Of all the inventions of recent years, there is one which seems to have reached more people and had a greater impact than any other – the mobile / cell phone. Who would have thought that we would be able to make a phone call from just about anywhere on Earth? Or that we would have a virtual office in our pocket? When combined with the internet, the modern phone has become more powerful than the majority of us could ever have envisaged. In very little time, it has become a practically indispensable tool.
When I was growing up in the 1980s and ’90s, my parents trusted that if I was out of their sight for a few hours, I would have enough sense to keep myself out of trouble. Were I growing up nowadays, they wouldn’t have to trust. They could regularly check in with me via my phone.
But that last paragraph should give you a hint as to why the mobile /cell phone has also been one of the most problematic inventions of modern times i.e. people don’t have boundaries with them. Think about it for a minute; in the example, I gave above, how would the parents and child ever build a trusting relationship? Trust builds when you trust people, not when you constantly check in on them.
Setting boundaries with your phone will help you become more focused.
You can get a copy of my FREE Report to Improve Your Focus and Increase Your Productivity.
If you are wondering what this has to do with time management, I am about to explain. If you give people the ability to access you at any time, they choose, many of them will call you any time they choose. And if you are taking calls at times that are convenient to others, then you are likely to be taking calls at times that are not convenient for you. You are not taking control of your time to ensure it is used in a manner that best suits your needs.
I am going to use an extreme example to illustrate why you need to set boundaries with your phone.
Employment Boundaries
I was working shift-work for a local business when a relative was dying. During that time, I wanted to have my phone switched on, in case an emergency call came through. I knew that my relative was dying and, I knew that call would eventually come.
My employers, despite knowing the situation, didn’t let that stop them. As I was local, whenever somebody failed to show for work, I would get a call asking me to come in. I didn’t need the overtime but I did like to help out so I usually agreed to come in.
These calls would come at any time. On a few occasions, I would only be in bed a for 4-5 hours after a night shift when the phone would ring. In Ireland, this is a breach of employment law but due to the stressful situation, I wasn’t in a clear enough frame of mind to realise this. So, I failed to deal with the situation properly. Instead, I chose to use the ‘Do Not Disturb’ function on my phone 24/7.
I couldn’t believe that I had to risk missing an emergency call to get some sleep. And, all due to the poor behaviour of my employers. Thankfully, when the morning of the emergency call came, I had taken my phone off of 'Do Not Disturb' temporarily and, I had forgotten to put it back on.
You won’t be surprised to learn that at the time of my relative’s passing, my employers didn’t behave very respectfully either. My sacrifices were quickly forgotten.
You teach people how to treat you and, if you teach them that they can walk all over you, they will do it repeatedly. One of the best ways to teach people how to treat you is to set clear boundaries in the important areas of your life. I would suggest that one of the most important areas you can set boundaries is in determining when and how people can contact you. This allows you to determine how your time is best used.
Improve Your Focus
If you need to get clear and focused on your goals and objectives, this great resournce will help.
When it comes to mobile/cell phones, here are some examples off setting clear boundaries:
Know Your Rights and Obligations
When things calmed down and I had time to reflect, I realised that I was not legally obligated to take calls from my employers. So, I blocked all the management team’s numbers and the switchboard number. If they wanted to get in touch, they had my email.
Hopefully, this won’t be necessary for too many people but don’t discount it.
Lesson: If there is no benefit to you in receiving the calls; you don’t have to take them.
You Can Retain Control
When I was buying my house, I was going to be unavailable for a few days so, I text my offer to the estate agent on a Sunday.
I did not expect a reply until Monday and, I did not get one.
Lesson: Even if you want to respond you do not have to do so immediately. You can choose to do so at a more convenient time. Follow the excellent example of my estate agent.
Remove Potential Distractions
When I am busy, I put my phone on 'Do Not Disturb' and leave it in another room. I can then check it at times that suit me.
Lesson: Remove both the distraction and the temptation.
Your Phone; Your Convenience
As time goes by, I have started to use my phone more as an answerphone/messaging service where I let others call and leave a message. I then set some time aside to return calls and messages when it is more convenient for me.
Lesson: Determine how you want your phone to work for you and set your schedule up to match it.
Setting boundaries with your phone will help you become more focused.
You can get a copy of my FREE Report to Improve Your Focus and Increase Your Productivity.
Conclusion
The above examples are just that – examples. Your circumstances are different from mine so you need to determine which boundaries work for you and which don’t. When you are always available to others, you are not available to yourself. You are putting whatever they want ahead of whatever you want. You were put on this Earth to live your best life; to be the best version of you that you can be. To do this, you need to make time and space for you and, your wants, needs, desires, and goals. Then, when you are the best ‘You’ that you can be, everyone who comes into contact with you will benefit from the happier, healthier person who stands before them.