1 00:00:02,800 --> 00:00:06,000 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio. 2 00:00:08,520 --> 00:00:12,719 Speaker 1: Good Morning, This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. 3 00:00:13,280 --> 00:00:18,200 Speaker 1: Today's tip is to make your phone less interesting. Many 4 00:00:18,239 --> 00:00:20,600 Speaker 1: of us spend big chunks of our days staring at 5 00:00:20,600 --> 00:00:23,960 Speaker 1: our smartphones. I'm not saying that time is all wasted. 6 00:00:24,000 --> 00:00:26,400 Speaker 1: I mean you're listening to this, and maybe you're doing 7 00:00:26,440 --> 00:00:28,880 Speaker 1: amazing other things on your phone, like reading More and 8 00:00:28,920 --> 00:00:31,880 Speaker 1: Peace on the kindle lapp, or sending brilliant emails that 9 00:00:31,920 --> 00:00:34,760 Speaker 1: convince a client to order years more of work, or 10 00:00:34,760 --> 00:00:37,479 Speaker 1: maybe you're learning another language so you can go volunteer 11 00:00:37,479 --> 00:00:41,199 Speaker 1: in a disaster zone. But I'm guessing a lot of 12 00:00:41,200 --> 00:00:44,800 Speaker 1: the time is not so profound. We wind up reading 13 00:00:44,880 --> 00:00:48,720 Speaker 1: articles with clickbait headlines and looking at photos on Instagram 14 00:00:48,720 --> 00:00:52,640 Speaker 1: of someone else's dessert. We do this because we're bored. 15 00:00:53,280 --> 00:00:56,760 Speaker 1: We do it because it's easy, and it's totally fine 16 00:00:56,800 --> 00:01:02,360 Speaker 1: to have some mindless downtime, but maybe five hours a day. So, 17 00:01:02,520 --> 00:01:06,200 Speaker 1: given that few of us magically developed more willpower, how 18 00:01:06,240 --> 00:01:08,759 Speaker 1: can we limit the phone checking habit so we can 19 00:01:08,800 --> 00:01:13,640 Speaker 1: free up time Before Breakfast listener named Abby recently wrote 20 00:01:13,640 --> 00:01:15,880 Speaker 1: in with a great suggestion about what worked for her. 21 00:01:16,800 --> 00:01:19,399 Speaker 1: Abby runs her own business and has a two year 22 00:01:19,400 --> 00:01:23,080 Speaker 1: old daughter. When the little girl was born, Abby writes 23 00:01:23,120 --> 00:01:24,759 Speaker 1: that she got in the habit of spending a lot 24 00:01:24,760 --> 00:01:27,160 Speaker 1: of time on her phone because she was looking at 25 00:01:27,160 --> 00:01:30,840 Speaker 1: it while holding the girl or rocking her. But after 26 00:01:30,920 --> 00:01:33,119 Speaker 1: she got out of the hold meal the time stage, 27 00:01:33,160 --> 00:01:36,760 Speaker 1: I found myself still addicted. Abby writes, I tried a 28 00:01:36,760 --> 00:01:39,280 Speaker 1: few methods to stay off my phone, but I was 29 00:01:39,319 --> 00:01:42,960 Speaker 1: always thinking about it. She writes that she knows that's ridiculous, 30 00:01:43,000 --> 00:01:45,000 Speaker 1: but anyone who's checked to make sure she's still got 31 00:01:45,000 --> 00:01:46,679 Speaker 1: her phone on her on the way to the bathroom 32 00:01:47,000 --> 00:01:51,000 Speaker 1: knows exactly what Abby is talking about. Anyway, she says, 33 00:01:51,040 --> 00:01:53,440 Speaker 1: the best solution I found was to make my phone 34 00:01:53,960 --> 00:01:58,600 Speaker 1: less interesting. Here's how she did it. I unfollowed all 35 00:01:58,640 --> 00:02:02,040 Speaker 1: celebrity and blogger account that I followed. I realized that 36 