Technology Challenge Update

• 

Last night as we rode on a shuttle to retrieve our car at the airport, I noticed most of the people seated across from me were doing something on their phones. In our culture, we often turn to our phones to entertain us in those in-between moments. The problem is that I’ve also turned to my phone or a website when I don’t want to do the task at hand or as a default when I’ve finished something. I don’t want a screen to be my go-to default and so I created a technology challenge for myself to break this addiction and refocus my energies.

Breaking the habit

Breaking myself of this habit has been hard and is still something I’m working on. After blocking all the websites I tend to waste time on, I found I simply started reading the news and advice columns instead. Though not a bad thing in itself, I found them to be just as wasteful of my time as before. Now that my wife has helped me by changing the settings on my phone so I don’t see such things, my phone is rather boring now which is how it should be for me. Still helpful when I have something I want to look up, there is now no mind-numbing news feed of interesting and funny articles which I read for endless amounts of time.

Welcome changes

Since starting this challenge, I have started regularly attending yoga classes, writing every morning, and completing home projects. It feels good to be a writer who is actually writing. I didn’t make this change right away and it took a large writing project to make this a regular habit but it’s one of the cornerstones of my life I’ve added back in.

I’m also proud of myself for being able to focus better, be more organized, and goal-driven. When working on a project on my computer, I’m getting better at being able to say no when the temptation surfaces to look something up or to become distracted – not all the time but I do see great improvement.

Continuing challenges

I am still working on not having my phone within reach while working on other projects and turning it off each night. I’m also trying to focus better when I have to open Facebook for a job task as I become easily distracted by the posts and forget what I was doing. Otherwise, only checking it once a day has worked well. Taking regular breaks from work is also something I need to start focusing on.

Using my phone for good

With this technology challenge has also been the learning experience of using my phone to better my life. In addition to my favorite apps such as Alltrails for hiking and Google Maps to help me find my way while driving, I’ve also added several new ones to help manage other parts of my life:

• Goodbudget: An electronic envelope system for budgeting that helps me stay on track financially
• Tasks: A to-do list app where I keep notes on what needs to get done at work and at home
• Google Calendar: I still miss seeing a written calendar on my wall but having it electronically has helped immensely in knowing my schedule and being able to add appointments when I’m out and about.
• Our Groceries: A grocery shopping app where you can cross items off your list as you add them to your cart

First take time for what is truly important

How we use technology in our lives needs more thought than it’s typically given. Looking on our phones has become our default and, at least to me, it feels like it has become one more reason we don’t take time for what is important as well as shutting us off from the immediate world around us. While phones and computers do provide much benefit, we each need to take a look at what we actually want to be doing with our time and focusing on that – not on reading articles designed to hook us or glancing through an endless stream of Facebook posts.

What are the guidelines you have created for yourself? Share in the comments below!