See you in September

This is my August monthly newsletter, and just happens to be the 700th Biznology blog post since it’s inception. But it’s also going to be my only blog post of August. I am taking a month off for the first time in my life. It’s possible that I will post something from one of my contributors during the month, but I am taking a month off from writing (and work). I like to think of it as Biznology going European–taking the kind of vacation we Americans are not supposed to.

I am allegedly a social media expert, so I know that going dark for a month violates every rule of blogging. You’re supposed to post regularly. Once a week, or once a day, or even multiple times a day. We’ve got thousands of Biznology subscribers who might just fall out of the habit.

But I think something more important is at stake. The problem with the “always on” Internet is that we think we need to be always on. And, I admit that I will be peeking at e-mail while I am on vacation, at least a few times. But I want to be off everything else. No blogging. No Twitter. Nothing.

Image by Kenzoka [wish I had more time now…] via Flickr

I want to see if I can really disappear for four weeks. I’m sure that I’ll lose some opportunities. I’m sure that a few things will stall that could have taken off. I’m sure some things will happen in the industry that I’ll miss out on. I’ll fall behind the curve, at least for a little while.

But the chance to hang out with my wife and my four kids for four solid weeks is more important. And I hope that our industry hasn’t gotten to the point where we can’t do something like this. Because my kids will soon be at the point where I can’t do something like this.

When some people see that I post to my blog every workday, they often say, “Wow you’re disciplined.” And I guess I am, but what I am trying to do this month might take even more discipline. I wonder if something is wrong when it takes more discipline to stop working than to work.

I’m concerned that we’re working ourselves to distraction. That we’ve convinced ourselves that we have to be tied to our Blackberries and Tweetdecks and instant messengers. That if we turn them off, even for a little while, that we will miss out. And, we’re right. We will miss out. Every time we go off the grid we miss what’s on the grid. I guess I just want to stop missing what is off the grid for a little while. Just a month.

And I am not so brave as to be totally off the grid. I will look at my e-mail and I will respond to things that just cannot wait. And I will resign myself to spending the first couple of days of September digging myself out. But I want to believe that we can succeed even if we pass on some opportunities, even if we aren’t on all the time.

So, I am hoping that this works. If it does, I might do it next August, too. Wish me luck. (But if you wish me luck on Twitter, don’t be surprised if I take a while to answer–like a month.)

I do want to thank all of you for spending time with the Biznology blog each day or with the newsletter each month. As I contemplate how I will spend my time for the next month, it makes me even more mindful of the wonderful gift you give me of your time throughout the rest of the year.