By the numbers
10 books read cover to cover
471,401 total steps walked
333 unique visitors to the 40 days pages
<500 minutes left in Game of Thrones
Let me start off by saying THANK YOU. For reading these posts, calling/texting/talking to me about this project, your thoughtful questions, and spending your valuable time reflecting on this with me—thank you. I’m forever grateful for each and every one of you.
Overview
The genesis for this project was my research in digital anthropology. It is as vague a subject matter as it sounds. The definition I’ll use here is this: “The key to digital anthropology is the study of how things become rapidly mundane.” Much of the work done in the field focuses on the speed of this normative process and the conditions that surround it, and how this process & conditions are affected by rapid technological advancement. What has been found is that the two have a direct relationship and tend to move in lock step with one another.
I’ll attempt to ground this in two examples. First, texting was originally conceived as a menial add-on technology. The primary focus was on the telephone, with texting taking a back seat. Now, it’s the most prevalent form of communication for those under 50 in the U.S. Second is why a telephone ringing requires more immediate attention than an unread Facebook message. One simply feels more immediate than the other. Why? That’s where digital anthropology comes in.
I find it both important and fascinating to reflect on why things are normal. Whether it’s a facet of culture, a technology, or just about anything, it is beneficial to step back and assess why things are the way they are. Why do blue jeans go with everything? Why do baseball and hotdogs go together? Why do people incessantly check their phones in awkward situations? These questions are fun to think about because they cast the normal in a novel light.
That’s what I attempted to do with this project. I desired to understand why it’s normal for me to flop on the couch at 9pm and press play on some show while scrolling through my phone. I wanted to examine this norm by doing the exact opposite. Forty days later, here I am.
Self portrait, 2019
Self Reflection
Truthfully it’s been a strange ride. Many a night I have come home and wanted nothing more than to put something, ANYTHING, on the television and just zone out. Weeknights at home with nothing to do proved the worst. What better way to feed that boredom than reruns of Seinfeld? But I was a good boy and did no such thing. Instead I read. I wrote. I played guitar. I listened to podcasts, audiobooks, and albums. If it got to be too much, I would just leave the apartment to walk aimlessly through the neighborhoods. Best of all was making as many plans as possible so I would stay busy throughout the week. Two of the things that rose to top of mind when writing this last entry are below.
Hunter S. Thompson
Read
Cracking open a book is hard work. There exists a monu-mental hurdle that must be overcome to open up and begin reading. This is only exacerbated by the deluge of content options found elsewhere—social media, Reddit, Netflix, etc. When it comes to reading, the medium you choose doesn’t necessarily matter (although I prefer hard copy). To quote the great LeVar Burton from Reading Rainbow:
“Reading a hard copy book, and reading a book on an iPad are slightly different experiences. What they both have in common though is that you must engage your imagination in the process.”
I believe this last bit—engaging your imagination—is much harder to do outside of books. It’s exactly why after a long day I just want to zone out to some show. I don’t want to use my imagination. I want other people to show me theirs.
Previously I’d been able to read when I wanted to, watch a movie when I wanted to. I could separate the two. However, I found my purpose for watching was different than reading. With watching, rarely would I have a degree of intentionality. I’d get up to grab something in the kitchen but leave the film running. Someone would text me and I’d focus my attention there. Reading was purposeful. Even if it was an ‘easy read’, I was engaged. Anytime my focus was averted it was an annoyance.
No longer having a choice in the matter changed reading for me. It remained an active decision to read, but my tastes shifted. I found myself opting for essays and short stories interspersed with the Dark Tower series. The format needed to meet my attention span and capacity to imagine. To me, this was correlated to watching short shows on a week night and binge watching Lord of the Rings on a lazy Sunday.
What I’m getting as is this: watching something will always be easier than reading. It will always compete for your attention, too. Just like browsing Netflix, pick the essay, short story, or book that is right for you. If you don’t like it, find something else. Don’t sit down and force yourself to read Infinite Jest because you’re going to have a bad time. All it takes is to open a book and start reading. Then let your imagination do the rest.
Draft of Infinite Jest
It’s a process
The hardest part for me was realizing that there is never a perfect timeframe to begin one of these challenges. No matter what, you’ll miss out on something. These few moments of FOMO were usually enough to scare me away. Take for example dry January. My birthday is the 4th, there’s usually an office party, and many other friends have birthdays as well. These fleeting events totaling less than twelve hours kept me from attempting it. It is ridiculous to think I put so much credence into being able to booze on those days. The whole purpose of the challenge is to overcome those exact feelings. To tell yourself no when those situations arise.
Thus, with this project, I thought before on what I’d miss out on. I understood that those few moments of FOMO would be fleeting. That any cravings for just a Youtube video or just one episode during dinner were empty rationalizations. Once I got in the groove of doing that, it all became easier. It’s a slow process no matter what. If you remain diligent, however, it becomes habit. It becomes normal.
Endeavor launch
Lasting Changes
There are some changes that are immediate while others will reveal themselves in time. A few have already been apparent to me:
I won’t be moving my furniture back, at least for a bit. I found my apartment orbited around the television beforehand. Whether alone or with company over, I always felt the need to have something on the TV as a result. Now, with the table at the core, it centers around the consumption of conversation. It’s a pleasant change and tends to throw guests off—in a good way, I hope.
As of now, I have no plans to put the TV back out. Do I anticipate this to change? Absolutely. Football season isn’t far away, after all.
I don’t want my normal habits and rituals back that surrounded my phone and laptop. I didn’t find any meaningful solace in their constant presence before, and I didn’t really miss them during. I’ll continue to use them sparingly while at home.
What’s Next?
I’m already gearing up for another shot at something. I enjoyed this, and would like to challenge myself outside of just once a year. These too would span forty days. I’ve got a handful of ideas below but suggestions are welcome. If one of these stands out, let me know:
Yoga: 6 days a week
Vegetarian: No succulent and delicious meats
Writing: At least 500 words a day
Sobriety: Bye beer, hope you find your dad
5am Wakeup: Rise and shine