Never leave home without it

I’m a cliche, I know, but I seriously  never leave home without it. If I do, I turn around. It’s not out of fear. I don’t worry about breaking down on the side of the road or missing a status update (traumatic!). It’s that as a working mom with an inability to say no to projects I believe in, I have to be efficient with my time, making the most of every opportunity to get things done. My phone lets me do that.  But really, can we keep calling it a phone? Or just a phone?

swiss-army-phone

From my mobile device, I’ve negotiated employee contracts, led conference calls, conducted interviews, set up meetings, planned potlucks, updated bank data, mediated conflict, supported teams, watched TV, researched homework questions, shot videos, uploaded photos, managed multiple social feeds, drafted presentation notes, organized date night, purchased a dress, planned menus, shared calendars, edited reports and wrote this blog post.

My “phone” is also my GPS, encyclopedia and main news source. It gives me freedom. Others concur as eMarketer released 2012 data saying the total number of smartphones increased by 31%. I believe it. My device allows me to continue to be a HR leader, non-profit board director, community manager, school volunteer, study group facilitator and, most importantly, a wife and mom. Because I’m no longer tied to a desk, I can pick my kids up from school and still meet a deadline. And because I haven’t wasted time while mobile, I can set it down, confident that I’ve met my goals for the day, and fully engage with my family.

In conversation with my kids recently I had to admit I didn’t know the answer to a question. To which my son replied, “Just ask God… or your phone.”

Just don’t do it while driving.

Illustration credit unknown