I am opting for a new life off grid in a 14 ft yurt. For the most part, any land that allows a yurt is probably off grid anyway. Potable water is my priority over electricity. I will have some small solar unit to charge up a few lights and laptop batteries. But I think my new life will be quite essential. I will probably have to go to a town to get my email. No cellphone last 3 years.,do have a message line I can check by email. My screaming tinnitus and my serious heart palps are prompting this, after 30 years in a city. You can't adequately explain the concept of a killgrid to someone holding a cellphone. Good luck to all of us. Thanks for making me feel much less alone.
I am so excited to join with you on this fast! I was already undertaking a digital fast with friends for 40 days starting March 1st. Perhaps I’ll extend mine. Really looking forward to it as a time of reflection and restoration in the rich and meaningful experiences of “real life.”
Yes! I’ve been waiting for this post for guidance on getting started. Have fallen into too many digital habits this year that need trimming. I’m a practicing Jew, so instead of Lent, for me, this will be an extended removal of hametz in preparation for Passover (happy to explain what this means if anyone is curious). Looking forward to engaging in this practice in community and hoping to bring along a few family members.
Happy to have you join Andrea! Adjusting the time to coincide with preparations for Passover seems a perfect fit for you. I am looking forward to a time of "trimming" myself :)
Thank you for all your practical guidance and encouragement which means I feel excited to join in an curious to see how it goes rather than daunted. Our church is in the process of finding a new Rector during this period so it feels like good timing.
Similar to another reply, in preperation I've been paring down my smartphone usage over the past couple of weeks and ran the idea past my boyfriend. Interestingly he thinks switching to a dumbphone will make it easier to reach me as I've a boom and bust relationship with my phone and often leave it inaudible in another room when it gets overwhelming. Which can help at times but isn't the most useful when he really needs to get hold of me!
I've also messaged a couple of friends in advance of the fast to set up dates to meet.
Wonderful to have you join along Anna! It sounds like you are well prepared and I am happy to hear that you have found the practical suggestions useful. Great to hear that you have already made some plans to meet with friends. Thanks also for your generous support - I hope you'll be able to join our live meetings as well :)
This is a great resource - thanks for putting it together. I'm printing off the PDF - and I believe I still have the self-assessment already printed from last year. :)
Oh, and I'm glad you were able to watch that AEI event. I appreciate the work of everyone who was involved (and all the organizations they're associated with, including The New Atlantis as a publication) so I'll have to go back and watch what I can!
Happy to organize the resources into a "package":)
I watched the first hour of the AEI event and resonated with many of the points raised during the discussion, but also hold quite a different opinion with regard to how to approach the challenges. While policy discussions can help to engergize, they may also inadvertently render us a bit more complacent. If we create policies in reaction to technological changes, we will never be able to keep up; changes that start at a fundamental level within families will offer more lasting resilience. But, yes, definitely worth watching.
That makes a lot of sense. Policy seems to be most of the contributors' wheelhouses, so it makes sense they would take that angle. But you're right that it is incomplete in and of itself, and will always lag behind, causing us to feel like we lack agency, etc.
i've been looking forward to this for ages!! lent is my favorite season of the year. it really is the perfect time to retrain one's brain away from flitting from task to task/thought to thought and instead going deeper, deeper--into the self and into community with others.
i've been prepping for the digital fast these last few weeks by doing more of my daily tasks analog, so it isn't such a big shock to the system on day one. i always used to go cold turkey with my fasts, and it never ended well! i've definitely learned from my past mistakes :-)
Wonderful to have you join along Dana! Yes, Lent is truly a very fitting time to focus on "retrain one's brain". Great also to hear that you are well prepared :)
Oh, absolutely cannot wait for this to begin on Monday, a group help in returning to some things I used to do but mourn not doing now because of the draw of the Machine. Thank you!!!
I think I’ll try to do this this year. I certainly have enough books and projects to keep me busy off my phone; the trouble is the phone is so easy to pick up. I’ve noticed the online hours creeping up though (um due in no small part to Substack) and I’m sort of concerned. I like that you have all the plans and tools in here, so I will aim to invest some quality online time to go through them.
I’ve tried actual food fasts from time to time (just on my own) and I can’t stick to it: I’m finicky enough with food and adding more rules is just frustrating. I think I might do better with a behavioural based “fast.”
Absolutely will be doing this. One question, though: I was previous subscribed here and to Peco's substack and found a lot of shared consequence. As a consequence, I chose one - Peco's - by random to continue subscribing to. Will subscribers to his substack get access to the livestreams? Thanks!
Wonderful to have you join along! Yes, paying subscribers to either this substack or Pilgrims will get access to the live meetings. You'll be receiving an RSVP soon. Thank you so much for your generous support!
Think of it as a table richly laden with all sorts of dishes - feel free to taste from whatever you like. Some readers decide just to focus on one particular area that they would like to change and use this time to commit to that change. Happy to have you give it some thought Melba :)
I am opting for a new life off grid in a 14 ft yurt. For the most part, any land that allows a yurt is probably off grid anyway. Potable water is my priority over electricity. I will have some small solar unit to charge up a few lights and laptop batteries. But I think my new life will be quite essential. I will probably have to go to a town to get my email. No cellphone last 3 years.,do have a message line I can check by email. My screaming tinnitus and my serious heart palps are prompting this, after 30 years in a city. You can't adequately explain the concept of a killgrid to someone holding a cellphone. Good luck to all of us. Thanks for making me feel much less alone.
