Set boundaries with your smartphone

- We all hold in our pocket a device that has changed the world. Whether you call it a mobile phone, cellphone, smartphone, or even a phablet, we all posses a lot of power. We can communicate quickly and easily with anyone anywhere. Plus, we have thousands of tools that we can add to our phone in the form of apps to help us get more done. Unfortunately, because few of us establish boundaries with our phone, the result isn't always productive.

While our phone may give us the feeling of being productive, all too often, rather than being our servant, the phone has become the master of our day. Why? Because not only is this a device of great power, but also a great number of interruptions. I've found people are just as likely to lose time due to interruptions from our smartphone than they gain in terms of convenience. The good news is it doesn't have to be that way with a few simple fixes.

Let's look at some things that you can do to have a healthier, more productive relationship with your smartphone. The first thing is perhaps the easiest to do, turn off notifications for nonessential programs. For example, I'm talking about that simple little time-killing video game that pops up once a day to let you know you got more lives and it's time to come back and play. This is an unnecessary distraction. Take a few moments and turn off all notifications for apps that really don't have much value.

To find out how to do this, you can simply search for Turn Off App Notifications For and then your type of device, as in Turn Off App Notifications For Android. This one step will help you reclaim a great deal of attention. Next, choose one emergency channel and then silence all other communication notifications. Often, people have multiple modes of communication coming at them. Their phone rings, a new text message beeps, an email notification pops up on their screen.

Maybe your chat program causes the phone to vibrate when someone has replied. All of these notifications are really time thieves, because they switch your attention constantly. Instead, designate one communication channel as your emergency channel, such as phone calls or text messages. Then let friends, coworkers, and maybe your best customers know that if they need to get in touch with you immediately, that is the method to use.

Then, in your phone or app settings, turn off notifications and reminders from every other communication tool. This doesn't mean that we're never going to check them. In fact, if you've been through my Time Management Fundamentals course, you'll know that I recommend you have several times for checking things, like email, in your day. But by turning off the notifications and having one emergency channel open, you transition back to checking email instead of email checking you.

Also, curate your app installations carefully. Many people have what I call app addiction, the idea that installing one new program on your smartphone will magically make you more productive. That's just not the case. Productivity comes from living true principles. Filling up your phone with a variety of random apps creates confusion and clutter. So, instead, only install apps when you know that you're going to use them.

This includes scheduling time to figure out how to use them properly. Finally, slow down the rate of phone upgrades. Of course, we all want to have the coolest, shiniest new device. However, buying a new phone every single year usually has little value in terms of improving your productivity. There are a variety of rules of thumb that I recommend for figuring out when to upgrade, but I'll keep it extra simple for this video.

Try not to upgrade your phone any more than once every two to three years. That will keep you from falling way behind, but also keep you from wasting a lot of time and a lot of money switching phones from year to year. Your smartphone is indeed a powerful ally in your quest for productivity. Just make sure that you are the master and it, your servant.