The Blackberry...

As a continued explanation of each of my four "focus points" for 2010...I thought I would tackle the first one on the list. The statement "I control when I look at the blackberry..." is simple to say but much harder to do. Well for me at least...I am all about getting the work done as soon as I can so that I can check it off of the list. This has served me well, don't get me wrong. But 2009 was amp'd at a supercharged level and I got lost. I mean really lost. I was always crazy about being sure to get things done quickly, but there were times when I was working 24/7. It took a toll...I lost myself. And the truth is...I am pretty sure I was already lost to begin with. ;)

So for me, "I control when I look at the blackberry" means a few things. It is almost my mantra for working now. Perhaps I will list them. You know...I am crazy for the lists.

1) You can save some things for the next day.

2) You don't have to answer emails right away, sometimes taking time to think about how best to respond serves you well.

3) You don't have to check your email every two seconds, you can trust your intuition. Sometimes, I just have a feeling that I need to check the blackberry, and when I do...there is usually something I need to respond too. (PS - I refuse have my blackberry beep or vibrate to tell me emails are coming in. That would make me a nervous wreck.)

4) You don't need to waste energy worrying about something that is coming down the pike or due in the future. Just take it as it comes...deal with it...when it gets here.

5) You can focus on one thing at a time. Pick something. Work on it to completion or as much as you can...it helps to not feel so scattered. Doing 17 things at once is stupid.


So I solider on...trying to not let the blackberry (or work) control me.