge—not for me. All of my devices stay in the lounge. I've even stopped taken the Kindle to the bedroom, because my head hits that pillow and I'm out like a light.

And Challenge #26: Do a retro pastime. I was seriously overthinking this one until someone else reminding me that hula-hooping is a retro pastime—and I hula-hoop all the time. The trick as an adult is to get "large" hoops that are decently weighted. My hoops are approximately 1 m in diameter, and they are made from a decently weighted tubing. They were called fitness hoops when I purchased them something like five years ago.

But there were also those challenges that I decided shouldn't have been considered a "challenge" in the first place. For example: Challenge #22: Give a stranger a compliment. Maybe it's just me, but I don't want my interactions with strangers to be tainted with a "ticking a box" concept. I try to be friendly and nice to all. And if I feel a compliment is warranted, then I will give that person I'm talking to a compliment. To me, this is just common courtesy.

And there are the challenges that I've shifted to mean something else. Like Challenge #21: Write a letter to your favorite magazine. I have had to shift my mindsets a little and think about what am I supposed to be learning or getting out of the challenge. And just a casual letter isn't going to do it for me. In fact, it will be a complete waste of my energy. BUT submitting an article or story to one of the magazines that I subscribe to… Now, that is worth doing on multiple levels. So… I better get to writing.

The Under-Way Challenges

There were a few challenges that are going to take me a long time to actually do them. They are things that shouldn't be rushed if I want to do them justice.

Challenge #12: Make a photo album. That definitely shouldn't be rushed, because it also involves talking a walk down memory lane.

Challenge #20: Learn a new language. Sorry, folks, but learning a new language can take years, but I am working on it. I've chosen to learn Greek and have enrolled in an online class. Yes, I am aware that it would be better to learn via in-person means, but covid and my busy schedules have dictated the online approach to start with. But notice I said to start with. This is a journey.

Challenge #24: Learn to play an instrument. I will go back to learning to play guitar, but I have to admit, I'm not in a rush. I don't want to be in a rush. I want to take my dear sweet time.

There are other challenges that are still on the To Do list where external factors seem to just get in the way: covid, weather, physical health. But I will still do them. Just not sure when.

The Current List of Challenges

So, to stop myself from prattling on for no apparent reason, here is the list of #DigitalDetox challenges that I'm working on, separated into ongoing and short-term challenges.

Ongoing Challenges

• Challenge #12: Make a photo album
• Challenge #20: Learn a new language
• Challenge #24: Learn to play an instrument

Short-term Challenges

• Challenge #13: Go for a hike with friends
• Challenge #19: Organize a picnic in the park with friends
• Challenge #21: Write a letter (submit an article) to your favorite magazine
• Challenge #27: Do a finger painting
• Challenge #28: Plant a tree
• Challenge #29: Bake a cake
• Challenge #30: Learn how to do origami (which I actually already know how to do, so…)
• Challenge #31: Go to an event and make two new friends (The challenge here will be to find an event where the social aspect isn't being hindered by covid restriction. Yeah, that will be a challenge.)
• Challenge #32: Join a group activity
• Challenge #33: Have a dinner party with no phones allowed
• Challenge #34: Write a short story (I've put this under short-term, because I don't want to let it drag on. As a writer, I should be able to pump that baby out.)
• Challenge #35: Eat your lunch outside

That's a fair bit to get on with. Which of the challenges are you going to adopt for yourself?