Dear Mabel,

How do people stay on top of everything every day? Between my job, my home and my kids, I feel like I’m always dropping the ball or neglecting someone. I try to take care of myself by eating healthy and exercising. I just feel like it never ends! There’s always something!

Packed Program,

Portland, TN

Truth be told, I think I’m supposed to tell you to just do the best you can and that no one is actually staying on top of it all, but that’s not what came to mind when I read your letter.

Listen, maybe you are managing your time the best you can, but I’m going to go out on a limb and bring up something I’ve been noticing for a long time.

It’s those durn phones.

I’m guilty of it, too. You pick it up to check a text message, next thing you know, you’re on Facebook laughing at some video of a cat smacking around two German shepherds.

It sounds crazy now, but 20 years ago you’d leave a message for someone with the presumption they’d get back to you when it was convenient. There were ZERO expectations and you had no idea when that person would actually even receive your message.

Before that, you sent a letter and waited 7-10 business days for a reply. Wheweeee, doggy! What a time to be alive!

Nowadays it feels rude not to respond to a text immediately.

We give people too much access to us. Listen, unless you pay my bills, would visit me in the hospital or I made you with my body (or a person that I made with my body made you), I don’t really owe you my immediate attention.

I’m telling you, collectively we’re focused on the wrong things and it’s because of the phones.

We’re all wasting too much time and hurting our brains to boot. If you wonder where all your time goes, check your phone usage and see where that takes you.

Now, maybe that’s not the case for you but thanks for giving me a chance to jump up on this here soapbox and issue my next challenge.

Last month, I kicked the year off with the introduction of a new thing that I’ve decided to name Mabel’s Monthly Missions.

Each month, I’ll present you with new “missions” and we’ll keep it going all year long. Who’s with me?

January’s challenges were:

1. Four random acts of kindness. Can be big or small, just go out of your way to make someone’s day.

2. Smile at yourself in the mirror at least once a day. You’ll look like a weirdo, but just trust ol’ Mabel. I’ve been doing this longer than you.

In February, I challenge you to…

1. You guessed it! Be intentional about picking up your phone. Set aside a time to respond to non-emergency messages and come up with a time limit for social media scrolling.

2. Mail a card (yes, snail mail) to someone who could use a little encouragement or love.

Please let me know about all the things you do this month. I can’t wait to hear about them!

Be sure to share your Ms. Mabel Challenge progress on our Facebook page!