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Too Busy For Your Goals?

Every year my wife and I spend an afternoon together writing down our goals and manifesting the future that we want for our family and ourself.

We’ve learned to reflect on the things we desire and take time to thoughtfully write them down. Words have power and when written down they can become your reality. However, your goals can fall apart if you are unable to defeat the distractions that prevent you from accomplishing them.

Don’t Repeat Last Years Distractions

Before you craft your 2018 goals, I suggest you reflect on the things that distracted you from accomplishing your 2017 goals. It will come to no surprise that social media and cell phone use top the list.

According to research aggregated by Medikix, below is the average time spent per day across the most popular social media sites in 2016:

Add these minutes over the course of the year and your jaw may drop! Below are the total hours per year the average user spends on each site.

Youtube = 240 hours
Facebook = 213 hours
Snapchat = 152 hours
Instagram = 91 hours
Twitter = 6 hours

Even if you are only on Facebook, you spend upwards of 200+ hours per year! Don’t believe me? See for yourself.

Just imagine how far you could advance your goals by redirecting your time to something more productive. Here are a few examples to inspire you for 2018:

  • Read a 300 page book in 10 hours
  • Train for a half marathon in 28 hours
  • Learn Spanish in 480 hours
  • Become a basic guitar player in 120 hours

And these are just a few thought starters!

Digging Deeper

How long do you think it takes to repair a relationship with a loved one? How about the self care required to heal the emotional pain you’ve been holding onto for the past decade? Or breaking that habit you know isn’t good for you? All of these things require an intentionality that is best cultivated by spending time reflecting and writing — not scrolling and liking.

Your time is precious. There is no app, no post, and no amount of virtual attention that can replace the benefit of investing time towards goals that advance your emotional, physical, and spiritual health.

My Challenge To You!

Invest time in passions and people that matter most to you.
Travel beyond fake news and edited moments portrayed online.
Begin to thrive in an environment created first in your mind, then on paper, and eventually in the world around you.

Anything is possible in 2018.
Write your goals down!

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Are You Thriving or Surviving?

Are you Thriving? or Surviving?

Thought leaders throughout the country are looking closer at how our connected culture impacts our health and overall way of living.

The best example of this is a new organization called Thrive Global. Founded by Arianna Huffington (from the Huffington Post), their mission says it all:

Thrive Global’s mission is to end the stress and burnout epidemic by offering companies and individuals sustainable, science-based solutions to enhance well-being, performance, and purpose, and create a healthier relationship with technology.

We share a common belief: the notion that success can only be achieved by burnout is a delusion. I couldn’t agree more.

Thrive Global has dedicated a growing team of experts, scientists, writers, and even product creators to shift the paradigm of the burnout delusion. They have a podcast, daily stories, an app for deleting email while on vacation, and products that are geared towards your mind, body, and spirit. Heck, they even have a bed for your phone to rest in!

photo credit: shutterstock

The end goal for Thrive Global is to accelerate the culture shift that allows people to reclaim their lives and move from merely surviving to thriving.

In addition to their efforts, other major influences are beginning to apply energy to the needed cultural shift. The Obama Foundation has recently declared that Digital Citizenship is a key focus for them in the coming years.

Both of these examples excite me beyond measure and give me hope at pursuing my passion in advocating for healthy digital living.

What’s Your Thrive Pulse Score?

Here is an brief 11 question survey to help you better understand if you are thriving or merely surviving in your career. https://www.thriveglobal.com/pulse

Jumpstart Your Journey

Taking care of your digital health will soon become as important as taking care of your physical and emotional health. Jumpstart your journey to becoming digitally fit and get one step closer to a life of thriving and not just surviving. You’ve got this!

Originally published at https://www.linkedin.com on November 1, 2017.

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A Weekend Away from Email

A Weekend Away from Email?

As you get ready to enjoy Labor Day weekend, many of you will be taking your last summer vacation. How do you think your weekend would go if you didn’t check email?

Last week I went on vacation with my family. I made a vow to myself that I wouldn’t check email for the entire week and I’m proud to say that I stuck to that vow.

I didn’t check email for seven full days. Not even once.

