Last week, I decided I only wanted to tackle the shelves and cubbies in the guest bedroom. This week, I thought that wasn’t a big enough project and decided to do three more areas of clutter. I met in the middle and finished two: the shelves/cubbies and the dresser top.
What I finished makes the room look better, but I’m ready to get out of the guest bedroom. I regret procrastinating and leaving it until the last minute. I didn’t account for changes in my schedule, so when a family party moved from Tuesday to Wednesday, I paid the price for my poor time management.
Poor time management = constantly being on my phone or laptop. During the school year, my days are pretty packed and scheduled. I usually work during the summer, too, and that also limits my idle time. Not this summer, and boy it shows! My phone is a magnet and my nose made of iron filings. After a particularly long day spent getting annoyed with people online (people I can avoid by not being online), I downloaded Irresistible: The Rise of Addictive Technology and the Business of Keeping Us Hooked for my walks. I wouldn’t recommend the book in audio format, but I would recommend reading it if you can. What a depressing, necessary book. In one of the first chapters it suggests the app Moment to track how often you pick up your phone and the amount of time you spend on it. I downloaded it right away, thinking I spent an hour, maybe a bit more, on my phone every day. I knew I only picked it up for minutes at a time.
I also knew I was on my phone more than I believed because during Lent, when I was completely off all social media, I found myself with time on my hands to make breakfast before work, curl my hair, and read five books. <—- Five books in 40 days. Five intellectually challenging books in 40 days.
By the end of the day, Moment had my results: 4 hours, 8 minutes, and 57 pickups.
4 hours, 8 minutes, and 57 pickups!
I thought surely there was a mistake. There was no mistake. Granted, the number was a bit inflated since it also counted my time listening to the book on Audible, but it’s still an enormous block of time wasted. I could work a part time job in the amount of time I wasted.
I was right that I only picked up my phone for a minute here and there. The problem is that there were so many heres and theres! Waiting at the stoplight, check. Waiting for dinner to finish cooking, check. Waiting for the boys to get in the car, check. Waiting for them to get out of camp, check. Waiting in line at the supermarket, check. Apparently I use my phone as a pacifier when I’m made to wait, and all those two-to-three minutes added up to 4 hours, 8 minutes, and 57 pickups.
I cleaned off the dresser (super easy) and tackled the shelves and cubbies (more laborious). I kept the containers on the top shelf to use as sorting boxes. Containers of all sizes come in handy when you’re decluttering. I used all three just going through the cubbies, due to the tons of Lego and miscellaneous craft parts. I finished going through two of the rolling cubbies, but the last one remains 35% Lego. I’m going to have the boys go through it and have them take an active role in deciding how we are going to store our Lego. The method I had in the past worked only if I did it. That wasn’t a solution; that was an added job for me.
Overall opinion of the week: not bad, but not great. I could have easily completed all four areas had I used my time better. I’m going to think about my phone usage, particularly as it relates to social media. I was a bit down early in the week, but I’m over it now. Like I tell the boys, the only bad mistakes are the ones you don’t learn from.
I totally believe the four hour thing and know my number would be similar. Everything you describe is what I do too- just check here and there… all the time…throughout the day… Some weeks (like this one, when my husband is out of town) I can see a really strong connection between how much I am on my phone/social media and how much I want to escape from my life. Kids bickering in the other room? Check Facebook and escape for those two minutes. Repeat repeat repeat.
I just downloaded the Forest app. My friend did the Freedom app (which blocks her internet for certain hours of the day). I feel ridiculous that it has come to that, but it totally has. I need help to rein in the mindless phone checking.
In other news, I cleaned out two of the kids’ closets while they were away last week and GLORY it feels great. WMP forever.
According to the book I’m listening to, it’s a lot like cigarettes in the ’50s. There are a lot of people working very hard to make it easy for us to become tethered to our devices. I was so disappointed to see how quickly a minute or two can add up. My number, by the way, is pretty darn average. Most people are on their phone 5-6 hours per day. Depressing.
Does anyone know of a computer app that would allow me to be connected to the internet (needed for work) but not on my web browser? I know there are apps that block internet completely, but that won’t work for me as I work from home and need to connect via VPN.
I went searching and answered my own question. Cold Turkey and Focus Booster look like they’d both work. I will try one out as well as the Forest app mentioned above. Self control is not my forte. :)
Oh, great! I was just searching for you and even asked my husband, as he accesses his VPN daily, too. He doesn’t have a problem surfing around, but he also doesn’t engage in social media (other than Instagram).
I breathed a sigh of relief when I realized the Moment App was not available for Android yet. Not sure I really want to know how often I’m on my phone. I started justifying all the times you were waiting and used your phone and realized those were times that could have been used to read or write a short note. I used to have a book stored in my car for those waiting on the boys times. I don’t even remember stopping. Since I decided to participate with the WMP Thursdays I have noticed I am on my devices less and I am getting more done. This week I have been working on making the bathroom vanity more accessible for a wheelchair. Almost done! Last week I tackled two drawers in the kitchen and pruning an out of control bush in the front yard.
That’s awesome, Amy!! Yes, I used to carry a book in the car, one in my purse, etc. Now I don’t, and I need to get back to that. I also need to schedule my day. Clearly, I’m a person who functions best with to-do lists, a plan, or some sort of structure. This new, loose summer schedule is a bit decadent and I’m behaving like a hungry person at a buffet.
You are right to breathe a sigh of relief!!
I knew such apps existed, but honestly I don’t think I’m on my phone that often. I am going to check it out though! Facebook lately for me has been soul-sucking – especially with every other friend of mine trying to sell me certain products which shall not be named. I’m just over it. I feel like I should just delete my account, but I still like to stay connected to my out of state family and see their goings-on. Unfollow everyone except for family?! :/
I desperately want to make our basement family room more user-friendly, but I got the eye-roll from the husband. So I eventually asked that he make himself available to lift heavy things and I’d do the rest. :D
I enjoyed this post. I was directed here regarding your friends parents who passed and she was left to deal with their belongings.
I don’t know how much Lego you have. I watched a YouTube video Beyond the Brick where they toured a Master Builders shop. He discusses the baking shelves he bought but also someone had FedEx boxes they were throwing away. He cut them in half and uses them on the baking shelves as min bins. I think the Lego was also sealed in plastic bags, sorted by color or block type.
Welcome!!
Oh, yes. That was a life defining moment for all of us. We don’t have that much Lego…I don’t think? I’m definitely going to watch Beyond the Brick. Thank you so the recommendation!