CURRENT MOOD
Wouldn’t you be nervous too??But it's time to prepare for the new year. 2018 will be the year without a smartphone. Did I go completely 1990's and get a dumb phone? Not exactly.
Goodbye Apple iPhone 7, Hello Google Pixel 2
Why did I switch to another smartphone? Short answer: it’s cheaper than any iPhone that has Portrait Mode, lighter, and Verizon had a great deal.
HOW I'LL FEEL IN DEC. OF 2018
Yes, it's still technically a smart phone, but I got creative with how to "dumb" it down. I could have chosen a flip phone but let’s not be barbaric, there are features to our phones that just make life easier and more economical. The only things I cared about going into 2018 are navigation, having a camera, navigation and a cheaper payment. If I were to buy a GPS, a point and shoot camera and a flip phone... the cost would add up, making this an investment which defeats the purpose.
Here’s the plan: I'm removing all apps that I would label as "fun" or "non-utility".
The only apps that I will keep on my phone come Monday:
Phone
Messages
Keep (notes & shopping list)
Camera
Photos
Google Maps
Clock (alarm)
Trusted contacts (Google's version of Find my Friends)
Audible
Spotify (you can download playlists)
Simple (banking)
Tile (phone & wallet tracking)
That's right, no Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, email, Super Mario. Zilch. Nada.
My group of friends here in OC made a pact to be off social media completely in January. The anxiety is building up in me already. After January, however, I will be using Instagram throughout the year as I pursue my side business of Cheerfull. There are great ways to still keep Instagram off my phone but use it for marketing purposes via my laptop. I'll talk about that process more in February.
And those are the details. I have 3 hours to delete the remaining apps on my phone and I’m currently feeling... well, just alright about it. I feel like I'm going off the grid but in a very counter-cultural way. Now I can make time for what I want. I just have to discover what that is exactly...