As I look back on this experience, I’d like to share a few reflections and offer a couple tips that can help you stay off email during your next vacation (or long weekend away).

My Motivation

Two kids, two dogs, and enough supplies to last a month. After a last minute Amazon Prime purchase of a soft top carrier for the van, we packed everyone in and began our journey to Lake Michigan.

It was the first official trip with the entire family. Our daughter is five-months old and our son is about to be three. Spending quality time together was my main goal. Key word being quality.I spend plenty of time with my wife and kids however, it’s not always quality time. This is often due to my impulse to check email which shifts my attention to work as opposed to being present with them.

As an added element of motivation, I wanted to test my will power. Sounds crazy, but coming from someone who teaches people how to create healthy digital habits, I’ve often resorted to an app or piece of technology to help out.

But this time was different. I scheduled my ‘Out Of Office’ message, set expectations with my team and clients, and never looked back (or down for that matter).

Ten Immediate Benefits

I experienced several benefits by not checking email while on vacation.

  1. I was less irritable
  2. I was more patient
  3. I laughed more
  4. I wasn’t always thinking about work
  5. I processed (not just listened to) to what my wife was saying 🙂
  6. My morning routine was lifted though reading books (i.e. Utmost for His Highest, Minute of Margin).
  7. I slept better, I didn’t have random stressful dreams
  8. I felt more present
  9. I was less stressed and enjoyed my time away from work
  10. I was refreshed and ready to get back into work

You’ll Feel Better

Studies show that taking time off from work — and work-related email — lowers levels of fatigue and job burnout. Employees who come back rested tend to perform better at solving problems and other creative tasks.

Inspired by an article in the Harvard Business Review, a friend of mine recently sent an email to his team with the subject line: “Make Not Working Part of Work”.

He stated it was just as important to disconnect from the office and take time off as any other project the team was working on.

He also suggested that people leave their ‘Out Of Office’ response on for one additional day after their scheduled vacation so that they could catch up on email and reduce the stress that comes from being away from work.

Spice Up Your ‘Out Of Office’ Response

With Labor Day weekend upon us, it’s a perfect time to test out taking a hiatus from email.

Here is a great ‘Out Of Office’ template that you can use to help foster the benefits of taking time off from checking email while you enjoy some fun in the sun!

View Template

You’ll Never Know Unless You Try

Trust me. The benefits of going a long weekend without checking email will pay dividends to your mind, body, and spirit. Give it a whirl, you have nothing to lose and so much to gain.

About Mark

Mark has been compulsively checking his phone for over a decade. He finally mustered up the courage to do something about it. A man of many interests and a wellspring of energy, Mark is on a mission to teach people healthy digital habits. A sought after speaker on the Psychology of Technology, Mark teaches you how to defeat distractions so you can connect with purpose.

photo credit: shutterstock

Originally published at https://www.linkedin.com on September 1, 2017.

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Stop Email Overload

Stop Email Overload

Do you skim through emails without reading them fully? Feel like you can never can catch up on unread or flagged messages? You’re not alone.

I’d like to offer up a few ways to be more productive with your communication and provide some relief from your never-ending inbox.

I know what you’re thinking

Email is the lifeline of your business.

Your team depends on your ability to respond to them.

This is how your clients reach you.

Heck, you already have 18 unread emails and it’s not even 10.00 a.m!

Slow-down. Take a deep breath.

I’m not saying to stop email all together.

However, I do want to point out a few reasons why you should reconsider email as your primary mode of communication.

3 reasons to reconsider

#1 — People Are Overloaded. We are beyond the era of information overload. We need the jaws of life to set us free. Between flooded inboxes and fake news, it’s becoming hard to determine what’s important and what’s not.

#2 — TLDR; Too Long Didn’t Read. People don’t have time to read. They don’t even have time to go grocery shopping (#InstaCart). If you find yourself starting a sentence with “Lastly,….” I can assure you that email wasn’t read.

#3 — F-You email. I’m not mad at email. Just pointing out what science is telling us about the way we read. Our eyes follow text on the screen in the form of the letter F. We start by reading the top line, then scroll down and read halfway through, and swiftly scan to the end of the page like an anchor hitting the bottom of the ocean. All this in form of the letter F.

