OFF THE GRID AS A STATE OF MIND

Today is my three year anniversary as CEO and managing partner Off The Grid Surplus, an apparel company founded by my business partner and clothing designer who purchased the "OFF THE GRID" trademark for apparel dating back to 2012. 

I am a big believer that if you don't know why you are doing what you are doing, if you don't have a deep-rooted purpose, you will be unhappy, and the road will be difficult. But if you do have a driving purpose behind your action the road will be less emotionally difficult as what you are doing is needed in the world. You have locked in your "why."

THE DO-DO CONVERSATION

I always want to have the "do-do" conversation in anything I invest in. If you are not familiar with this exercise, it is pretty simple you keep asking yourself, what does what you do… do? 

Here is an example:

> Off The Grid makes functional apparel. 

What does that do?

> Functional apparel inspires people to seek out adventure. 

What does that do?

> Seeking out adventure creates opportunities for connection with other people. 

What does that do?

> Connection with other people creates opportunities for shared wisdom. 

What does that do?

> Shared wisdom could change someone's life for the better. 

Based on these types of conversations, WE have gone through several "purpose" or "vision" statements, but we recently landed on one that I think is going to stick. 

"We exist to inspire more connection through adventure" 

In the last rendition we changed the ending to "connection through adventure." Let's be honest, we just ended 2020, and while we were the MOST ACTIVE on social media, we were the LEAST connected, and no one would argue that we were the MOST divided as a country. 

Couple this with staying at home and not being able to connect with other people face to face; our vision statement is solving a very real problem. Let me just run through a few issues I have experienced in my life:

• You go on vacation and come back feeling even more exhausted than when you left. 
• You find yourself scrolling on social media and you didn't even remember tapping the app, it was just a subconscious response. 
• You constantly look at your email and it stresses you out. 
• Your mind is distracted with all the "drama" around you, maybe with family or friends, so much so that you can't think for yourself anymore. 
• You can't remember the last time having a legitimate face to face, one-on-one conversation with your wife, kids, or close friend?
• You feel you have lost all connection with your purpose, any kind of passion or reason for living. Your dreams seem like a distant memory.

OFF THE GRID IS A STATE OF MIND

There are many thoughts that one thinks when they hear the phrase "off the grid". Whether those thoughts are about food storage, bunkers, wells, solar panels, fifth wheels, dirt bikes and UTV's; I want to propose another way to think of this phrase. 

In the most basic sense, getting "off the grid" is disconnecting to connected. Getting away from the grind of your day-to-day, with the purpose of making healthy connections in your life.

• Get time off from work, go on a family vacation. 
• Turn off your phone for a weekend and go on a retreat with friends. 
• Leave your phone at your desk, go on a walk. 
• Use the iOS "Screen Time App" on your phone to limit AM screen time so you can establish a morning routine. 
• Delete a social media account and start journaling instead of spending hours making political arguments.

The list goes on and on. 

How are you getting "off the grid" in your life? 

Is it making you a better person? 

Where could you start? 

 

NEXT POST: HOW & WHY OTG'S CEO IS GOING OFF THE SOCIAL GRID IN 2021 (Coming Next Week)