Reading and the iPad

Last Thursday, I left my iPad at work. I've been tablet-free for 4 days and counting now. Once I got over the shakes of the first couple days, it hasn't been that bad.

My wife has been laughing at me as I started every third sentence over the weekend with "So I've been thinking..." It turns out I think more without constant instant access to email, Netflix, Kingdom Rush, Facebook, etc. I kind of like it.

I also find myself reading more. Reading more books, that is. In the first 5 months of 2011, prior to receiving the iPad in a raffle, I read 20 books. In the last 7 months, I read 23, of which 12 were audio books in the car. The first 3 months of 2012 have seen 7 books completed, 5 in audio form. The acquisition of an amazing content delivery device (including ebooks!) destroyed my reading habit.

Seth Godin wrote about the same thing today. If I wasn't already in the midst of an iPad fast, his post might have convinced me to start. As usual, he's brief and to the point. If you read or write, follow the link.

Reading is important to me. My iPad is fun. I let the distraction of fun get in the way of my priorities. Shame on me. What do you need to take a break from?

Bottled Energy

A manager at the grocery store this afternoon suggested that if I could bottle my kids' energy, I could put Red Bull out of business. Despite my chemistry degree, I'm not quite sure how to create something to compete directly with Thunder Muscle. But if you're interested in acquiring the energy of a 4-year-old, here are my suggestions.

1. Eat well. I am far more disciplined in my kids' diets than I am in mine. Fruits, veggies, gluten-free, organic, it's all good.
2. Eat less. My kids aren't picky, but they do stop eating when they're full. Good advice for anyone.
3. Sleep lots. My kids get 10 - 12 hours of sleep a day. Give it a try.
4. Remove stress. If you don't have to worry about bills or promotions or the meaning of life, there's plenty of energy left over to hop down the grocery aisle on one foot. And back.
5. Do what you love. There are plenty of blog posts and books out there about how doing what you love brings energy. Whether that's playing the violin, being a doctor, or belting Backyardigans songs loud enough to drown out the meat department's daily specials, go for it.

I can't give you a bottle, but follow the ways of the masters, and you, too, may be able to exhaust everyone else in your home.