00:02:02,080 --> 00:02:03,880 Speaker 1: I didn't need to know what was happening in their 37 00:02:03,920 --> 00:02:07,720 Speaker 1: everyday lives. Also, the comparison game with these accounts is 38 00:02:07,800 --> 00:02:10,919 Speaker 1: unfair to do to ourselves. It turns out that when 39 00:02:10,960 --> 00:02:14,239 Speaker 1: people pay photographers to follow them around all day, their 40 00:02:14,280 --> 00:02:18,640 Speaker 1: lives feature gorgeous outfits and zero dirty dishes. Not exactly realistic, 41 00:02:19,720 --> 00:02:23,600 Speaker 1: as for non celebrities. Here's what Abby writes. I also 42 00:02:23,760 --> 00:02:27,320 Speaker 1: muted my casual friends on Instagrams, such as old college acquaintances. 43 00:02:28,040 --> 00:02:30,919 Speaker 1: I didn't want to unfriend them completely because I want 44 00:02:30,919 --> 00:02:32,520 Speaker 1: to know what they're up to every once in a while, 45 00:02:32,960 --> 00:02:36,680 Speaker 1: but I don't need daily updates. Instead, I can search 46 00:02:36,720 --> 00:02:39,680 Speaker 1: for them if I happen to think of them. Finally, 47 00:02:40,040 --> 00:02:43,600 Speaker 1: I muted all Instagram stories. I found that with the 48 00:02:43,639 --> 00:02:47,320 Speaker 1: increased use of Instagram Stories, most people use their feed 49 00:02:47,320 --> 00:02:50,360 Speaker 1: for major life updates. Now, when I opened Instagram, I 50 00:02:50,360 --> 00:02:53,760 Speaker 1: see family updates and vacation photos, not what other people 51 00:02:53,840 --> 00:02:56,560 Speaker 1: are eating for lunch. I was wasting so much of 52 00:02:56,560 --> 00:02:59,560 Speaker 1: my time looking at what other people were doing, and 53 00:02:59,639 --> 00:03:04,800 Speaker 1: now I spend more time living my life. I haven't 54 00:03:04,800 --> 00:03:06,840 Speaker 1: gone so far as to mute Instagram Stories, but I 55 00:03:06,880 --> 00:03:09,560 Speaker 1: do think Abby is onto something with her decision to 56 00:03:09,560 --> 00:03:14,080 Speaker 1: make her phone boring. When I give speeches or do workshops, 57 00:03:14,480 --> 00:03:18,160 Speaker 1: people often ask me which productivity apps I use? Which 58 00:03:18,160 --> 00:03:20,440 Speaker 1: apps do I recommend to help people get more done. 59 00:03:21,400 --> 00:03:23,919 Speaker 1: I know there are some truly wonderful ones out there, 60 00:03:24,639 --> 00:03:29,680 Speaker 1: but here's the problem. Putting apps on our phones makes 61 00:03:29,720 --> 00:03:33,800 Speaker 1: our phones more interesting. When our phones are more interesting. 62 00:03:34,400 --> 00:03:37,480 Speaker 1: We check our phones more often, but how many of 63 00:03:37,600 --> 00:03:40,480 Speaker 1: us just look at the productivity app and then turn 64 00:03:40,520 --> 00:03:43,560 Speaker 1: the phone off when we're done. I'd wager that most 65 00:03:43,560 --> 00:03:46,560 Speaker 1: people look at the productivity app and then click over 66 00:03:46,560 --> 00:03:50,680 Speaker 1: to Twitter. Just like that, another twenty minutes disappears down 67 00:03:50,720 --> 00:03:55,560 Speaker 1: the drain. Any time saved by the app is immediately consumed. 