It’s taught me how to look for specific ways to ensure that my smartphone is not offsetting the work-life balance I’ve been striving to achieve, despite my workaholic bent. By sharing these with my fellow entrepreneurs, I hope to influence more people to put their smartphones in their place.
Here are some strategies I’ve implemented that have helped make my smartphone less of a distraction:
- Set a usage schedule. While this can be tricky, since most of us are practically running our businesses from our smartphones, it is possible. I created an alert on my smartphone that told me when it was time to step away from it, including texts, social media, email, and browsing. Typically, I have my usage schedule for chunks of time in the early morning, midday, and later in the evening. There are times where I may have to take a call, but typically everything else can wait until a designated period of time.
- Establish technology-free days or vacations. I designate a day or two each month where I step away from my smartphone for the entire day, or for designated days during a vacation with my family. This ensures I spend quality time outdoors or with my wife and daughter, friends, and family. It’s been the most difficult thing I’ve had to do, but this way, I am able to make the most of that time.
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John Rampton is the founder of Palo Alto, California-based Due, a free online invoicing company specializing in helping businesses bill their client easily online. You can connect with him @johnrampton.
BusinessCollective, launched in partnership with Citi, is a virtual mentorship program powered by North America’s most ambitious young thought leaders, entrepreneurs, executives and small business owners.