It was going to be one of those typical crazy busy days that included driving the kids a million places, meeting people on zoom and a client meeting at the local coffee shop. But this day ended up as a very different, not typical day!
I arrived at the coffee shop a few minutes early and I remember running an errand at the local pharmacy and hurrying to the meeting. I got my coffee and found a corner table. As I reached into my bag to pull out my phone, to my surprise, it was not in its usual pocket. I did not panic yet but first looked through my purse in hope that it was hiding somewhere. Then I went to the car and the pharmacy to double check if I had left it there. As it wasn’t in any of those places, I went back to my meeting, hoping the client wouldn’t be texting me or looking for me on my phone. The meeting was successful and very productive. As it was time to confirm and schedule for the next meeting, I again felt the lack of my phone and was about to panic when I realized I could use my calendar on my computer to schedule. I than received an email from my husband that my phone was in the house without any battery left and that he would be charging it! Such a relief!!! I felt a little naked without it.
I then checked the calendar to see what was the next activity of the day and I realized that I had some time that could be used for writing/answering emails/thinking. I spent the next hours working through big chunks on my to-do list, particularly some stuff I’d been avoiding. I was extremely productive and very surprised at this productivity. This was not my favorite coffee shop nor my favorite time to work. I had accomplished a lot in those hours and I was extremely grateful for the productivity.
At dinner time we like to ask our kids how their day was and if they don’t answer, we try “did something new or interesting happen today? or did you learn anything exciting?” As today was a boring day for both of them, I decided to share that my day was very productive. My daughter replied “what made it different from other days?” I thought that was a great question and it led me to the conclusion that losing my phone was the source of my sudden productivity. My phone is such a great tool. I use it as a reminder, calendar, entertainment, navigation system and even as a phone. It also is a tool that distracts me and interferes with my productivity! Every time that I hear that little ding I can’t resist picking it up and checking the source. My brain craves the distractions the phone provides.
I am telling you this story because I would like to share with you some lessons I learned from this experience and still apply to my life:
1. We can survive a few hours without our phones
2. Challenging assignments such as writing require removing distractions
3. I now forget my phone on purpose - well I really just leave it in a different room or in the car! I don’t recommend losing your phone but I do recommend hiding it from yourself!
4. Conversations at dinner can lead to productivity insights :-)
Daniella
www.ADHDtime.com
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