Setting the Priorities: Ignore Shiny Things

When I’m crunched for time in the morning, my mind immediately goes to every little thing on the to-do list and mulls it over at high-speed. I try to tackle everything at once, instead of one at a time. I try to control the six windows I have open on my internet browser, as I eat breakfast, drink coffee, get dressed, start a blog post, fix lunch, go back to the six open windows, catch what’s on Morning Joe, finish the blog post (on most days…), and take another bite of breakfast.

See, how that works? Right; it doesn’t.

When we sit down to read, watch a show or movie, or just chat and catch up at the end of the day, my mind immediately tells me to check my phone, write something on the to-do list so I don’t forget, check my phone again, check in with what we’re doing (movie? show? what’s that you said?), and then I’ll probably check my phone…again.

Does that give you a headache, just trying to understand the logic?

Me, too.

 
{It took me a good 10 minutes just to choose that picture; “Lol Cat” searches always create a time warp.}

Today, we talk Priorities. Do you have them? Do you set them – seasonally, weekly, daily, hourly? All of the above?

Tuesday night we watched “Miracle on 34th Street” (the new version, because Mara Wilson was an adorable toddler). It’s one of my all-time favorite Christmas movies, and yet every time that upper right corner of my blackberry started blinking that shiny red, I immediately checked to see what it was.

Standard behavior.

Then I walked that blinking phone into the room, plugged it in to charge & turned it on silent. Watch the movie, just relax for an hour and leave everything else alone.

I intend to do that more often, ignoring the fact that I’ve set that intention multiple times before. This time, it feels more pressing. For whatever reason, I’ve suddenly realized what a crutch it is. And it’s annoying.

*****

Wasn’t there a time when hardly anyone had internet on their phone? We were able to shut “it” off, go about our days and get other things done – tend to other priorities. And didn’t we all get by just fine? Yes, I think so.

It may be a little late in the season, but better late than never. I’m setting daily priorities, making sure items get done and crossed off, and I’m putting my phone “away” (and shutting it up) when I need to.

Yesterday, I cooked some kale, sweet potatoes & fennel for lunch (using up groceries!) instead of sitting down to hash out a blog post. I went to happy hour with some friends and put my phone & purse in the corner, where I didn’t think about it for the rest of the night. I got up for yoga this morning and only let my brain think about breathing, tight muscles (ouch) and holding a pose.

I’ll “publish” this, answer some e-mails and keep one window open on Firefox the entire time I work – finishing tasks without shiny distractions.

I’ll wrap the last few presents for the tree, meet a friend for lunch, head to a meeting, and then head to the grocery store so we’re all stocked up for the holiday.

Tonight, with all of the above done & checked, I’ll turn the phone off again and enjoy a date night with D, to kick off the holiday weekend.

*****

What are your priorities today? For the hour? For the rest of the week?

Are you a phone-obsessor, or do you have the {now rare} ability to ignore it?