Intention

“A goal without a plan is just a wish.” —Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

I know I’m on my phone too much. When we use the same device as a map, a camera, a business tool, grocery shopping, entertainment, communication, news—the lines get blurry. It’s hard to know when the essential drifts into the unnecessary.

All I know is that I often feel gross at the end of the day, the soulful equivalent of eating nothing but chips and candy.

I’m tired—

Of low-grade envy and anxiety that seeps from someone’s curated life through a screen and into my spirit.

Of nibbling on snippets and sound bytes instead of feasting on long-form, thoughtful prose.

Of feeling the need to have a well-formed opinion on the news of the day.

Of knowing everyone and their brother’s opinion on All The Things and then making value judgements about them as human beings.

Of wanting to buy things I don’t need.

Of not “having time” or energy for life-giving endeavors: writing, making things pretty, reading books, baking.

If I intend to maximize the fruitfulness of my real, right-now life, I need to minimize my digital life.

This week, I’m conducting an experiment:

I leave my phone behind when I take the dog for walks.

I don’t pick it up unless it’s for something specific: sending a text, making a call, ordering groceries, opening the GPS, listening to my audiobook, a necessary work task, a very limited scroll on social media (like 3 minutes.)

I’m only a few days in and here are the results so far: I’ve slept more each night, written two posts, read half a book, and listened to two-thirds of a book. Dinner prep has felt more leisurely. I even tried a new muffin recipe and organized a drawer. Nothing changed about the rest of my life. I’ve had all the same responsibilities, but somehow more time and headspace.

I’ve had the intention of spending less time on my phone for months, but until I crafted a simple action step, it was just a wish. It never got traction.

What’s an intention you have? What’s one baby step you could take today toward turning a wish into a plan?

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Day 2 of a writing challenge with @hopewriters. The Day 2 prompt is: INTENTION.