After listening to a podcast by Timothy Ferriss, I was inspired to turn off my phone.
I developed a schedule:
DND: 6:PM — 12:AM
AIRPLANE MODE: 12:AM — 1:PM
I implemented this for 2 days every week for about 3 weeks and I noticed some minor improvements. The only reason I couldn’t last longer than two days is because “something important” came up or I just simply gave in and had to see what I was missing on Facebook/Instagram.
Most of us are all aware of how well we sleep when we are not exposed to electronic blue light and how technology impairs our ability to focus so I am not going to get into all the tiny facts because there is enough of that information out there. Aside from sleeping better, I found that restricting/limiting phone use for a few days didn’t make that much of a major difference.
I broke my phone after dropping it in my building stairwell and it was a blessing in disguise. I have AppleCare+ and I can get it fixed for “free” but I decided to hold off.
When you don’t have a phone at all, your world changes drastically.
My Work
I have gotten more done over this past week than I have over the past two months. I wish I was lying and I know it’s kind of embarrassing but it’s true. I am on a different planet and the ground feels good.
With all the extra time on my hands, I figured out a way to use my skills and put my business in overdrive.
That probably would have happened regardless but it didn’t end there.
I don’t know how important it is to reset but I gained perspective of the road ahead and I honestly don’t think it would have been possible if I hadn’t cut out all the noise in my life.
“How is he running a business without a phone?”
It’s called e-mail and it actually works better than phone conversations. All of my communication is on record and in the rare case scenario I must have a phone conversation, I have an emergency line with a private number.
Any serious business inquiry usually comes in the form of an e-mail and in the scenario that I am missing out on a direct Instagram message, it’s ok. Over the past two years, I have never received a serious inquiry backed by a serious budget.
Moving on.
My Life
I have made some amazing friends over the past 15 months. At times I feel like I am a part of a secret society and that feeling of community is something that I truly value.
When you turn off your phone, you sacrifice that part of your life and it’s not something that one can swallow with ease.
Initially, I started to lose my shit a tad bit and I am not completely over the social sacrifice but it’s something that I am learning to deal with.
Besides, I don’t know how long I will be able to sustain this but I will get to that later.
Time well spent
My friend’s wife just posted up a video recently on how the average person will spend 4 years looking down at their screen.
4 years? That’s a really long time and if I’ve learnt anything, time is the one thing we’ll never get back. That’s why I’m spending more of it for myself and the things that matter most.
On a daily basis, various studies show that we spend anywhere from 2–5 hours of our day on our phones. It’s ridiculous.
If you’re interested in monitoring your phone usage, you should check out this app.
My fiancee Faiza used to complain because I was constantly on the phone. The time that we’re spending together has been nothing shy of amazing off late and I think she will agree when I say that we’ve become closer.
I started going to the gym again because I’m not spending 3+ hours a day on my phone.
The Peace
There is a certain kind of calm that is steady throughout the course of my day that I can not describe in words. I feel like the quality of my life has improved drastically. I am simply more aware, content with my path in life but hungry because my ideas are motivating me like never before.
I know it’s not possible for most to get rid of their phone completely but I strongly recommend you spend some time away from your phone.
Most of us don’t want to admit this but we’re hooked and we need to let go.
Give yourself a break.
You won’t regret it.
I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing this. If you’d like to see some of my work or if you’d like to drop me a line, please visit this link.