I was having issues with my iPhone recently, so I stopped by an Apple store to have them check it out. The solution they came up with was reinstalling the software on my phone. I asked what that meant, and she told me I would lose everything on my phone. It meant I would need to reinstall all my apps.
Not cool.
So as of July 30, 2022, I would be starting over. It is incredible how much I do from my phone.
I had a flight booked for the following Monday, so I needed to put the Delta app back on my phone. I added United, American, and Southwest at the same time. I wanted to get a hotel for my trip home; back came the Hilton app. Somebody asked me a question about an upcoming trip. Not a problem. I need to install the TripIt app back on my phone.
What is the score of the Red Sox game? Easy, I’ll reinstall the MLB app. There is more to life than baseball, so I added ESPN simultaneously. Plus, the Husker and Vikings app so I could manage tickets. I also needed Ticketmaster so I could go to Alan Jackson.
Buy some golf balls. Reinstall Amazon. Speaking of golf, I like to know how far I am from the cup, so I reinstalled Golfshot. I need to save on green fees, so I reinstalled GolfNow.
Listen to music or podcast, so I reinstalled Spotify. Plus, Sonos so I can listen at home.
Watch Netflix? Reinstall it and all the other entertainment apps (Paramount, Hulu, Disney+, YouTube, and YouTube TV).
Then it was time for work. So, I needed to add, Outlook, OneNote, Excel, Zoom, Concur, and many more.
After work, it is time to read YouVersion Bible, Audible, and Kindle needs to go back on my phone.
Each app has its own login name and password. So, reinstalling the apps was about a 7-step process. (Luckily, I use Dashlane for storing my passwords. It meant reinstalling another app, but at least my passwords were handy to find).
For a guy whose doorbell (Ring), thermostat (Nest), garage door (MyQ), deadbolt (Schlage), meat thermometer (Meator), gym membership (Peloton), and bathroom scale (Weight Guru) are all monitored via apps, it was a hassle. Did I mention apps for my bank and credit cards?
But here is the real kicker. The book I just started reading was none other than “Digital Minimalist” by Cal Newport. By “book,” I mean e-book on my kindle, of course.
Convicting, to say the least. So, I ensured I wasn’t adding anything I didn’t need. If I weren’t 100% sure it made my life simple, I vowed I wouldn’t add it back onto my phone.
Social Media can be done via computer. If it’s not on my phone, I won’t be tempted to check it when I am bored. So, I left them off my phone.
I had already started to try and simplify my life by not taking my phone or laptop to meetings. This is just another step toward being more engaged with the people I am around instead of the device in my hand.
It is going to be an exciting journey as I finish the book to see how I do at moving away from electronics and toward people.