In our journey to becoming Unplugged from our tech lives and start living a biological one we need to find a balance. Many of us live, work and play with and around technology constantly. Our lives are undeniably improved by tech and so are our work lives. However, this is where I want to to reconsider and re-think all of your tech.

The hardest part about breaking free of being a bot is to stop acting like one. Just the act of thinking about whether or not you NEED your tech and recognizing your dependencies and habits will get you that much closer to breaking free. I’m asking you to think about the tech that you surround yourself with and how you use it.

Consider your computer use, your phone use, your microwave use, television, stereo, car and even the smallest tech like watches will help you get yourself into perspective. Think about what you use these items for; do you use them for fun, for work, for necessity? I am asking you to HONESTLY think about these things – being honest is key to establishing yourself as a human and not a bot. Do not let your tech rule you, don’t turn to it out of habit, turn to it for specific and defined reasons.

Once you have your reasons for using your tech you should deeply consider why you have these things. Can you live without it? Do you have a laptop and a smartphone, and use both just for communication or social media – does your smartphone need to have all the apps and glam if you really predominantly use it for texting and phone calls? Do you always have to take your car to the grocery store on a nice day?

This is the second post in a series I’ll be writing about becoming Unplugged. Little tidbits of advice on how to unravel yourself from the life of being a robot. Not everyone wants to be hooked up to the Matrix and I’m giving you the red pill in small doses. Join me on the journey of becoming more than just a robot, help me, help you get your life back.

Never before have we been so connected. Smartphones with their apps fill our lives with ease and entertainment. Not all apps are bad, but take the time to consider how often you check your phone. How many social media networks are you part of? The world is a growing place, yet thanks to the internet it gets smaller every day.

You might think that you are gaining more knowledge, gaining more life by staying connected. I’m telling you that you are not. Don’t take advantage of the reality that in-human, in-person communication is still the most important thing.

Networking is the greatest commodity on the internet to entrepreneurs, aspiring professionals and intelligent communication. I do loads of networking myself; LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter take up a great majority of my day as a professional in the internet communication field. I’m not knocking online networking, I’m merely stressing the importance of in-person networking.

Don’t take for granted the power of face-to-face communication and interaction. Getting a cup of coffee with a local contact you met through the internet is possibly the best way to place yourself in their mind. Even professionals drink coffee, like to go to movies, enjoy cocktails and play golf. Get out, go find them, do it.

I myself have met strangers, acquaintances and supervisors for drinks and a quick chat. I can tell you for certain that the impression was a stronger one than any of my blogs, profiles or online recommendations could have given. You won’t even have to leave your card, put your number into his/her phone while your were sitting at the booth.

In short. Take the leap, don’t hesitate to meet new people in person. Never pass up the opportunity to go to the in company baseball game or the Meetup chat at the local coffee shop. You never know when your in human communication is going to get you somewhere or introduce you to someone or something new. These are the opportunities that you don’t want you to pass up. Let that smartphone sit in your pocket; it isn’t going anywhere, but the conversation just might.