I don’t have any time to write.
(That’s a lie.)
Sure, I’m busy. Most educators I know aren’t having any trouble filling their days. I’m no different, and if you had asked me recently, I would have told you I was pretty focused with my time.
But last week I took a few minutes to look at my phone use. Despite the fact that “I don’t have any time,” I was managing to spend a couple of hours a day wasting time reading Facebook and playing games.
So, I started deleting distractions.
Facebook was the first to go (the app, not my account… the web version is just slow enough on my phone that it annoys me and keeps me from investing huge amounts of time). Then came the games. Sudoku got cut. Wordscapes got cut. Candy Crush got cut. 2048 got cut.
It’s been an instant time saver, and I’ve finally rediscovered some time for something I’ve been missing: Writing.
I can’t believe I’m the only one wishing I have more time than I’m able to find. Does everyone have the same amount of recoverable time in the same corners of their lives? No, but not long ago I would have told you I couldn’t find time to write in my schedule. I would have never have found it if I hadn’t asked myself to look at things differently.
Deleting apps doesn’t magically make writing easier, but for someone like me who will let the lack of sufficient time get in the way of reflecting like I know benefits me, it helps eliminate an excuse.
What distractions do you need to delete?