The other day a little 30 second video landed in my inbox. (I’ve popped it at the bottom of the post, if you are interested.) It was about how much the chap relies on his phone and it made me think:
Nowadays, as I leave the front door I usually check that I have my phone with me before I check for my wallet.
Over the past 4.5 years that I’ve had a smartphone it has become an intrinsic past of my life, but most importantly of my time management. So much so that when I was offered an iPhone as an upgrade I refused it for not giving me an instant glance at my agenda. I want that immediate snapshot of reminders as I glimpse at my screen.
I have no watch. I lie, I have several very pretty ones, but they annoy me when I rest my wrist to type, so they lie at the bottom of my drawer.
My Nokia Lumia is my watch. It is my reminder that I need to do something, need to be somewhere, it’s my sidekick.
Typically, I wake up, fish it out from under my pillow, where it charged overnight, and look at the time. Is it time to get up or do I still have time to go back to sleep? With still blurry eyes I check emails, Twitter, Facebook, whatsapp, read some blog posts, if I get the chance.
At some point, depending on the day of the week, phone beeps at me: “Now you have to go, shower and get ready”. I’ve set this as a gentle tone, I’m not a morning person and loud noises hurt.
Getting downstairs, my Lumia gets plonked somewhere and at 8:15 on weekdays the music starts up. The kids know the tune; it means I don’t have to shout as much to get them going. The alarm indicates it’s time to stop whatever they are doing, shove the last bit of breakfast in and put on shoes and coats.
I snooze it for 10 minutes and the next time it starts we have to be out the door.
As we get on the bikes, I start my cycle tracking app. This gives me an opportunity to improve our route and our times, it’s healthy to race oneself.
Through the day my Lumia will often be my first choice for a quick glance at emails and my social media channels. If I need to note something down I reach for the OneNote app on there.
I use my Lumia’s camera to capture moments with the kids or beauty that I see around me. Since having such a good in-built camera I spot small details more often and especially love the macro feature- how my garden grows, how the light falls, the delicious breads I bake… and then share it! 🙂
It’s reassuring that the images and other content get uploaded to the internet, to my OneDrive the moment I link to WiFi. When I pop onto my laptop to write a blog post, I find my notes already synched on my desktop version of OneNote and my pictures ready to crop, watermark or just use as is.
My phone drags me back from the depth of work singing to me a tune to say it is pick up time. It tracks my route, my calorie spend. I grab a couple of minutes waiting at the school gate to check social media or jot down some thoughts that sprung while cycling. (Exercise is almost as good as driving for the brain to conjure up the most brilliant of ideas, don’t you think?)
I don’t bother with the laptop much when the kids get home. I’ll Bing queries on my phone, look up recipes if I want to give my cooking a bit of a fresh taste and l often link my MixRadio to our sound bar for music.
Dinner time: The phone is banished. Is family time!
However, after dinner the Lumia it comes out again, with apps for the kids, some music or just some reading for me while they fall asleep and I sit in their darkened room.
As the day draws to a close my phone comes to bed with me. A final check of my calendar, some thoughts of the day past and ahead, notes if necessary and then it’s connected to the charger and popped under my pillow… Awaiting another day where it can guide my through my day.
Ah no I am the opposite, I just sold mine on as as fab as the camera and screen are (boy the camera is great – by far the best I’ve found on a phone ever) the lack of apps available for windows phones has pushed me over the edge I’m afraid. Hopefully in the future though more apps will make a windows app to add to the android / iphone options.
I love the Lumia, but you are right about fewer apps. However, I think I can ultimately find the apps I need. The compromises are mostly in the detailed functionality of apps and the OS.
sounds like a good phone – i try and not be too reliant on a smartphone – need some technology free time!
I love my current phone, but my previous one- an android- was as useful.
I don’t use my phone for time management or for blogging but I use it for quick photos and catching up on facebook, twitter etc. I have installed a running app to monitor how far I go. If I’m honest I would be lost without my phone!
It’s funny how attached we’ve got to our technology in such short time, isn’t it?
I turn my phone off at night and leave it downstairs. If I don’t wear my watch I feel naked! I do love my smart phone as it keeps my blog running but it does annoy me as well.
My phone may be insert my pillow at night, but out goes into night mode, with only closer family calls or messages allowed through.
I love my watch – I feel naked without it lol!! I intensely dislike always being “available” via my phone, sometimes it’s nice to walk away from modern technology.
I envy your ability to walk away.
Dont use my phone for planning at home.
I could not survive without my smartphone, might be a little addicted x
I am the same with my iPhone and don’t wear a watch and use my phone as said watch x
Good essential tips
Thanks! How do you manage your time?
I’ve never had a Windows phone before. I am due an upgrade in a few weeks time so I will have to research it a bit more and maybe change from an Android software.
I like the OneDrive most about having a windowsphone- the ability it gives to swap my work from phone to laptop almost seamlessly. I say almost, because some photo editing software is slightly different on laptop versus phone and in some cases I prefer to use one or the other.
All sounds very familiar, other than I have an iPhone- use it as clock, reminder system diary, friend and resource all day long! My OH fancies a Nokia for their live music recording properties, apparently it has the best mic!
My Dad has a Nokia Lumia and loves it – he didn’t want to upgrade to a smart phone at all, but as he was nearing retirement and it was there he went for it – it doesn’t leave his side now – he’s forever fiddling with it. x
I too seem to have outgrown the wristwatch. Though I swear by my Apple 🙂 Sorry!
My phone goes everywhere with me and I am forever checking it. My memory is awful so I program the calendar to remind me of everything!
yep, my phone is the first thing I grab….that and my keys and the world is ok!!