• i love people and i prioritize face to face interaction over all else.
• i control my devices; they do not control me.
• all the tools and technologies i use are in service of my vision (which includes me, my communities, and the planet)
• my tools and practices are here to support me and people in my communities, particularly in the process of turning our thoughts and dreams into reality.

this stance has many implications.

the tl;dr

• i check my email 1-2x/day
• my email response time is generally 24-72 hours
• i rarely check for new emails before 12p

longer form protocol

• my (fluid) communication protocol hierarchy:
  • face2face > video call > phone call > voice message via imessage > hand-written letters > SMS or internet text messages > email
• i have almost all my notifications off on all my devices. i check in on them when it makes sense for me.
• i try not to read new emails before 12p. the exception is if i’m working with people on something that is urgent. this allows me to maintain a pro-active mindset for my most productive hours, rather than a reactive one.
• i may send emails before 12p. (this doesn’t contradict the above bullet).
• i try get to inbox zero on friday afternoons.
• i tech sabbath (usually sundown friday to sundown saturday) at least 2x/month.

guiding principles

• “People tend to overestimate what can be done in one year and to underestimate what can be done in five or ten years.” — J. C. R. Licklider, Book: “Libraries of the Future” (1965)
• “Remember that if you don’t prioritize your life someone else will.” ― Greg Mckeown, Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less
• “A ‘no’ uttered from the deepest conviction is better than a ‘yes’ merely uttered to please, or worse, to avoid trouble.” — Mahatma Gandhi