Intention & Mindfulness to Do Less

by Cal

Intention and mindfulness make all the difference when trying to break a bad habit. Being intentional means thinking (even briefly) about WHY you want to stop doing something and visualizing how that will improve your life. Being mindful means reflecting on your intention every time you take an action related to your habit, and most importantly, NOT delegating this responsibility to an app. I might be biased, but I think timespent is much more effective in changing behavior because it encourages both intention and mindfulness. Here are a few examples of what I mean:

🏚
Doom Scrolling

Most screen time apps track app usage automatically, without giving you a chance to reflect on whether you actually want to open the app. With timespent, you can track screen time using Timed Activities, which introduce just enough good friction to give you a chance to think about whether the app is really worth your time. Plus, you can see how your screen time adds up after every Session instead of waiting for a report at the end of the week. Most screen time apps also show a block screen once you've reached your limit, which can trick your brain into thinking the goal is to bypass the block—probably not what you want! With timespent, you are fully responsible for your own screen time. This might require more effort at first, but you’ll be more engaged with your intentions and actions, which is critical for building habits over time.

🛍️
Online Shopping

A similar principle applies to budgeting apps. To be clear, timespent isn't trying to be a budgeting app; there are much better options for that! But while budgeting apps are great for giving you a high level overview of your finances, they're not so great at changing specific behaviors around spending and saving. For example, say you want to spend less on 🛍️ Online Shopping. In most budgeting apps, you only see how much you've spent—or how much money you have left—after the fact. With timespent, you can create a Measured Tally to give yourself the chance to reflect on whether you really want whatever you're thinking of buying BEFORE you actually buy it. And if you do, great! You can log your purchase just like any other Activity and see how much you're spending over time.

🍃
Deny [Negative Action or Behavior] Impulse

Resisting impulses is a skill, and like any skill, you have to practice it to get better. So whenever you feel the urge to do something you're trying to do less of or quit, try this: 1. Notice the impulse (mindfulness) 2. Deny the impulse, and remind yourself why (intention) 3. Wait 10 minutes before revisiting Simple Tallies, especially when paired with a Quick Tally Widget, can help track and redirect your focus from whatever it is you're trying to resist. --- I hope this gives you an idea of how to use timespent to not only build good habits, but stop bad ones. Don't forget to add a "Do Less" Goal to your Activity to reinforce your intention and crush your Goals just like any other Activity! 💪🙏

View this Arc on timespent →