Sometimes it’s the little things that feel like a much bigger deal than they actually are. For instance, I recently got a new update on my iPhone and enabled the screentime tracker. That means I get to keep track of everything I do on my phone. It’s great and a little bit horrifying to see how much time I spend doing various things on that little hand-held device.
Y’all, I’m highly competitive. Especially when it comes to myself. In fact, I’m not sure there’s anything I don’t compete with myself with. Case in point: I saw my first week’s stats on the iPhone on Sunday and that night I fell asleep brainstorming flowcharts and tracking sheets that I could implement so I could track on paper how well I was doing with spending my time doing the right things on my phone instead of wasting time. Ya know, like making sure my “social media” time continually got lower and lower…
And here’s where the “little thing” comes in. My phone is old. And it’s been through a lot. Combine those two elements and you come up with a very sssssllloooooowwwwww phone. Like, think of a sloth doing the waltz. Yeah, that kind of slow. Case in point: My phone is sitting open next to me as I type this, and has been since before I started this blog post. It’s trying to “refresh” Instagram. The little spinny thing has been going around for a good eight minutes and shows no signs of letting up.
I don’t mind that my phone’s slow, and I don’t really care that it’s taking so long to refresh. After all, I’m blogging. But what does bother me is the fact that I’m fairly certain this is being tracked on my screen time. Yes, folks, that’s what I mean by the “little things.”
Over the years I’ve discovered that being particular about the little things can be both a blessing and a curse. When I use that particularity to my advantage then it becomes a tool, but when I let it control me, then I’m turning a good thing into something negative.
Recently, I’ve been trying to be aware of what affects me and make sure that I’m using all my little quirks to help me grow and become a better person. It’s not always easy, but hey, who said life was supposed to be easy?
Currently
Setting: Office
Listening To: The stream rushing by (it’s been raining a lot)
To Do Today: Edit, Vote, Work
Thankful For: Being home in my cozy office
Question of the Day: What’s one of your quirks?
Noveltea 
Oh my goodness! A sloth doing a waltz? Great analogy! Love it.
I can’t think of any quirks…I must be perfect! Haha!
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Thanks!
And no quirks? Goodness! I probably have enough for two people. 😉
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hahaha I totally relate to this. I haven’t tracked the screen time thing yet, because I know I’ll be just like this. And we have poor wifi which means sometimes it takes awhile for my phone to load to, and yes I’ll leave it setting while I do something, too. I do know I sometimes spend too much time on it? But for the most part I like my breaks and am a productive person so I don’t worry about it that much.
I’m glad to see you’re voting!
Some other quirk? I type in my bed. I don’t like sitting at a desk and I am more productive when I’m comfortable. I also hate eating at the table and would rather sit on the couch (or in bed haha).
keturahskorner.blogspot.com
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Ah yes, I’m reminding myself that when I’m using my phone as a tool it really doesn’t matter how much time I spend on it. It’s just when I’m on it cause I’m tired, etc… that I want to be careful with.
Ah yes, I like to type on my bed, too, but at least try (sometimes) to do it at my desk because I have a special ergonomic keyboard there.
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I haven’t updated my phone in a while in fear of it being slowed down but that’s a really interesting update idea! One of my quirks is certain high pitched and mouth noises bother me. I can’t stand the sound of clacking teeth. 😂
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Haha! I can totally relate to that feeling of not wanting to update your phone. I figured mine is so far gone that if it does shut down with an update, then oh well… And yes! I can imagine those being very hard noises to live with…
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Not a fan of the screen time part they added to the phone. I use waze a lot while i drive so my screen time always shows as huge.
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Well, I’m fine with the screentime being high as long as what I was doing was actual work – because my phone is a tool. It just helps me remember not to waste time…
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