This is a challenge for anyone who owns a smartphone or cell phone. These wonderful little handheld computers give us access to just about anything you can think of, but they can easily interrupt and distract us from the important people and projects in our lives.

The Challenge

When you are at home, leave your cell phone in a specified place rather than carrying it everywhere. Ideally this would be a place near the door you first enter so you set it down as soon as you walk in. Keep it far enough away from you that it’s annoying to have to go get it. You might find yourself turning a lot of notifications off so you only get your phone for the important ones.

Bonus Challenge

Have a spot near your doorway where everyone who comes in your house, including guests, have to drop their phone.

Hopefully you will find that leaving your phone allows you to be present, pay attention to the people who are physically with you, be more dedicated to your lyric writing, get the most out of your creative time, or read more books among other benefits. Try it for a week, or a month, and see how it goes. If it’s not working for you, quit. If it is, you’ll be glad you tried.