Dear Reader,
I’ve recently been struggling with technology.
I feel like I default to technology in times when I should be sitting mindfully or doing something else all together. For example, I whip out my phone when I’m waiting for my toast to pop, when I’m sitting on the toilet (I’m sorry! But I bet you do it too…), when I’m a little tired and a little bored, when I’m sitting in the backyard, and in so many other situations!
I also have been noticing more friction between me and Elliott, my partner/spouse. We have a rule that no phones (or any screens, no laptops or TV either) are allowed in bed, but we use them as alarm clocks and leave them on the bedside table so clearly this rule gets broken. I notice Elliott sitting, scrolling the New York Times App for the 4th time in the last hour, or watching YouTube standing at the kitchen counter. I’m frustrated that he’s doing that instead of spending time with me. When he comes home from work in the evenings (he works in NYC and I work at home) sometimes people are just finally responding to me from the work day, so I’m on my phone answering text messages, Slack messages and emails. He’s trying to tell me about his day and I’m not listening.
Where has the time gone?
It doesn’t feel like I’m spending too much time on my phone or mindlessly scrolling each day, but the weeks fly by so quickly and very few of my goals feel accomplished. Where has all of my time gone? Why can’t I speak Spanish yet? Why can’t I play a couple of tunes on the piano? Why haven’t I drawn a picture or written in my journal? I have this lofty goal to someday write a book. When?
Although there are major advantages to technologies we have available right now, I find that there are also certain disadvantages - at least to me personally. Since purchasing my first smartphone, I think I’ve lost a little part of me that I’d like to find again. An adventurous, creative side that I’ve been numbing with easier activities.
Inspiration
Inspired by Gretchen Rubin’s “The Happiness Project,” Colin Beavan’s “No Impact Project,” and Beth Kempton’s Do What You Love blog and Slow Living Movement, I’ve decided to finally address my growing challenge with my smartphone, screen use, and other “easy” entertainment.
The Project
Over the next 30 days, I'm challenging myself to be mindful each time I pick up the phone, or default to a passive screen activity. Especially when this consists of mindless watching or endless scrolling. My hope is that I will:
Reconnect with my genuine self
Reconnect with my partner
Challenge this habit of avoiding temporary boredom with a quick screen fix that normally leads me to feeling unfulfilled
Discover what is just on the other side of that boredom. Is it focus? Is it creativity? Is it living in the moment mindfully? Is it fulfillment?
Both Gretchen and Colin’s projects were a year-long experiment with 12-months of structured plans. They increased the difficulty each month by adding new challenges to their experiment, and blogged about it along the way. In my case I’m going to start quite a bit smaller - just 30 days, and admittedly without a ton of structure. I hope you’ll follow along, and if you decide to try it out for yourself alongside me, please share your experiences in the comments sections below each post.
It starts now! Wish me luck.
Sincerely,
Lana
Lana Kitcher is a Productivity and Efficiency Coach, working with entrepreneurs and business owners to “Do Less, Better.” Lana has a passion for helping founders use work hours more efficiently so that they can make time and space for the joys of life.
Lana is also the founder of Bird by Bird, an online community for women starting their businesses. Connect with Lana on Instagram @LanaKitcher.