GoodLifeFamilyMag.com MARCH | APRIL 2018 23 YOUR LIFE By Deborah Walsh Dobbs, M.A. | Contributor Warning: This isn’t your typical how-to piece. It’s more of a challenge. Spring Clean To de-clutter our calendars, we might benefit from changing the way we think about our time and what our calendars represent. Much of our busyness is self-inflicted, often driven by ego or fear. To improve our lives with more leisure and a reduction of work and chaos, brutal honesty and self-reflection are required. Let’s look at the big picture: ACCEPT THAT YOU HAVE MORE TIME THAN YOU THINK Sociologists study all kinds of quirky things, and some study the way people use their time. Sociologist John Robinson has done so much of this that he’s known as “Father Time.” Robinson insists we feel busier than we truly are and that we drastically underestimate our leisure time. We can see this if we look at our time from a different perspective. Feeling busy is valid. It’s a reality for us. However, let’s step back and consider the evidence. Every time we sneak a peek at our smartphone or intermittently check for work/school/church emails, we add busyness to our lives. The flipside: every time we take said smartphone into the bathroom to shop, scroll, or read the news, that’s leisure (albeit not meaningful). For more on this, read Overwhelmed: Work, Love, and Play When No One Has the Time by Brigid Schulte. REDEFINE YOUR CALENDAR What lands on your calendar shows not only what you’re doing but also who you are. Your calendar reveals your values, and what you omit from it might mean more than what you put on it. Now, let’s get to the nitty gritty: ESTABLISH SOCIAL MEDIA BOUNDARIES, PART 1: I don’t know how many times I’ve logged on Facebook in the morning to post a Happy Birthday message, and thirty minutes later, I’ve read three articles and watched a compilation of BatDad (that man is hilarious!). We’re implored to set technology boundaries with our kids, but many parents place no boundaries on themselves. Schedule social media time. Put it on the calendar if it’s important. If it’s not important, don’t do it. And when you schedule time for it, use that smartphone to set the timer. ESTABLISH SOCIAL MEDIA BOUNDARIES, PART 2: Choose no more than two apps. For example, maybe you’re a Facebook and Twitter person. If so, then cut out Pinterest and Instagram. If you MUST have an app for work, then regulate your time with gusto. Pick two and let the rest go. Stop being a slave to algorithms. USE TECHNOLOGY FOR GOOD: Technology ain’t all bad. Case in point: Doing homework with my daughter, especially trying to explain today’s mysterious math, took lots of time and stressed us both out. I wanted to get her a tutor, but I didn’t want to spend time driving her back and forth and sitting around during her session. So, I found Varsity Tutors, and she gets tutoring online in the comfort of her own home. I finish my work in peace, and her grades are the best they’ve ever been. Find apps and services that can save you some time. TAKE ONE TASK AT A TIME: Multi-tasking is a myth. This research forced me to launch a few new habits. While writing this article, I closed all apps, even my work email. I silenced notifications on my phone and put my desk phone on Do Not Disturb. I shut my door and told staff that unless the building is on fire, don’t knock. Take measures to Continue on page 76