As I was getting ready to write this post, my internet stalled.  Since I’m somewhat tech-clueless, I don’t really understand why these things happen.  Maybe it’s too windy outside, maybe there’s “too much traffic,” maybe there’s a sadistic employee at Time Warner who enjoys disconnecting people’s internet at 11:30 at night.  Who knows?  Not me.

When this happens (which it does on a somewhat annoyingly regular basis), I simply unplug everything from the modem, walk away for a little while, then come back, plug everything back in, wait a little longer to see if it worked, and then, hopefully, pop back on the internet.

As I was going through this routine tonight, it occurred to me that there could be some practical life applications here.  How so?  Ah, well, I will tell you!

Switching off the autopilot

It seems that our culture is going through some kind of instant gratification phase. I’ve noticed that if a page is taking more than ten seconds to load, I get all antsy.  I feel like this mentality leaks over into my interpersonal relationships at times.  Like, when I want to talk on the phone, I want to talk RIGHT NOW, and if I have to leave a message, well, gosh, that’s just unbearable.  It seriously takes some willpower for me to not just call someone else right after I hang up.

My automatic response is to just keep calling until I reach someone, thus achieving my desire to chit-chat.  Seriously?  Yes.

That’s a moment when it pays to reboot my mind modem.  I stop and think to myself about what some possible scenarios are.   Maybe my friend isn’t able to get to the phone just then, like there’s a diaper change in progress, etc.  If I called someone else, and then the person I originally called beeps in?  Awkward.   So it pays to wait a little longer before dialing another number.

Be productive with the down time

When the modem mayhem first started, I would unhook the plugs and them immediately plug them back in, with mixed results.  My husband then informed me that it was most effective if the modem was unplugged for a few minutes.  So then I would unplug everything and stare at the modem, wondering if a few minutes had elapsed yet (they hadn’t).  A few minutes can feel like an incredibly long time.

This led me to start doing little things around the house while waiting for the appropriate amount of time to pass.  Tonight I washed the handful of milchig dishes which were waiting patiently by the sink.  Would I have gotten to them sooner or later?  Probably, but I figured that I might as well do them while I’m waiting.  I’ve found that it’s far less frustrating to wait a few minutes if I’m doing something productive, and, major bonus, things get done!

In conclusion

So, basically, I think it usually pays to stop and think before just acting on autopilot, and that having to wait for things can help check little things off the to-do list.  I know these aren’t earth-shattering revelations, but it’s  nice to keep in mind.  Haha, in mind…