Over the past few weeks, we’ve gone over ways to master technology in our lives. We’ve talked about regaining control by cleaning-up our email, deciding on a time-out plan, and scheduling “weekly blackouts”.
Has limiting the hours you spend on screens helped you reclaim your time? It has for me…and I’ve noticed that even my eyesight has improved due to reduced strain!
Even though we all know tech is a key part of our modern world and can be incredibly useful, the trick is to get the absolute most out of the screen time we set aside.
Some of the best tips I’ve ever seen on screen productivity come from Brian Tracy, author of Eat That Frog!
First, he suggests making a list of your biggest distractions. It could be social media, the stock market ticker, your favorite blog—whatever causes you the most “lost time”.
My list would look something like:
A. Instagram (sometimes I get lost in my FOMO)
B. Email
C. Google Calendar
What does your list look like? Be as honest with yourself as possible.
Next, Tracy gives 7 specific strategies for making tech work for instead of against you. Feel free to tackle some or all of these, depending on which ones resonate with you:
Close all browsing tabs and programs you don’t need for whatever you’re working on in the moment. They are just distractions and slow things down.
Use your browser settings to block the websites we listed above (our biggest distractions). If you can’t even pull up Twitter, you certainly can’t get lost in it!
If #2 doesn’t go far enough—install an app that blocks the entire internet. That may seem extreme, but if it works for you, DO IT!
Disable all phone notifications. Check things only on your schedule.
If #4 makes you uneasy and you think, “what about emergencies?” then create a special phone number, email address, or another way to reach you that’s only for that. Give it to just a few close people, and then you can have that peace of mind.
As an extension of #5, give your boss or other special people a unique way to reach you. You can also configure your email to sort messages from certain people into a high-priority folder.
Set aside large blocks of time on your calendar to work on tasks—then honor the commitment. Don’t just schedule it and then treat it as free time!
Even just implementing a few of these tips can make your tech time more productive. Our goal is to reduce screen-time hours while increasing the value of the hours we devote to those screens.
Now block this blog (wait…no…don’t do that), and get back to work!
This week on a mini session, we'll call her Nicole — was unsure how she could fit dating into her already busy entrepreneurial lifestyle. She had some thoughts that didn't seem so bad, like:
I just don't have time to date
Dating takes so long
It actually wastes time
I really want to have a partner to share my life with
These thoughts sound pretty standard, even reasonable, right? But what we learned is that when she thought these thoughts they lead to:
discouragement
overwhelm
annoyance, and
longing
These emotions are not super helpful in taking actions to get out there and date, so we came up with some thoughts she could practice that created empowerment, curiosity, and confidence in her ability to manage dating and her business and have fun doing so without wasting time. I also taught her about the 2-hour date strategy. I am excited to hear how it goes for her, she set up two dates and made the decision to go on at least one date a week and schedule it in her calendar just like anything else.
If you are feeling stuck about something similar to this, I can help. Jump on a mini session and let's get you sorted in just a 30 min call. Bring in 2020 the way you want! Your dreams are a total possibility with a managed mind and an organizational system! It's not rocket 🚀science. Lots of love to you all...
