Permission to Go Off the Grid

It was 11pm on a Friday night, past the deadline we set for ourselves at Tin Shingle to push the big "send" button on our free weekly newsletter. That ultimate responsibility fell to me that evening, so when it was 11pm I was resigned to the fact that I was still deep in HTML code for the newsletter, wrestling with a weird technical glitch. I'd had to stop working from 5:30pm-9:30pm to feed, bath, put my daughter to bed, and then wipe down the mess that all of that creates.

I was on the Tin Shingle website grabbing links and images, and I saw a tweet from a member in our featured tweet section called "Tin ShingleS TWEETING" (look to the left of this column! you can see it!). She'd bidden everyone adieu and a "happy holidays", as she was going "off the grid." She's a fellow techie, and is co-founder and visionary behind Meeble Mail, the personalized email stationery. I didn't want to derail my focus with tweeting, so I mentally replied "good for you!" and continued with my work until the newsletter was complete. Which was at 11:45pm. Ouch, too late.

Come Saturday, I was at least "done". On Saturday's, I try to block the time I wake up to twelve noon for creative free-time. Then, errands or other to-do items on my life-list can happen. Sundays I try to reserve for anything family. Small business owners typically start checking back in at around 4pm on a Sunday, and the pre-emailing begins. It's up to you whether or not you elevate your Sunday evening with pre-Monday speed stress.

With all of these patterns and systems running on auto-pilot to keep our businesses moving, "going off the grid" gets harder, yet so much more important. There is a lot to recharge, and to reflect on. Marinating on your newest ideas is key to implementing them in an effective way.

As small business owners, we have big ideas, and great intentions. It is those intentions that drive us forward to stay up late or wake up early, or bring a laptop to a pedicure. But, these intentions need to wait in line for a minute, while we drop off the grid and back into our own intimate world.

Inspired by that member's tweet, I read one text on Saturday morning, sent a response, checked email for emergencies, and turned off the phone. I quit all email and communication programs on my computer, and dropped off the grid. Christmas cards were written, banana bread was made and half-eaten (that's a half a loaf, folks), and I left my daughter well fed and napped with my husband while I got a very overdue pedicure - with extended leg and back massage.

I drove into the parking lot of the mini-mall of the pedicure place and saw a mother headed to the neighboring childrens' play center, with a Daffy Duck hat on her head, balloons tied to her arm, baked goods from two different stores in her arms, and a phone in her hand, where she was finishing one last text before disappearing into the lands of "kids."

I felt a twang of guilt, that I should be doing something responsible right now. Something for my business or for someone else's. But I remembered the permission I gave myself, and that my Tin Shingle friend gave herself, and I parked, shut the car off, walked into the salon, and picked a color.

This article was written while off the grid. The inspiration overtook me, but it was at least hand written with the only pen I had in my purse. Good thing I carry a book of blank paper in my purse for such occasions. But I stayed off the grid, and when I returned, I had a pep in my step.