Editor's note: This was originally sent out in the newsletter on 02/02/18
For some reason, I have been having a harder time doing the newsletter the last couples weeks. I haven’t quite put my finger on the exact cause (although my current obsession with The Kingkiller Chronicle probably isn't helping), but I thought I would take a different approach to get me back on top of it. This issue I will be following up with a few things I have told you I am working on.First up we have my break from Twitter. While this has gone pretty well, I do miss Twitter and will probably go back soon. My phone usage had dropped quite a bit since I started this according to Moment. At first, I would still find myself pulling out my phone randomly and opening it without a particular task in mind, looking for something to scroll. Now that I have been away from it for a few weeks this seems to have died away. When I am bored and sitting in a waiting room or waiting in line, I am more likely to take in what is going on around me then to pull out my phone. Or if I am at home I have spent that time reading(three books finished in January, setting a good pace for the year). When I go back to Twitter I am going to try and keep these habits; I will only use it when I intend to and not every second I feel bored. I am also going to try and cut much of my follow list. We will see how well all of that goes too.I also talked before about using Moment to track my screen time on my phone and how it has helped me curb bad habits and made me aware of the amount of time I had my phone out. While mostly this has been a positive experience, I think I am losing some things to the numbers game. I am always thinking about the time I have my phone open that it is adding to my time, and in the off chance I am not then the push notifications always get me. The issue becomes a quantity vs. quality one. While in most cases it is better not to be on my phone, there are times when I can be productive on it. Maybe I have a great idea that I want to spend some time getting out, or I am trying to figure something out that I will forget about later or I shouldn't put off until I get to my computer. In the immediate future, I am going to work on taking a look at all the apps and services I use. I know there are quite a few on my phone and in my life that I don't need. I am going to work on a better organization of my digital life as well. I am sure a few of these things will work there way into future topics as well.What things have you been struggling with lately or what has been on your mind? Let me know, I may include them in future newsletters or just to start a conversation.Some links I have found interesting;