Guest Post – Allowing Apple and Blackberry to be fruits again
Last week I had one of those “do as I say, not as I do” moments with my 8 year old daughter, resulting in me being on the receiving end of one of those looks that only 8 year olds can impart so impeccably. She was flitting from one activity to another and not really getting much done in terms of getting ready for school. I told her to focus on her before school “to-do” list and once that was done, then she could focus on something she enjoyed until it was time to go. I said this as I was preparing lunches, while listening to another child learn to read, checking on the progress of her siblings, occasionally checking the emails on my phone and popping out to put discarded laundry in the washing machine. Hmmmm.
Now I must confess to reading blogs about lifestyle and organization in the same spirit that most people watch Masterchef… with a combination of awe, inspiration and longing. I always internally decree that this is the week that I will be just like that… but somehow it never comes to fruition. The “do as I say, not as I do” moment was when I knew something had to change. The bitter fruit always falls before the ripe.
Remember when Apple and Blackberry were simply fruits? No, me either. Which is why I recently made the decision to turn off the laptop, put my phone in a separate room and focus on the children and getting things done for large chunks of the day. I have read before about the inefficiency of checking your email several times per day… the time waiting for the screen to load, then waiting again after you accidentally press the wrong icon and need to wait for it to reload, then heading back to the page you wanted in the first place. Then you are completely absorbed in your emails for a moment. And while you are there you may as well check in with Twitter and Facebook, right? I timed it the other day. A “quick check” of my phone took 7 minutes. And then my mind was occupied by how to respond to those pressing matters while the toast slowly turned to charcoal in the toaster, setting off the fire alarm. Again.
By allocating specific times that I can work on my computer undistracted and governed by “to do” lists, I have found that I’ve been getting more done in less time… and spending less time floating aimlessly around the blogosphere.
Now, just to clarify, this will be my one and only foray into the field of lifestyle blogging because there are people out there doing a much better job than I could ever hope to do. And if I hadn’t been obsessively reading them for so long, then I wouldn’t have been so inspired to make the changes that I have. “He that would have fruit must climb the tree”, as Thomas Fuller would say. And continue to climb I will do, with my favourite lifestyle bloggers holding the ladder.
But for now I’m going to celebrate by baking apple and blackberry muffins. Preferably from a packet mix. But if not, I’ll give the real deal a shot because my confidence is bolstered and I now seem to have more time. Besides, I love the symbolism of letting apples and blackberries be nothing more, or less, than sweet fruits every now and then.
The Bling Buoy is written by Misha – A buoyant blog you can cling to as you navigate the waters of life!
Website – http://www.theblingbuoy.com/
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Do you struggle with technology like Misha? Do you find yourself still on an electronic device or social media a few hours after the “quick check”?
For me I find that I can’t just simply turn everything off and walk away because there is always someone needing support or a crisis averted and I’m “on call” most of the time.
What are your strategies for managing social networking, business needs or reading blogs?
If you would like to guest post for LHH like Misha did then please fill in the contact form here
Good on you Misha for turning it all off, I know I would struggle! I am not so much attached to my phone but can’t resist the sound of a new email popping up. Enjoy your muffins 🙂
Thanks Simone! It’s so hard to resist that alluring *ping* isn’t it. I actually ended up making banana bread but still… delicious!
WOW!
Being able to turn it off is something that I would struggle with…
My iPhone and my Mac and my iPad are my best friends!!
Hope the muffins are scrummy!!
I hear what you are saying. It’s hard! It’s taken me a while to get used to the iPad actually. I think it’s because it’s slower to type. It’s the iPhone that has me under it’s spell if I let it!! 🙂
Good on you, Misha. I can’t turn off, as much as I try. If I am not on my laptop, I have my phone on me at all times. BUT I do make an effort to not get stuck into work until after the kids have gone to school.
The benefit of a “quick check” is that you have time to think about how you’ll respond so that when you do finally sit down, you work faster & more efficiently! I just find that unless I put a cap on it, I’m constantly doing “quick checks”!!
I am guilty of this too – “Quick kids we are in a hurry! Get your shoes on!” (while I sit and “quickly” read my emails before we go). I’m so much more efficient when I leave my laptop in the study instead of bringing it downstairs (and more available to my kids too!)
I’m the same. I have to physically put them in a separate room or I give into temptation!
I am struggling with the same things – ok you have inspired me to turn off now …till after the kids go to bed. Seriously I needed to read this.
The muffins sound good and I might give it a go !
Thanks Trish! I’m glad you felt inspired! 🙂
Such good advice … now to put it into action! Must get off the laptop/facebook/blogs first! 🙂
I know what you mean… it’s so hard to log off Facebook. I once heard about an app that calculated how many hours you’ve spent on Facebook that week… there was no way I was using that app! I don’t want to know how many years of my life have been squandered on Facebook lol.
Such wise words and so much easier said than done.
So true Rhianna! And thank you. 🙂
Thanks for posting Misha x
Got any suggestions for me?
Thanks for the opportunity Michelle! You are so dedicated to your clients that I can’t imagine you turning off your technology… all I can suggest is that apple blackberry muffins may give you energy to type faster 😉
[…] Allowing Apples and Blackberries to be fruits again. […]
I read the other day that by constantly being at the beck and call of emails and social media, we actually lower out IQ by about 8 points.
I know I need to set some strict boundaries here. Especially with the iPhone and iPad, things are just too easy.
Really? That’s an interesting phenomenon. I seem to be getting more done by focussing on just one thing at a time though. I’m spending probably the same time in total on the computer but getting more done in that time.
This made me smile, albeit a little uncomfortably… I know full well that I procrastinate on social media and am guilt of running late to playgroup or planned outings because I’m checking to see if I have any comments or reading that great article that just landed in my inbox.
In fact, I’m doing it right now, with my laptop on the kitchen table while my daughter is trying to get me involved in her Easter craft and I’m attempting to ignore her while I attempt to finish this important comment and not lose my train of thought! (me bad mummy?)
Reading organisation blogs like Masterchef…..hell yeah! Great post and sensational baking idea!
You’re not a bad mummy! Just a mummy trying to juggle a zillion different things. I often wonder what daily life was like for our parents who didn’t have these “gizmos” to attend to. Did they just spend more time chatting with neighbors over fence or tied to the phone (literally in the “pre-cordless” phone era)… or were they getting more done but in the process becoming more socially isolated? Probably a bit of both.
Oh Yes! I too need to sort this out. I find myself hooked into checking emails – and it takes way too much of my precious time up. I find that if I boundary my time up and set aside time for doing bloggy things during the day, and the rest for family time etc I get far more done!
So true! I find I get more done too if I break things up and focus on one thing at a time. 🙂