Do You Want To Smash Your Time Management?
Do you promise yourself that you’ll just check your phone for one thing but twenty minutes later you’re still scrolling away?
Does that happen at night, thus delaying your bed-time and screwing your sleep?
Do you burn your precious energy feeling guilty about whether you’re a good parent or if you should have helped your colleague at work today?
Do you frequently feel overwhelmed and spend too much time turning in ever decreasing circles?
I Was Spending Too Much Time On My Phone
A few months ago, I was spending far too much time on my phone. My favourite place to stand and scroll is in the corner of the kitchen. I’d check the BBC News website then wander over to Facebook or Twitter.
My window of time to read a book before bed frequently disappeared. If something piqued my imagination it often kept me awake for up to two hours while my brain churned around it. Even though I knew that I risked screwing my sleep, I still picked up the phone. All the time.
Last year I did the Time Genius course with Marie Forleo and heard this tip. Two words — “I don’t”.
Immediately I knew what this new rule would be:
“I don’t look at my phone after 8pm”.
“I Don’t”
Using the phrase “I don’t” puts you in charge of your choices. It is scientifically proven to make self-talk eight times more effective than saying “I can’t”.
For example, saying “I can’t have cake” immediately makes you want it and you feel deprived by not having it. Saying “I don’t eat cake” puts you in the driving seat. You are choosing behaviours that serve your goals.
I implemented this new rule straight away with my phone and saw an immediate improvement in my sleep quality.
The other course participants also raved about how adding these two simple words to their bad habits produced instant results.
Let’s Look At Overwhelm
It is very easy to get bogged down as you juggle work, family commitments and finding time…
