Last week I told you that it was OK for you to unplug. However, that’s not going far enough. You need to unplug.

Of course, saying it is the easy part, actually unplugging is difficult. It’s especially difficult if you’re afraid you’re going to miss something important. However, especially in terms of your electronic interactions, you can use technology to collect stuff that’s important while you’re unplugged. Then, when you plug back in, your important stuff is, in the words of Richard Marx, “right [there] waiting for you.” (yeah, I’m that old)

OK. I want to unplug. But how do I collect stuff?

Well, I’m glad you asked. However, I’m not going to cover everything today. Instead, I’m going to give you a quick overview.

Here’s the summary

Nearly every online service or social media hub provides ways for you to interact with real-time and to collect stuff for later. To collect stuff, we you’ll need to take advantage of their delayed interaction services (I think I probably just made that phrase up).

For many websites and nearly every blog out there, you can subscribe to an RSS feed. On Facebook, you can visit the profile pages of your key friends, create friends lists, or even create small groups. On Google Plus, you can Circle people into specific groups. And on Twitter you can create specific lists.

And that’s just the beginning. There are countless services out there that would just love to provide you a summary of what you missed while you were unplugged.

Beyond that, some blogs (like mine) offer a way for you to subscribe by email. And if that weren’t enough, others provide newsletters that go above and beyond what’s on the blog.

All that to say that with a little work and planning on the front end, you can unplug regularly with no fear of missing anything important. That way you can be present in person.

Collecting to unplug is pretty cool, isn’t it?

Be on the lookout over the next few days. I’ll be sharing a little of how I use electronic tools to unplug regularly and still keep up with my friends and interests across the street and across the globe.

Why not take this chance to subscribe by email?

Photo credit: Planetofsuccess.com