Sometimes the perfect way to research a topic for a blog post is to conduct an experiment on said topic and then fail so that you can learn from your failure. This is what happened this weekend. A few weeks ago, I wrote about the digital detox and how productive it made me. This weekend I planned on adding a new element to it: the digital detox agenda. The goal of the digital detox agenda was to not only make me productive but to make sure I was productive where I needed to be.

I had a regularly-scheduled digital detox on my calendar for Saturday and Sunday. I knew this would be the perfect time to not only architect the digital detox agenda but also blog about it. I quickly put together an agenda (basically a to-do list). Done.

Here’s where I failed: I didn’t review the rules of the digital detox prior to starting. I didn’t put together a plan of action to stick to the rules and avoid being distracted. Instead I halfheartedly participated in my own digital detox. I didn’t stay off Facebook the entire time and even though a lot of my tasks were supposed to be completed on the computer, I didn’t stay on task. By Sunday night, I barely accomplished 1 item on my list.

Lessons Learned

First of all, the digital detox agenda is just your to-do list for the weekend. When you construct it, you have to take into consideration the amount of available time you have to devote to it.

For example, if you have prior commitments like an 8 hour family gathering on a Saturday, more than likely you’ll really only have Sunday to devote to completing things on your list.

Simply stated: don’t overcommit yourself.

Second, review your digital detox rules and stick to them. Hell, print them out and make them visible at your work space. But always be aware of what the rules of the game are.

Third, check yourself. Always check your progress. Learn from your mistakes. Figure out what works and what doesn’t. We’ll never get better if we don’t fail every once in awhile.