Cox Beach, Tofino. November 2018.
As the remaining minutes of 2018 were trickling down, the stoke on 2019 was ramping up. Be it resolved, that as of January 2nd, 2019, I will no longer have an Instagram or Facebook account. It’s not to say I don’t want to stay connected and it’s definitely not to say I don’t like technology.
Quite the contrary.
Since my last post of writing as a recently retired ski racer, I’ve been enjoying all things Canadian. From wildlife to Wild Life, mountain adventures, real wilderness, family time and trying to peek in on Swiss news to keep me in the loop. I started studying online through Royal Roads University as of September. I’m living in Canmore and working away at a Bachelor of Arts degree in Interdisciplinary Studies (2020), focusing on entrepreneurial management and communication. I am cutting social media out, not because I don’t want to know how you are doing. I love hearing from you! I am cutting it out for 2019, as a personal experiment. I want to delve deeper into my school material, think critically and streamline my attention. ‘Ok’, you say, ‘why not just limit your time on social media and technology?’ I guess I could. But the whole point of this experiment is to see the self discovery I will have without these channels competing for my attention. The blog comes into this as a piece of the story as a creative outlet for writing.
After finishing my ski career, I don’t know where my next chapters are taking me, but feel genuinely interested in pursuing all things curious to me. I love writing and sharing; I’m curious what sharing my writing will change in me. I love all things local; I’m curious about thinking global and acting local. I love adventure; there are a lot of places I’m curious to explore. I’m also curious to see where I will take my life and career when left to my own devices (or without devices…). Will I really have more time and clearer thoughts without a social media news feed? Or, will I simply just find other apps to scroll through when I’m looking to distract my thoughts? Will I end up dying under a rock? Will I feel excluded or cutoff?
This blog is simply a way for me to put my ideas on the cyber web and track my reflections. I’m in a completely new phase of self discovery and intrigue. The most intimidating thing about not ski racing and figuring things out post-sport, is that you don’t have a clear, crisp goal laid out in front of you. In sport, either you achieve it, or you don’t. Either you are on track, or your not. Nowadays, I have no checkpoints or results list. That said, I have no shortage of motivation or inspiration. There are so many amazing things to see in this world, people to meet and thoughts to think! I know I can’t see, do and meet them all. For 2019, I don’t want to experiment with what I add into my life, but rather what I leave out. Disconnecting Instagram and Facebook to see what connections I can build within.
I know 2020 will bring a clearer vision.
Heidi
P.S. This TED Talk raises some valuable points about letting go of social media