Bored and Brilliant Challenge update
So I'm four days into the previously mentioned Bored and Brilliant project with a challenge each day, and frankly I'm so-so about the process so far. BUT, that's because I'm working from home, so the times of phone-heavy interaction described in the podcasts, traveling to work or errands and decrompressing after work, don't really happen to me. With that in mind, here's what's happened so far:
Day 1: Carry phone in pocket
During travel, I was to carry my phone in my pocket or bag and not look at it until I reached my destination. I did use the the bus, but for a really short trip, so does that count? To make up for it, I kept my phone on the other side of the room while I was working/relaxing and didn't check it unless I heard a notification
Day 2: No pictures or video
Not that hard, I don't have Instagram, SnapChat, or a Vine career, so it was easy. I sometimes send people photos via WhatsApp, so I made sure not to do that, but otherwise it was super easy. I can see how it would be difficult for others - these challenges are varied, so I'm sure I'll run into something difficult...
Day 3: Delete that app
Before listening to the accompanying podcast for the challenge, I had already picked two apps that I could delete - I hardly used them, so I wouldn't miss one, right? Wrong, because the challenge refers to apps that we use a lot but don't need to function, such as Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, games we use a lot, etc. Well, using the Break Free app this who time, I saw that Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, and the music player were among my most used apps. The latter two are necessary, while the former two, hmmm not so much. If I had to pick one, Facebook, because I also have the Facebook Messenger app so really do I need to know right away that someone posted on my wall or tagged me in a photo? The challenge is also only for one day, but I would want to try for a week. I decided to delete the Facebook app.
Then came the hard part, actually deleting the app. Not only is there Facebook already installed on my phone, there's also the Facebook for HTC bloatware. I need a different approach, so I uninstalled updates, cleared my cache and automatic sign-in, and stopped the app from syncing and pushing notifications. It's the best I can do. Time will tell how much I miss that damn app.
Day 4: Take a fauxcation
Nope, this is the hardest. The idea is to set an automatic away message for a certain amount of time (Two hours, the afternoon, it's up to you re: when and what you can get away with), and just not respond to messages, emails, etc. in that time. Be a bit more unreachable. This is super frustrating for me. WhatsApp doesn't have an automatic reply feature, so the best I could do is change my status to Busy and turned the WiFi and network data off on my phone - this way, it shows in the app that I have yet to receive the messages. Now I'm looking at it like Schrödinger's cat - there may or may not be messages waiting for me, I won't know until I turn the WiFi on. And I didn't decide how long this fauxcation would be, probably until I give in to curiosity.
I can see how this exercise would be beneficial to people who are employed and need a break from the office. I have this crazy idea of a future career where as soon as I leave the office/lab/place of work, I do not have to respond to work messages unless I'm on call, but more and more I'm seeing these job postings asking applicants to "be able to work outside of the 9 to 5 mindset," etc. It's looking as though my crazy idea is becoming more and more of a crazy dream, and I'll need exercises like this to adjust accordingly.
So, this challenge is frustrating for today, but something to keep in mind for the future.
There are two more challenges, so I'll post about them on Sunday.
Day 1: Carry phone in pocket
During travel, I was to carry my phone in my pocket or bag and not look at it until I reached my destination. I did use the the bus, but for a really short trip, so does that count? To make up for it, I kept my phone on the other side of the room while I was working/relaxing and didn't check it unless I heard a notification
Day 2: No pictures or video
Not that hard, I don't have Instagram, SnapChat, or a Vine career, so it was easy. I sometimes send people photos via WhatsApp, so I made sure not to do that, but otherwise it was super easy. I can see how it would be difficult for others - these challenges are varied, so I'm sure I'll run into something difficult...
Day 3: Delete that app
Before listening to the accompanying podcast for the challenge, I had already picked two apps that I could delete - I hardly used them, so I wouldn't miss one, right? Wrong, because the challenge refers to apps that we use a lot but don't need to function, such as Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, games we use a lot, etc. Well, using the Break Free app this who time, I saw that Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, and the music player were among my most used apps. The latter two are necessary, while the former two, hmmm not so much. If I had to pick one, Facebook, because I also have the Facebook Messenger app so really do I need to know right away that someone posted on my wall or tagged me in a photo? The challenge is also only for one day, but I would want to try for a week. I decided to delete the Facebook app.
Then came the hard part, actually deleting the app. Not only is there Facebook already installed on my phone, there's also the Facebook for HTC bloatware. I need a different approach, so I uninstalled updates, cleared my cache and automatic sign-in, and stopped the app from syncing and pushing notifications. It's the best I can do. Time will tell how much I miss that damn app.
Day 4: Take a fauxcation
Nope, this is the hardest. The idea is to set an automatic away message for a certain amount of time (Two hours, the afternoon, it's up to you re: when and what you can get away with), and just not respond to messages, emails, etc. in that time. Be a bit more unreachable. This is super frustrating for me. WhatsApp doesn't have an automatic reply feature, so the best I could do is change my status to Busy and turned the WiFi and network data off on my phone - this way, it shows in the app that I have yet to receive the messages. Now I'm looking at it like Schrödinger's cat - there may or may not be messages waiting for me, I won't know until I turn the WiFi on. And I didn't decide how long this fauxcation would be, probably until I give in to curiosity.
I can see how this exercise would be beneficial to people who are employed and need a break from the office. I have this crazy idea of a future career where as soon as I leave the office/lab/place of work, I do not have to respond to work messages unless I'm on call, but more and more I'm seeing these job postings asking applicants to "be able to work outside of the 9 to 5 mindset," etc. It's looking as though my crazy idea is becoming more and more of a crazy dream, and I'll need exercises like this to adjust accordingly.
So, this challenge is frustrating for today, but something to keep in mind for the future.
There are two more challenges, so I'll post about them on Sunday.
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