addicted?

 June 30, 2023

“There are only two industries that call their customers 'users': illegal drugs and software.”

– Edward Tufte

Intentions Before Distractions – The Most Impactful Habit You Can Build

Houston, we have a problem. A 2013 study from IDC Research shows that 80% of smartphone users get on their phones within 15 minutes of waking up. A 2023 survey by Reviews.org updated that statistic to 89% checking their phones within 10 minutes of waking. Most of these people go straight to their inbox or social media once they’ve rubbed the sleep out of their eyes. Why are so many launching their days with “rise and scroll” instead of “rise and shine”? Almost 57% reported that they are addicted to their phones.

What does this mean? Merriam-Webster defines “addict” as “one exhibiting a compulsive, chronic, physiological or psychological need for a habit-forming substance, behavior, or activity.” This isn’t thoughtful behavior. It’s mindless. And it has a cost.

When you launch your day by jumping into your inbox or onto social media, you are inherently prioritizing other people’s agendas. That’s what really inhabits your inbox and social feeds. I like to describe email and social as kinds of malfunctioning time machines. Once you enter, you have no idea when you’ll emerge.

Here’s a simple solution: Move intention ahead of distraction. Review your goals before you pick up your phone.

Goals come first because when we remind ourselves what we want to say “yes” to, it becomes easier to say “no” to everything that could get in the way.

Over the years, we’ve hosted hundreds of 66-Day Challenges® with our The ONE Thing training where participants select and build a powerful habit over 66 days. People choose all kinds of habits like daily exercise, drinking more water, or making their bed. The most impactful challenge in our history was inviting everyone to build the same habit – to look at their goals before they picked up their phone. That’s it. And the results were transformative. By launching their days with calm, focused energy, they gained more clarity, avoided most distractions, and got their big priorities done.

If you look around, many of the most accomplished people will give you similar advice. One of Ryan Holiday’s 6 Morning Rules is “no phone for the first hour.” Mel Robbins’s first act of the day? “I don’t look at my phone.” Ed Mylett wants you to make your goals your screensaver, so you can’t look at your phone without seeing your goals. (And he says we look at them on average 170 times a day!) If you really can’t stop yourself, the best advice is to move your phone charger out of your bedroom.

So if you’re one of the many who start their days with social, email, and texts, what can you do? Take the “No Phone Challenge” and put your intentions ahead of your distractions.

One question to ponder in your thinking time: How can I make my priorities feel like priorities every day?

Make an Impact!
Jay Papasan

About Life: We judge others by their doings but ourselves by our intentions - Edward Wigglesworth

 Being part of a team, miscommunications are bound to happen. Jay Papasan recently released an article that is a great reminder about being less critical and more curious about the people we interact with 

Seek First to Understand – Hanlon’s Razor

In college, I read Jean-Paul Sartre's celebrated play, No Exit. It’s the story of three people consigned to hell. But instead of flames or torture, they find themselves locked in a room together for eternity. This play is where Sartre famously wrote, L'enfer, c'est les autres... “Hell, is other people.” As a committed introvert, I thought Sartre summed up things nicely.

Luckily, my professor provided some nuance to my interpretation. “Sartre’s hell,” he explained, “is the gap between how we see ourselves and how others see us.” We judge others by their actions without knowing their intentions. Meanwhile, we assess our own actions through the lens of our intentions. We equip ourselves with a shield emblazoned with “I didn’t mean to,” but don’t always offer the same protection to others.

At KW, one of our core beliefs is a commitment to “seek first to understand.” A tool I’ve found useful to live this value is Hanlon’s Razor.* It’s a good rule of thumb for avoiding unnecessary confrontations. It goes like this: “Never prescribe to malice what could also be attributed to stupidity.”

Entrepreneurs move quickly into action and we can be quick to judge, as well. Hanlon’s Razor can help you pause with curiosity, rather than react. If you’re unsure of someone’s motives, ask what happened and get their perspective. Most of the time, people are unaware that they’ve said the wrong thing or acted inappropriately. That’s why I prefer to state it as, “Never prescribe to malice what could be attributed to ignorance.”

When someone cut you off in traffic, most of the time they just didn’t see you. They weren’t playing demolition derby, they were distracted. That email was intended to be cute, not curt. The offer wasn’t a low-ball effort to cheat your seller, they’re just new to real estate and pulled the wrong comps. They were having a bad day, not attempting to ruin yours.

German poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe nailed it when he wrote, “Misunderstandings and neglect create more confusion in this world than trickery and malice. At any rate, the last two are certainly much less frequent.”

Are home prices on the rise?

 Media coverage about what’s happening with home prices can be confusing. A large part of that is due to the type of data being used and what they’re choosing to draw attention to. For home prices, there are two different methods used to compare home prices over different time periods: year-over-year (Y-O-Y) and month-over-month (M-O-M). Here’s an explanation of each. 

Year-over-Year (Y-O-Y):

• This comparison measures the change in home prices from the same month or quarter in the previous year. For example, if you’re comparing Y-O-Y home prices for April 2023, you would compare them to the home prices for April 2022.
• Y-O-Y comparisons focus on changes over a one-year period, providing a more comprehensive view of long-term trends. They are usually useful for evaluating annual growth rates and determining if the market is generally appreciating or depreciating.

Month-over-Month (M-O-M):

• This comparison measures the change in home prices from one month to the next. For instance, if you’re comparing M-O-M home prices for April 2023, you would compare them to the home prices for March 2023.
• Meanwhile, M-O-M comparisons analyze changes within a single month, giving a more immediate snapshot of short-term movements and price fluctuations. They are often used to track immediate shifts in demand and supply, seasonal trends, or the impact of specific events on the housing market.

The key difference between Y-O-Y and M-O-M comparisons lies in the time frame being assessed. Both approaches have their own merits and serve different purposes depending on the specific analysis required.

Please remember, real estate values and trends should be considered at a local level not national.  For up to date information, contact our team of professionals at 517-853-6408

Smart Saving

Here are Brock's two money-saving hacks.