Simplify. Turn off your notifications
I have an Android phone. This fact really has nothing to do with this post other than I know some people wonder about those types of questions.
At one point I was getting notification 3 or 4 times on my phone when I would get a text. I had an app installed that put a notification in the top bar. The phone would vibrate. A green light would flash at the top. And, my built-in phone text notification would appear in the top bar also.
That would not have been so bad if I did not have to clear both of those top bar notifications separately. When you added up all of my notification clearing for that period of time it was a huge annoyance and waste of time. But, evidently I did not want to take the time to change my settings to make it right.
Clear your mind by clearing your notifications
Recently, not only did I fix that issue, but I also changed my email notifications. At this point I have no idea when I get an email on my phone. It does not vibrate, buzz, chirp, sing, or even flash a green blinking light. I have to actually click the Gmail icon and sometimes even refresh before email shows up. Another bonus is that I have also been operating at Inbox Zero. This has freed my mind up so much to think about more important things.
Changing notifications has been a huge time saver. A green flashing light used to blink every time I had a new email whether it was spam or not. So, I felt compelled to check. I check so much less as I am not thinking about it now when I see my phone.
This was a simple thing, but if we think things through we could all probably simplify our lives by changing small aspects of the process or something as simple as notifications. What can you do to get those little things off your mind?
Inbox Zero
Enjoy this video from Google Tech Talks and Merlin Mann from 43 Folders about the why and how to get to Inbox Zero.
