Better weekends.
“How we spend our days is of course how we spend our lives” — Annie Dillard
Today I left my smartphone on the bedside table (it shouldn’t be there in the first place to be honest).
I took my dumb-phone, a $29 phone that has 7 days battery life with me instead. Only my wife knows the number, I don’t even know it. The phone is only for emergencies… as in, the dog-got-out-and-I-can’t-find-her emergencies. Not, I’m-just-at-the-shop-what-should-we-make-for-dinner emergencies.
I’m always distracted by my phone, despite controlling notifications. It’s too tempting to check who may have sent me a message. It’s too tempting to take a photo instead of enjoy the present moment. It’s too tempting to check it in the hope that it’ll have something for you, even though you checked 2 minutes ago (or 30 seconds ago).
The only way to enjoy a smartphone free weekend is to leave it at home, switched off. You can try flight mode, notification management and the rest. But just as you wouldn’t let a drug addict carry a supply, you shouldn’t too. Engineer your weekend so you can be present.
Be present, leave the phone at home. That’s another world, not the one you’re in at the moment. Drink deeply from the present, take it in, enjoy it in full, lose yourself in your current moment. The friends around you, the book you’re reading, the glass of wine you’re drinking. Do it with your entire focus. Leave the phone for a bit.
Here’s another reminder…
“How we spend our days is of course how we spend our lives” — Annie Dillard
