It is 5 am, and I am just about to press the first snooze of the morning.
On the menu beside Snooze, my Instagram and Facebook accounts are screaming for my attention.
A few weeks ago, I would just dive into the offerings – check my Instagram and Facebook accounts (and get depressed- more of it soon).
But not anymore.
As I am writing this, one thing I am sure about is that my phone won’t ring and distract me.
A few weeks ago, I decided to put my phone on silent the whole day.
It was tough for first few hours, but I got my sanity back soon.
Trust me, I am happy and am not guilty of missing out on things.
Here is Why I keep my phone on silent all day?
I am not missing out on important work calls.
Most of the work is now done through emails and any sane sender won’t expect an instant response
(If it is not a life and death situation);
A smart and busy chap won’t call you without an agenda and on odd-times, whereas a not-so-smart caller will anyway distract you from real work.
(You can always share ‘Best time to call’ in your emails)
Either way, not being able to receive a call won’t lead to the sky falling on your head.
Obviously, keep a callback ritual in place.
PS: works best, if you are meeting your deadlines almost always.
I am always ready for the calls I make.
Some calls can be tough (because the caller is), and other calls may require that you be ready for few notes or things. Receiving them when you are not prepared can spoil your mood, tempo and make your day go for a toss.
So, I prefer to call back, when I am prepared and in a stable state of mind.
We can get more done together this way and I get to set the mood of the call.
I am able to plan my work-slots better
A call when you are in flow may take you two steps back.
I do keep 10 – 15 minutes aside for every 90-minute work session I undertake – for calling back.
(I keep my internet off deliberately, during these breaks).
I get to ride the good feeling of ‘I control my day’ and getting more work done keeps everyone happy.
I am able to evade the ‘Social Media Prison’ during my workday.
(Though most of my work, is using the internet for promotion of my blog)
Most of us access social media through our phones and when the phone internet is on – it is easy to fall into binge-surfing.
It is not ‘you and your phone time’, it is ‘you Vs. the social media time’.
The sites are designed to keep you hooked and they succeed most of the times
(Come on, be a good sport! If you work for any of the social media firms, Share and promote my work)
Just imagine, what it could do to your self-image?
You are not getting more done and later realize that you are addicted to the device which you earlier thought was useful.
People who know about my ‘ Phone Tweek’ do have some reservations like:
Am I not compromising on my ‘Social life’?
Is life boring?
The answer to both these questions is NO.
What about the family emergencies?
I have friends who are also busy doing real stuff (even if not, they don’t expect me to respond to their messages instantly- hey! By the way, thanks).
If the quality of your life revolves around a device (exception: if it is a pacemaker) – you need to raise your standards of how you define ‘quality of life’.
Now comes the family emergency part:
We talk almost every day, at the same time; so things are pretty in order and situations requiring my direct intervention is sort of known.
In short, you need to set expectations and systems in place before you press the silent button.
Am I happy?
Immensely.
- No out of the blue – tanna an a.
- I am able to focus, get more done and have a better self-image now.
- I get more reading and writing done, I now really meet people.
- The urgency to check my phone every few minutes and the phantom rings I used to feel has now died down.
The REAL Concern:
My phone is silent, but my mind is still struck by the device.
If you are not able to find focus and get crucial things done (this is addictive too.)
You will anyway be distracted (nothing can stop you then).
Hack: Tell your friends that you will be offline during these hours (if you are not, they will surely make fun of you (what are friends there for, anyway?) and bring you back on track.
Real friends do that.
You may love to read on www.mojoofsmallthings.com
- Regain Your Focus at Work with these 2 Hacks
- How letting go of these 3 Things made my Life Better
- 10+ Ways your Phone is depriving you of a Good Life
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