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Well I agree. I used to read at least a book a week- for years!! A lifelong reader, my private library is over 5,000 texts mostly hardbound! However... Since social media, my book reading has dropped to about a book a month and I spend the lost time, texting, reading texts, writing online essays and reading same... I am a lost soul! My resolution would be to throw my smartphone in the river. But I can't- it's too darn fun!

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That's a great perspective, Michael! I have a similar love/hate relationship with my phone, and I've contemplated ditching it for one of the downgraded "dumb phones" that are basically flip phones, but I usually conclude that transition would be impractical.

My phone is like carrying a camera, calculator, flashlight, GPS, and communication tool all at once. My finances can be checked and moved on the fly as needed through the apps. Several consulting businesses reach me primarily through their mobile apps.

I've concluded that "the only way out is through," and I need to find a mindful approach to living WITH it because abstinence is neither desirable nor possible.

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I've come to more or less the same conclusion. But the day is coming, when I go into religious retreat and my wife gets the phone!

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You got this!!! Thanks for being a role model concerning the Adulting thing. Pardon my needing it...😉

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Maybe the biggest problem "for" the SMART method is that it requires methodical and critical thinking, both things quite rare in our modern society.

I rarely make New Year resolutions (lets not go in there!) but I really think they can be a good thing.

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Congratulations on achieving a lot of your goals for 2023 and good luck in 2024! I like the idea of architecture in the kitchen, our snacks and Christmas cookies are just much too easy. I resolve every year to be a sloth in January and just watch movies and read books, and then productive life has a way of breaking that!

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Ha, I like that strategy! I will have to try that one in 2025 :-)

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