The number nobody wants to read: the weekly screen-time notification. You dismiss it immediately without looking. 

Seneca made a compelling argument in his essay On the Shortness of Life. He said that we hoard money and guard our property, but hand our hours away to anyone who asks. Nobody would let a stranger spend their savings; everyone lets strangers spend their hours.

Think about that for a minute. We save money to buy things we want — nice shoes, a new vehicle, a big house. And we guard our possessions as if they’re all gold. But when it comes to bleeding the resource that we quite literally cannot earn back, we hardly bat an eye. It’s the one item we simply refuse to track.

Lucky for us, our phones keep the receipts. 

Look around and see what people are doing in restaurants and between sets at the gym. You’re likely to see most of them staring down at that small device in their hand. It’s true, there’s a psychological component to how and why we spend so much time on our phones, but that isn’t an excuse for not recognizing it, and thus, triaging our time properly. 

Think of how often you get caught up in the endless doomscrolling before you realize two hours have passed. What did you consume? Was it worth it? And what did you achieve?

Keep in mind that the phone is the ledger, not the villain. It’s simply showing you the trade you already agreed to.

You’re making a conscious decision to spend time doing something that ultimately won’t add anything substantial to your life. And you can’t get those hours back. Ever.

Being present is a choice, and it’s now more difficult than ever with that useful, but distracting device in your pocket.

Remember that your hours are finite, and they’re already being allocated. The only question is whether you’re the one doing the allocating.

Your time should be your most sacred resource. Start treating it that way.

The Screen-Time Audit