68 00:03:56,760 --> 00:03:59,680 Speaker 1: That's why I use a paper planner. I actually use 69 00:03:59,720 --> 00:04:01,880 Speaker 1: a pay per calendar too, though I know most people 70 00:04:01,880 --> 00:04:05,120 Speaker 1: in larger organizations can't do that. But anyway, if you 71 00:04:05,120 --> 00:04:08,720 Speaker 1: find yourself thinking like Abby that you're spending too much 72 00:04:08,760 --> 00:04:11,600 Speaker 1: time on your phone, see what you can do to 73 00:04:11,720 --> 00:04:16,279 Speaker 1: make it boring. Maybe you could unfollow a few accounts. 74 00:04:17,000 --> 00:04:19,280 Speaker 1: Maybe you could remove a game that you keep saying 75 00:04:19,320 --> 00:04:22,040 Speaker 1: you want to spend less time playing. You can always 76 00:04:22,080 --> 00:04:24,080 Speaker 1: reinstall it if you're stuck with a lot of time 77 00:04:24,120 --> 00:04:26,520 Speaker 1: you need to fill, but that extra bit of time 78 00:04:26,560 --> 00:04:31,320 Speaker 1: required might make you pause. Or maybe you uninstall some 79 00:04:31,400 --> 00:04:33,919 Speaker 1: social media apps and decide to check them only on 80 00:04:33,960 --> 00:04:37,520 Speaker 1: your laptop. You're not cutting yourself off from them and 81 00:04:37,560 --> 00:04:40,760 Speaker 1: the connections they can help make. You're just limiting the 82 00:04:40,800 --> 00:04:45,119 Speaker 1: circumstances in which it's possible to check when your phone 83 00:04:45,160 --> 00:04:50,800 Speaker 1: seems boring, life starts to seem more interesting. You remember 84 00:04:50,960 --> 00:04:54,640 Speaker 1: that calling a friend is more satisfying than looking at 85 00:04:54,720 --> 00:04:58,520 Speaker 1: some celebrities. Third outfit of the day. So what will 86 00:04:58,560 --> 00:05:01,640 Speaker 1: you do today to make your phone a little less interesting? 87 00:05:02,480 --> 00:05:06,240 Speaker 1: I'd love to hear what you try and like. Abby. 88 00:05:06,400 --> 00:05:08,960 Speaker 1: If you have a time management strategy that's helped you, 89 00:05:09,520 --> 00:05:12,120 Speaker 1: I'd love to share that with other Before Breakfast listeners. 90 00:05:13,320 --> 00:05:15,920 Speaker 1: We can all help each other out. You can email 91 00:05:15,960 --> 00:05:21,080 Speaker 1: me at Before Breakfast podcast at I heart media dot com. 92 00:05:21,120 --> 00:05:25,120 Speaker 1: In the meantime, this is Laura. Thanks for listening, and 93 00:05:25,120 --> 00:05:35,600 Speaker 1: here's to making the most of our time. Hey, everybody, 94 00:05:35,800 --> 00:05:37,919 Speaker 1: I'd love to hear from you. You can send me 95 00:05:37,920 --> 00:05:41,599 Speaker 1: your tips, your questions, or anything else. Just connect with 96 00:05:41,600 --> 00:05:46,000 Speaker 1: me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at Before Breakfast pod. 97 00:05:46,680 --> 00:05:51,039 Speaker 1: That's b E the number four, then Breakfast p o D. 98 00:05:51,880 --> 00:05:54,720 Speaker 1: You can also shoot me an email at Before Breakfast 99 00:05:54,800 --> 00:05:58,200 Speaker 1: podcast at I heart media dot com. That Before Breakfast 100 00:05:58,360 --> 00:06:00,960 Speaker 1: is spelled out with all the letters. Thanks so much, 101 00:06:01,120 --> 00:06:09,200 Speaker 1: I look forward to staying in touch. Before Breakfast is 102 00:06:09,240 --> 00:06:12,480 Speaker 1: a production of I heart Radio. For more podcasts from 103 00:06:12,480 --> 00:06:15,719 Speaker 1: I heart Radio, visit the i heart Radio app Apple 104 00:06:15,800 --> 00:06:19,520 Speaker 1: podcasts or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. Yea.