Time to focus

So the other week, I spent a good number of hours doing anything but my homework. And something I didn’t get around to mentioning (because I was too tired to even bother) was that attempted to deep clean my phone.

Cleaning up my camera roll was step one, and then clearing my home screen of unnecessary apps and widgets was step two. Step three? Well, I didn’t get that far. I fell asleep instead.

But not to worry. I took another deep dive into my phone this past week to see what else I could get rid of and to try solving by sad battery life issues, and instead I discovered a partial solution to my failing time management skills and overall prioritization and productivity: Focus Mode. For once, I think my distractedness is paying off.

I know Focus Mode (for iPhone) is nothing new or anything revolutionary, but why couldn’t have somebody told me about this earlier?? Call it what you will, but this is a revelation for me.  

Depending on my daily routine, things to do, etc., I can set different modes for different activities; block notifications from certain apps and certain people when I’m working, sleeping, or spending time with family; and it can even save my phone battery from draining so quickly.

Anyway, it’s something I’m still getting used to. Every time I pick up my phone, my screen is darkened, and all my notifications are hidden (which is not a bad thing). So, instead of being tempted to check my messages and scroll through whatever apps I can find, I’m reminded that I’ve got lots of stuff to get done. I don’t have time to, or at least I shouldn’t put so much time into, being on my phone when I have a to-do list to get through.

The moral of this story? It’s time to put the phone away and get working.

If I think about it hard enough, I could simply throw my phone across the room or store it away in another room to keep it away from my reach. However, a big jump like that is not easy to deal with. If anything, I’m realizing now how much of an attachment I have with my phone, and that is no good. Little steps and being flexible are how I can work toward my goals without full-on punishment… if that makes sense.

By setting up things like Focus Mode, I can still use my phone but only during times when I’m not working, studying, spending time with family, and more. Then, I can prioritize what’s most important in the moment with less distraction (not necessarily no distraction because I’ll always find something to distract myself with).

I’m essentially talking myself through how things should be going from now on so I can be productive. Who knows if it’ll actually work out in the end, but I’ll just have to see with time.

Just trust the process, and everything will be fine.