Wow, that is quite the "remove"! All the best starting a whole new life off grid Jacquelyn :)
I am so excited to join with you on this fast! I was already undertaking a digital fast with friends for 40 days starting March 1st. Perhaps I’ll extend mine. Really looking forward to it as a time of reflection and restoration in the rich and meaningful experiences of “real life.”
Wonderful! Happy to have you along Amber :)
Yes! I’ve been waiting for this post for guidance on getting started. Have fallen into too many digital habits this year that need trimming. I’m a practicing Jew, so instead of Lent, for me, this will be an extended removal of hametz in preparation for Passover (happy to explain what this means if anyone is curious). Looking forward to engaging in this practice in community and hoping to bring along a few family members.
Happy to have you join Andrea! Adjusting the time to coincide with preparations for Passover seems a perfect fit for you. I am looking forward to a time of "trimming" myself :)
I love this season and I am looking forward to it -- my second official Lent.
Wonderful to have you along Valerie!
Thank you for all your practical guidance and encouragement which means I feel excited to join in an curious to see how it goes rather than daunted. Our church is in the process of finding a new Rector during this period so it feels like good timing.
Similar to another reply, in preperation I've been paring down my smartphone usage over the past couple of weeks and ran the idea past my boyfriend. Interestingly he thinks switching to a dumbphone will make it easier to reach me as I've a boom and bust relationship with my phone and often leave it inaudible in another room when it gets overwhelming. Which can help at times but isn't the most useful when he really needs to get hold of me!
I've also messaged a couple of friends in advance of the fast to set up dates to meet.
Wonderful to have you join along Anna! It sounds like you are well prepared and I am happy to hear that you have found the practical suggestions useful. Great to hear that you have already made some plans to meet with friends. Thanks also for your generous support - I hope you'll be able to join our live meetings as well :)
Count me in! I have found doing this so helpful and it is always needed! Onwards and upwards!
Wonderful to have you participate in the fast again this year Amy :)
This is a great resource - thanks for putting it together. I'm printing off the PDF - and I believe I still have the self-assessment already printed from last year. :)
Oh, and I'm glad you were able to watch that AEI event. I appreciate the work of everyone who was involved (and all the organizations they're associated with, including The New Atlantis as a publication) so I'll have to go back and watch what I can!
Happy to organize the resources into a "package":)
I watched the first hour of the AEI event and resonated with many of the points raised during the discussion, but also hold quite a different opinion with regard to how to approach the challenges. While policy discussions can help to engergize, they may also inadvertently render us a bit more complacent. If we create policies in reaction to technological changes, we will never be able to keep up; changes that start at a fundamental level within families will offer more lasting resilience. But, yes, definitely worth watching.
That makes a lot of sense. Policy seems to be most of the contributors' wheelhouses, so it makes sense they would take that angle. But you're right that it is incomplete in and of itself, and will always lag behind, causing us to feel like we lack agency, etc.
i've been looking forward to this for ages!! lent is my favorite season of the year. it really is the perfect time to retrain one's brain away from flitting from task to task/thought to thought and instead going deeper, deeper--into the self and into community with others.
i've been prepping for the digital fast these last few weeks by doing more of my daily tasks analog, so it isn't such a big shock to the system on day one. i always used to go cold turkey with my fasts, and it never ended well! i've definitely learned from my past mistakes :-)
Wonderful to have you join along Dana! Yes, Lent is truly a very fitting time to focus on "retrain one's brain". Great also to hear that you are well prepared :)
And especially love seeing your original notes in fountain pen, as I use mine daily - it adds to the brain experience...
Oh, absolutely cannot wait for this to begin on Monday, a group help in returning to some things I used to do but mourn not doing now because of the draw of the Machine. Thank you!!!
Wonderful to have you join along Helen! I'm looking forward to it too:)
Started making some notes in my journal today about how I will undertake this communal fast. I am excited (and nervous) to start!
So happy to have you join in Deanna! No need to be nervous :)
I think I’ll try to do this this year. I certainly have enough books and projects to keep me busy off my phone; the trouble is the phone is so easy to pick up. I’ve noticed the online hours creeping up though (um due in no small part to Substack) and I’m sort of concerned. I like that you have all the plans and tools in here, so I will aim to invest some quality online time to go through them.
I’ve tried actual food fasts from time to time (just on my own) and I can’t stick to it: I’m finicky enough with food and adding more rules is just frustrating. I think I might do better with a behavioural based “fast.”
Great to have you join in Síochána! Yes, I have noticed the creep as well and am grateful to feel accountability to others during this fast.
Absolutely will be doing this. One question, though: I was previous subscribed here and to Peco's substack and found a lot of shared consequence. As a consequence, I chose one - Peco's - by random to continue subscribing to. Will subscribers to his substack get access to the livestreams? Thanks!
Wonderful to have you join along! Yes, paying subscribers to either this substack or Pilgrims will get access to the live meetings. You'll be receiving an RSVP soon. Thank you so much for your generous support!
I haven't read the post yet but I like the pdf available to print. Just saying 🙂
Happy to provide it - I much prefer reading off paper myself :)
Not sure about this but giving it some serious thought!
Think of it as a table richly laden with all sorts of dishes - feel free to taste from whatever you like. Some readers decide just to focus on one particular area that they would like to change and use this time to commit to that change. Happy to have you give it some thought Melba :)
What a wonderful resource. Thank you so much for all you do! I am excited to join in.
We're happy to offer as much practical guidance as we can :) Wonderful to have you join in Aimee!