5 ways to better connect

I’m responsible for client relationships in my role at Skidmore Studio. I’ve learned that forming and fostering connections rarely comes just from email alone. Here are 5 additional suggestions on how you can better connect with the people you work with.

#1 — Pick Up the Phone — Try it. It’s amazing how often you’ll reach the person you need to get ahold of. In order to do this, you’ll need to break the habit of hiding behind the screen. Just remember this: CBE = Call Before Email!

#2 — Send a Text prior to 8.30 a.m — Before the chaos of the day gets going, try sending a text early in the morning. If you need a quick response, you may be able to catch the person during their cup of coffee or morning routine.

#3 — Use a Scheduling Tool — Asking someone for their time can be a game of chess. And finding time that works for both sides can be exhausting. Avoid these moments by using a scheduling tool like Calendly or Doodle to save precious time and energy.

#4 — Send Snail Mail. — Nothing beats getting a handwritten note from someone. There’s mutual gratitude and appreciation exchanged when writing or receiving a piece of mail. It takes time, but well worth the investment.

#5- Touch Their Hand — Okay, not literally. But sort of. Spend time face-to-face with your clients and team. This is how you get to know each other. This is how relationships are built.

Be bold. Break the cycle.

Sending email has become the new norm to our workforce. Step out of your inbox and into a moment of courage to break the cycle of email overload. Your clients and team will thank you.

 

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Are You Devoted to Facebook?

Are You Devoted to Facebook?

According to the Webster Dictionary, devotion is defined as:

1) Passionate, often selfless affection and dedication, as to a person or principle.

2) An act of religious observance or prayer, especially while in private.

Personally, I view devotion as the intersection of my intention and energy utilization throughout the day. Where are my thoughts pointed? How do my feelings drive my actions? How does my TODO list impact my ability to be interruptible?

A little while back I was given great words of advice from my dear friend and therapist, Suzy. She shared a mental exercise to help me become more aware of how I devote my energy each day and today I’d like to share it with you.

The Energy Unit Metaphor

Imagine you have 100 units of energy to spend in any given day.

Let’s say you wake up late — (boom 15 units off your day).

You find yourself running behind, skipping breakfast, and feeding your mind with fear based thoughts rather than oatmeal and a green smoothie (minus 10 units).

You hop into your car and race off to work (minus 10 units). While stopped at a red light, you check your email (I know YOU wouldn’t do this) and discover a nasty email from your boss (minus 20 units).

As you continue your commute you find yourself at a standstill on the highway (minus 20 units).

You decided to check Facebook “real quick” and reveal that your ex-girlfriend is “now in a relationship” with you old best friend (minus 30 units).

Before you’ve even arrived to the office, your already out of energy units! What happens next, seems to be the new norm.

You become “so busy” as your scurry throughout the remainder of the day. This results in a lack of margin to allow for the unexpected things that always seem to pop up (i.e. your child is sick at school, your friend needs a favor, etc.). Being low on energy units can zap your ability to be useful when responding to these spontaneous pokes for your attention. Richard Swenson, author of Margin has this to say:

Being useful to God and other people is a large part of what life is meant to be. And yet “usefulness is nine-tenths availability”. When others need help, they don’t need it two days from now. “We must be ready to allow ourselves to be interrupted by God.

Regardless of your religious affiliation, answer this question:

Are you interruptible?

How are you spending your interruptions?

I don’t know about you, but I’m most interrupted by the Internet, especially Facebook.

FACEBOOK TIME ALLOCATION

According to Neilson Research, the average Facebook user spends 8 hours a month (or 15 minutes a day) connected to Facebook. This number doubled from 2010. If the amount of time continues to grow, Facebook could consume 96 hours a month of one’s time and energy! Talk about devotion! This can really jeopardize your time alone and your ability to allocate time where you need to most.

“FACEBOOK IS LIKE A FRIDGE. YOU KNOW THERE’S NOTHING NEW INSIDE BUT YOU CHECK IT EVERY TEN MINUTES.”

