Free content / Priceless attention
I was reading a post recently about decluttering (which you know I am a big fan of) in its variations. Physical, mental, digital…
And there was an aspect of digital decluttering that struck a chord with me.
If you’re like me, you get some number of daily or weekly digital deliveries in the form of substack posts, newsletters, promotional emails…and your inbox fills up fast. Just when you achieve that elusive Inbox Zero…DING! A new delivery!
I was recently reading one of these deliveries and about halfway through was a plug: Be a subscriber (aka pay!) and get additional content, wheee!
I thought for a moment and said to myself, “Mmmm no, I don’t think I want to pay for this content.” And then I kept reading.
Wait.
If I don’t find this valuable enough to pay for…why am I giving away my time and attention FOR FREE to consume this?
In a life and times when everyone is vying for a snippet of my time and attention – and hoping it’ll lead to a snippet of my wallet – why would I give up that effort and energy and attention on something I’m not interested in enough to pay an (albeit small) amount for?
(Yes, I can already hear the loud “Unsubscribe” clicks to my blog email right this very second!)
((And also - good for you! If you’re not getting enough value or entertainment for your attention, run!))
It has created a new level of awareness for me…what are all the ways I’m giving away my attention and focus and care and energy to any little thing that lands in my inbox (or voicemail or text message)?
What do I want to do with that instead?
What do YOU want to save your attention and focus and care and energy for?
