I use two different phones. One for business and one for hiding. It’s a strategy I came up with about a year ago, one of the better ideas I’ve ever had. And I hope you know that one good idea can really change your life, because good ideas help us grow and  grow up – to become more authentic, more loving, and more focused on what matters most.

For my own part, more than twenty years ago I was introduced to the idea of improving my health by eating more fruits and vegetables. That re-direction turned out to be a life-changing idea for me. I’m rocking along pretty well at 70 years of age now and, I’m deeply grateful for the health and well-being that single idea has produced.

But, what about those two phones?

My life, maybe like yours, is very people intense, and the day-to-day workings of my business make my big, fancy iPhone7s indispensable. It’s my personal office, my most productive piece of technology, and the place where I literally “make things happen.”

That amazing device has its downside, however, as it also perpetuates my workaholic addiction and feeds this personal need I have to “help” people. The constant dinging, buzzing, ringing, and humming of my smartphone inflate my sense of self-importance and cram my head with bumper-to-bumper traffic. When my iPhone is with me, all the space I require for creativity gets crowded out. That thing “owns” me.

I am someone who has learned the valuable lesson of serenity and solitude. But since getting quiet and still is not “automatic” for me, this demands my intentional cultivation. And cultivate it I must, as getting away – hiding – is a necessity, not a luxury. My personal and business life suffers if I don’t regularly and routinely pull away.

So now I am choosing to let my iPhone go for periods of time during the day. Taking long hikes. Picking up dinner for Sally and me. Having lunch with friends. Occasionally, I leave it on the charger for a whole day or turn it off completely. This clears my mind, relaxes my heart, and helps me reconnect with me again.

And that second phone? It’s a little archaic piece of technology just for my wife, Sally. When I’m “off the grid” Sally can still find me, even when I’m hiding or in recovery mode. It’s such a simple idea – a personal ritual – that I believe is making me a more present and loving human being.