NO PHONE FOR A MONTH, DAY 0 -- THE ORIGIN STORY.

We spend so much time and energy trying to tame our phone habits -- to make the phone work for us, rather than us slaving away in service of the phone.

Yet most people seem unsatisfied -- we seem addicted, trapped, controlled by the very technology that was supposed to liberate us. Internet was meant to usher in utopia, yet we find ourselves weighed down by its chains, stuck at the bottom of the pit with our dreams taunting us from above.

Your phone can look up any fact, any person, any story. But can it help you be happy and free?

This experiment is about challenging the phone, about fighting back, about choosing presence over opportunity, about choosing fulfillment over ubiquity. About being one with existence, mindful, aware, and not trapped in the blinking lights and tones of the cell phone.

Our phones are like a drug, and I am ready to break the addiction. That's why I am presenting this new idea, a series called "NO PHONE FOR A MONTH," where I radically limit my phone usage to just 1-2 hours per week.

Here's the story of how it started:

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No Phone For a Month -- Day 0, Journal 1

I turned 28 yesterday & Christine [a really good friend of mine] is here to celebrate for a few days!

Last night we decided to turn off our phones and keep them off all day today. It feels amazing. I have no urge to seek out distractions - no constant anxiety or worrying about pointless BS. Part of that might have to do with Christine being here, but it's definitely something to do with the lack of phone too.

We were talking about starting a more regular no-phone practice - limiting it to 2-3 times per day, 20 minutes per session.

But that doesn't seem extreme enough -- IDK, part of what makes today so special is that the phone plays no part in it. An entire day, from awake to asleep, not worrying.

I am thinking about taking it to a further extreme. Instead of 1-2 times per day, what if I only check my phone 1-2 times per week?

Maybe it would be 1 hour per "session" -- enough time to make a few calls, send some texts... and then to turn the phone off for 72 hours! It sounds crazy, but why shouldn't I try it? What's the worst thing that could happen?

I think there is a chance that this is the simplest way I can profoundly improve my life experience... And if it works, I could experience more joy/peace/clarity with very little active effort.

There is so much energy spent trying to tame the phone, to master the phone, to learn new tricks to manage the phone. Why not just "get rid the phone" so to speak, to make it a non-issue?

I think I should try it, and soon.

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What do you think? Have you tried any radical no-phone or no-technology experiments? If you share your story in the comments, I'll tag you in the next post.