I love screentime. It has changed the way we do everything about anything.
Screentime is powerful. It can connect us with people and ideas all over the world!
However, with so many services, apps, and ideas vying for my attention, recently, my time spent staring into cyberspace through my smartphone had become a little bit chaotic.
And, to make matters worse, with the Coronavirus, my family and I have been stuck in quarantine doing online school for 7-8 hours a day, which has made my personal “self-care” time pretty limited and terse. I know that you might be going through this right now!
I’d been using my technology so much that it had become cluttered the same way a tiny apartment you rarely leave becomes messy and overwhelming to be in (not that I know ANYTHING about that…).
I had technology fatigue and knew I needed a digital detox like I needed a fifth of tequila or a spa day with my girlfriends. (or BOTH!)
“Bad” Moms
So, I decided it was time to spark some joy and get back on track using some of Marie Kondo’s principles to bring much needed digital order to my life and my iPhone.
In case you aren’t already familiar with the magic that is Marie Kondo, she is a Japanese organizational expert who is known for helping people “tidy up” and “spark joy” in their homes and lives by introducing a simple, yet compelling method of organization – also known as the KonMari Method – that focuses on decluttering.
Is she for real?
Here is how I Konmari-ed my smart phone into a samurai sword
Step 1: I deleted apps on my phone that no longer “sparked joy.”
This was definitely the most overwhelming step, but it was also a fun trip down memory lane. As I perused each and every app on my iPhone, I was able to not only delete apps I no longer needed (bye-bye NAVER!), but at the same time, I was able to think through the events in my life that led me to those apps and the times that I’d needed them for one reason or another.
All in all, I deleted about 50% of my iPhone apps ranging from ones that no longer applied to my life to ones that were so old that updates had long since stopped coming out to support them.
Step 2: I folded my apps like Marie folds her shirts.
With my remaining apps, I folded them neatly into categories like “Live Long.” It’s wonderful to see your apps that helping you along a goal cheering you on like electronic elves. “You can do it!” says my Zero app.
I even took it one step further and lined up all of my app folders at the very top of my iPhone screen. Having folders just along the top of my screen makes for the simplest way to see everything and flip through my apps quickly. Also, it has the added bonus of allowing me to actually see the beautiful background image of my family (which has been covered by apps for years!).
Finally, I folded those kid apps and moved all of the games and other things my youngest child uses on my phone to a single page – making them easy for her to see and easy for me to avoid.
Step 3: I organized my apps to support good habits
Using some of my favorite principles from James Clear’s Atomic Habits, I made the apps that are part of my personal and family goals (I call them my “Veggie Apps”) “frictionless” and made my distraction apps (I call them my “Candy Apps”) very hard to find or “full of friction.”
In life (and on your phone), you always want to light the way to those crucial, helpful tools and habits, but put up as many barriers as possible to the things that bring distraction and chaos.
My smartphone was transformed!
Now, rather than serving as a weapon of mass distraction, my iPhone is a newly sharpened samurai sword for productivity and peace in my life!
I don’t feel overwhelmed or distracted, but instead like I can conquer the world (or at least my daily schedule) with my trusty phone in my back pocket.
Here is a little video on the results!
Next Up: I’ll be helping my kids Konmari their iPads. Wish us luck!
Have you tried any of these tricks with your tablet or smartphone? Let me know your thoughts or experiences in the comments below!