Sometimes I feel that when I declutter my information intake, I get stuck in a bubble of my own making. But in order to keep growing, I need additional inputs. So the 30 day challenge for this month is to search out a new website each day.
Why New Websites?
I don’t want to be stuck. Additional sources of information – even if I might not agree with them – are important for me to maintain a balanced outlook. I need the challenges to my thought patterns in order to be able to grow. But I don’t consciously seek out these new sources, and that can lead to confirmation bias.
Most of the time I stumble onto websites by accident. I may hear something on a podcast (and then scramble to remember what it is because I can’t write it down and Siri is less than helpful in this case). I may read about it in a book, or hear it by chance. But there are a lot of websites and blogs out there that may not get the press because they aren’t producing books or guest posting (pointing the finger back at me in this case).
I wanted to be more deliberate in searching out what I am reading, and adding it to my reading list if I feel it is an ongoing source of good information. But this also has to be focused. I don’t want to lose hours to this challenge task.
Rules
I have a couple of rules for this task.
- Theme-focused. Sunday: writing; Monday: productivity; Tuesday: organization; Wednesday: coding; Thursday: intentional living; Friday: simplification; Saturday: crafts. I am doing this to expand my horizons in all areas of my life, not just the ones that I write about in the blog. This is a whole-life challenge.
- Must read at least 5 articles. If the articles are worthwhile, I will add the website to my Feedly. I know how easy it is to add to my blog reader (which is how I manage all of my reading in once place). But I have to make sure the website is worth adding. For all the great content out there, there is still a lot of fluffy content that is not worth my time.
What I Hope to Gain
I hope to expand my horizons. I want more quality information in my life. And I want to do it in a deliberate fashion, not leaving it to chance mention.
Conclusion
I may not like any of the websites I stumble across, or I may like a handful that will then get added to my weekly consumption. But at least I will be experimenting with trying. I do not see this as a long-term habit, just something to try for 30 days.
