I bought a new phone. I should have done it months earlier, but other priorities shoved aside the task. My old phone was working, but I could see the issues were compiling, and I wondered if, one day, the phone would just die. I certainly didn’t want that to happen.

I don’t need the latest phone. I don’t need an expensive phone. I need a reliable phone that has plenty of storage and takes decent photos. I asked a couple questions, considered my options, made a decision, then handed over my phone for the transfer. I didn’t want to leave the store until it was done, because I like to test a few things when there are people close to troubleshoot. The transfer took about 30 minutes. Yes, I obviously had a lot on my phone, despite me backing up often.

It was an odd 30 minutes. I don’t think I am on my phone often, but I felt differently for 30 minutes. I didn’t want to roam around the store, leaving both my phones behind. I also didn’t want to hover. I meandered a little bit, but I kept thinking of things I could check on my phone. Except I couldn’t. I enjoyed conversations with several people who worked at the store when they had slower moments. A friend’s son saw me and chatted for a few minutes. I people-watched a bit. It sure seemed like a long 30 minutes.

When it was done, I checked a couple essential functions then went home. I spent about 30 minutes confirming I was logged into the most important apps and setting notifications. Then I set it aside. I didn’t look at it for over an hour. Why did 30 minutes seem so long when I didn’t miss it for an hour?

Focus can be good until it shifts into fixation. When you’re having trouble adjusting, check your focus. You might find you need to loosen your fixation on something. Step away. Take a break. Come back to it when you can better engage and make progress.