About once a month, it is wise to stop using your digital devices and become centered and present.
Ask yourself if you are truly focusing and acting on your most meaningful objectives and highest priorities in your personal or professional life. The smart phone and other devices can, if not carefully monitored and in some cases moderated, allow others to take up your valuable time.
They can distract you from your highest personal or professional priorities or what is most important. If you are truly inspired by your daily agenda and feeling productive and fulfilled, and unrequested or unexpected individuals are not overly occupying space and time in your mind, then great, but if you are not, it may be wise to set aside brief times to get or keep your priorities straight.
Although much of today’s business is done digitally, this does not mean you need to be available 24-7.
What can be gained by taking a digital detox? In some cases you can regain your life back. In other cases you can regain at least some time for deeper reflection, mindfulness and prioritisation.
When you fill your days with high priority personal and professional actions that inspire your life, your life does not become filled with low priority distractions that interfere with greater work productivity.
There are people who are inspiring, meaningful and productive to communicate with each day and there are others who simply have less to do and who want to take up your time and share small talk.
Learning to say no can liberate you from time consuming, self-worth lowering activities that could erode time from your missions and dreams.
Small talk can lead to small dreams and small economic rewards. So if an individual is important to talk to, then by all means talk to them, but if not, take command of your phone, tablet and computer.
Consider scheduling specific strategic times for checking your phone and responding to selective others. Just because someone calls you does not mean that you are to stop and let your life revolve around that person, unless they are your priority at that given time.
Until you value your time, don’t expect others to. When the voice and the vision on the inside becomes more profound than all the opinions on the outside, you have begun to master your life.
Give yourself permission to turn your phone off and take command of your time. Choose your own highest priorities for you personally and for your profession.
No one will ever get up and dedicate their lives to your fulfillment as much as you. So use your digital devices wisely before they rob you of your most fulfilling dreams.
Ask yourself daily: is this the highest priority use of my time? If the answer is ‘yes’, then answer the phone or reply to the message or mail. If not, then get on with what inspires you and what is most productive.
Dr John Demartini is a human behavior expert and founder of The Demartini Institute. Visit www.drdemartini.com