Yesterday, the Wall Street Journal featured an essay from a Cincinnati politician who finally realized how addicted he was to his iPhone—when he went to prison.
He was convicted on two charges related to campaign donations made by undercover FBI agents. The judge sentenced him to 16 months in jail. (He was later pardoned by the president and the U.S. Supreme Court canceled his convictions.)
While in jail and without a phone for months, his brain “felt a lot better without it”.
He noticed more, discussed and debated “life’s biggest questions” with his “celly”, and wrote poetry.
Does it really take getting thrown in jail for us to notice something is wrong?
What are we all busy doing?
I’m writing a book that I started writing 7+ months ago (and started thinking about years ago). I noticed how so many people, especially entrepreneurs, were so busy, yet accomplishing so little. The book provides the best antidote I can offer: a way to do less and grow more.
We search, scroll, schedule, and — the newest addition — prompt. It feels productive.
Yet we’re no happier, no wealthier, no more connected, no more fulfilled.
Where do you want to go?
Most of us are like the driver who spends so much time focused on what’s in the car that he fails to realize he’s been off track from his destination for a long time.
First, remember where you want to go: the business you want to build, the freedom you want, the activities you wish to make time for, the people you want to experience life with.
Second, evaluate whether all your non-stop activity over the past year has gotten you any closer to that destination. (For most of us, we’ve been quite busy doing quite little.)
Third, do less. Most problems are better solved by subtracting what’s getting in our way than by adding to our already overloaded lives. Focus on the 1-2 key things that really matter, ignore or eliminate everything else.
At the end of the politician’s essay, he said, “within just a few months, I’d reverted to my old habits — immediately glancing at and engaging with every ping and alert, and reflexively picking up my phone to scroll through my rotation of go-to websites.”
His honesty is refreshing. Yet, we must do better if we wish to create our best lives.
—Matt