Finding Paul Miller : A Year Without the Internet

The Verge technology writer Paul Miller made the brave decision to disconnect from the internet for an entire year in hopes of finding out who he was without it. His goals included reading more, learning more, traveling more, the essentials that we all want to accomplish when time seems to be in abundance and eagerly waiting for our consumption. His idea came about due to the overwhelming desire to realign his priorities as a writer. How can one person focus on a goal when buried under what seems like a constant stream of emails and in Paul’s case, never-ending stories on the latest technology? How do you even begin? How would you begin? In the end, does disconnecting from the world that is constantly connected really allow you to focus on who you are and what you want to become? Or does it just sharpen the outlines of the plot you thought your life would take, but did not? It is a profound thing to think about. Maybe letting go of all the things that bind us and strap us to an inanimate object is the right solution. It certainly is a romantic idea, like taking a cross-country road trip with nothing, but the money in your pocket and an old-school map. But how many people know how to master that notion and are able to apply it to their life once they log back in?