Ignoring the extreme time projections above, let’s just look at the average user spending 15 mins a day. What else could you do with an extra 15 mins each day? Here are ten suggestions:

  1. Meditate — Check out Headspace
  2. Stretch
  3. Sit-ups
  4. Read a book
  5. Reflect in Scripture
  6. Make love
  7. Call an old friend
  8. Go on a walk
  9. Give your significant other a back rub
  10. Write in a journal

Let’s face it, these items yield more joy in life than a time spent allocated to Facebook.

WHAT ARE YOU DEVOTED TO?

Before you find yourself saying “I’m not devoted to Facebook”, ask yourself if you can relate to any of these other digital devotions:

  1. Video Game Benders
  2. Nextflix Marathons
  3. Taking the Perfect Selfie
  4. Chronic Pornography Use
  5. Compulsive Phone Checking
  6. Capturing every ‘moment’ through Instagram

The point is, our time is precious.

Where we devote our time often produces the sweetest fruits of our crop.

Bringing it back to the mental exercise on energy units, if you find yourself spending more units that you have, you’ll end up over drafting. This haphazard spending can put you in emotional, physical, and spiritual debt. Leaving you no time to devote toward rest and relaxation.

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Need A Break From Your Phone?

When was the last time you went to the bathroom without your phone?

Can’t remember?

Either can I.

I have a love-hate relationship with my phone. It loves me because I touch it and give it attention all the time. And I hate it because I touch it and give it attention all the time.

I’ve been advocating for healthy digital habits for over 5 years. During this time, I’ve watched my own habits go up and down like cell phone reception in Northern Michigan.

I’ve heard some fascinating (and funny) behaviors expressed from audience members during my talks. Let’s see which of the habits you can relate to most.

10 SIGNS YOU NEED A BREAK

#1 — You hide in the bathroom to check your phone. Not sure if this one is just for parents of young children, but I find myself extending my own potty breaks in hopes to escape the temper tantrum and poopy diaper that awaits me. If you don’t have kids, consider this — when was the last time you went to the bathroom without your phone?

#2 — You’re too tired to be intimate but can lay in bed for hours on Instagram. Thankfully, I can’t relate to this one, but I have heard this from multiple audience members. A woman in her mid 20’s stated, “I just want to be left alone so I can go to bed and enjoy Instagraming by myself.”

#3 — You get honked at every time the light turns green. Looking down at your phone during a red light isn’t texting and driving, right? Wrong. Even though it doesn’t seem as bad, there is a good chance that if you’re scrolling at a red light, you’re scrolling going 80 mph down the highway.

#4 — You have aches and pains in places you didn’t know could hurt. You wonder why your neck always hurts. You’re convinced you have a bum thumb. Your eyes burn and your migraine is back. Rx = Take 3 days off your device and call me in the morning. xoxo, Dr. Obvious.

#5 — You can’t put down your phone. Just-one-more-text.You started the day with your phone, you’ve brought it to the bathroom, you’ve driven it to work, you’ve placed it next to your fork at dinnertime. Heck you’ve even set it on your butt for the better part of the day. You’re fighting exhaustion yet your phone is always with you.

#6 — Your doctor has the same last name as a search engine. Who needs a doctor when you have google? Aside from the fact that you’ve misdiagnosed yourself with the measles, bird flu, and other fatal illnesses all within the last 6 months.

#7 — Your 30-minute workout isn’t ‘working out’ so well. You spent the first 15 minutes trying to find that perfect Pandora channel to pump-you-up. The remaining time was spent doing reps of texting, checking email, and the occasional phone call.

#8 — You realize group texts aren’t the same as hanging with friends. It’s 11:00 pm at night and you’re climbing into bed. One of your friends sends a group text to a dozen people. You try your hardest to ignore it and even think about using the Do Not Disturb feature. You opt to head to bed instead and enjoy a broken nights sleep with annoying notifications drifting in your dreams.

#9 — You wish you had more time for hobbies. If only there were more time in the day. Oh wait, what about the 160 times that you checked your phone today? Add that time up over the course of the week and you may find a couple extra hours to dabble in that craft you’ve been longing to take up.

#10 — You’ve written a song about your phone. Okay, this one may just be for me. But while I’m on the topic, take a minute and check out this love ballad I wrote for my phone titled, “Disconnect Me”. #SpokenWord

 

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