Curse you Steve Jobs

Before the 11^th of July 2007, when the first iPhone started shipping, we didn’t have access to smart phones.  Those devices which have been designed to make our life easier, more organised and connected. So how come sometimes I feel like we’d be better off without them?

We now have so many ways to connect; the old faithful email, Instant Messaging, Facebook, Facebook Messenger, Instagram, Snapchat, WhatsApp, Skype, etc.  And even better, not only do you have a smart phone in your pocket, giving you access to the world 24/7, you can now buy a watch that does the same thing. 

So, on the beach, at the movies, in bed you’re never offline - if you’re like me, you find this a little depressing. 

According to the Deloitte Global Mobile Consumer Survey (2016), 61% of us check our phones within 5 minutes of waking up https://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/Deloitte/us/Documents/technology-media-telecommunications/us-global-mobile-consumer-survey-2016-executive-summary.pdf

Another study by ReportLinker found that 48% of Americans check their phones before they get out of bed.  I know I do, however, only to check the weather – I love that weather app!  But according to a recent Lifeline survey in Australia, 82.5% of people surveyed said that the feeling of loneliness is increasing in society.  And that is despite having all these ways of keeping in touch and connecting with our family and friends.

I am not a qualified psychologist; therefore, I’m going to bring this back to a subject I understand well; time management and task prioritisation.

One of the simplest solutions is to turn off most, if not all your alerts on your phone (and watch!). Interruptions negatively affect productivity, so if you’re constantly interrupted by alerts and messages your performance will decrease.

And try leaving that bloody phone on your desk or turn it off completely! If you can’t receive any messages for an hour whilst you’re working on that pitch, at the gym or having lunch with your partner then in my book you’ll be OK.  And if you’re out at lunch without a phone, have a look around, you might see something interesting that your normal ‘glow-face’ misses. 😊

Back to time management and prioritisation:

“Most people spend more time planning a one-week vacation than they do planning their life.” Michael Hyatt

I’ve been guilty of this in the past, but not anymore. Plan your day, your week, month and year. In addition to planning, create blocks of time in you r day where you can focus on achieving some of your goals, or completing that important task without getting disturbed will help. 

 DISCLAIMER: The views expressed are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of any other person, organisation, employer or company.  The author is a performance coach for individuals and businesses with a belief that we all have untapped potential which once found can improve performance.  I draw on 25 years corporate experience, a Bachelor of Arts in Social & Cultural Anthropology and a Masters of Business Administration.

E: gareth.r@pinconsult.com.au   M: 0438 005598   W: www.pinconsult.com.au   B: http://pinconsult.blogspot.com.au/