Anton Kreil - Ditch the Smart Phone

Summary

In this insightful video, the speaker shares their personal journey of ditching their smartphone two and a half years ago, which has led to increased productivity and efficiency. They argue that smartphones, with their constant notifications, emails, and messaging systems, waste valuable time and hinder both business and social interactions. By valuing their time and minimizing distractions, the speaker has been able to focus on what truly matters. They suggest going ‘cold turkey’ and disconnecting from smartphones for a couple of months to improve life quality and efficiency, particularly in the fast-paced world of finance.

Takeaways

• 😀 Smartphones are time-wasters, causing constant distractions through emails, messages, and notifications.
• 😀 The speaker ditched their smartphone two and a half years ago and experienced a significant boost in efficiency.
• 😀 Spending time on unnecessary emails and messages means you're not getting work done and wasting time for both you and others.
• 😀 Most emails received daily provide no value, and responding to them wastes time that could be spent on more productive tasks.
• 😀 The average person spends an hour a day on their smartphone, costing them thousands of dollars annually if you value your time.
• 😀 Smartphones reduce social interaction, as people are constantly distracted by their phones in social settings like dinners or dates.
• 😀 The constant pinging from smartphone notifications can overwhelm and distract from focused work or deep thinking.
• 😀 To improve productivity, the speaker schedules time every few days to check and respond to important emails, which keeps them efficient.
• 😀 In financial markets, real-time news and smartphone updates are irrelevant since success depends on predicting future trends, not reacting to the past.
• 😀 The speaker encourages people to try 'cold turkey'—ditch the smartphone for one to two months to experience increased productivity and clarity.
• 😀 Ditching your smartphone is a powerful step toward valuing your time and becoming more efficient in both personal and professional life.

Q & A

What is the speaker's main argument regarding smartphones?

The speaker argues that smartphones are a major distraction that wastes time, reducing productivity and efficiency. They believe that ditching the smartphone has helped them become more efficient in their career and daily life.

How does the speaker describe their experience with ditching smartphones?

The speaker describes their experience of ditching smartphones as highly positive, claiming it has made them the most efficient they've ever been in their career. They have been able to manage their work and emails with much more focus and productivity.

What role do emails and instant messaging play in the speaker's argument?

Emails and instant messaging are cited as major time-wasters. The speaker receives hundreds of emails daily, most of which they consider irrelevant. Constant notifications and conversations on messaging platforms are distractions that prevent meaningful work and social interactions.

How does the speaker manage the large number of emails they receive?

The speaker manages their emails by scheduling 30-minute blocks every few days to go through and respond to the most important ones, effectively ignoring or deleting the majority of emails that offer no value.

What does the speaker think about people using smartphones in social settings like restaurants?

The speaker criticizes the widespread use of smartphones in social situations, such as during meals in restaurants. They believe it disrupts meaningful social interaction, as people are more focused on their phones than on each other.

What financial implications does the speaker mention in relation to smartphone usage?

The speaker highlights the cost of wasting time on smartphones by calculating how much it would cost if you value your time at $100 or $1,000 per hour. They suggest that excessive smartphone use could cost you tens of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands, of dollars per year in lost productivity.

What is the speaker’s advice for young people in the financial markets regarding smartphone use?

The speaker advises young people in the financial markets to go 'cold turkey' and ditch their smartphones for one or two months. They believe this will improve focus and efficiency, as information on smartphones is often reactive and irrelevant to making successful predictions in the financial markets.

What does the speaker mean by saying 'you have to ditch the smartphone to begin with in order to value your time correctly'?

The speaker believes that in order to truly value your time and become more efficient, you must first get rid of the distractions that smartphones create. Only by doing so can you improve your productivity and, eventually, your financial success.

How does the speaker suggest measuring the true cost of smartphone usage?

The speaker suggests measuring the cost of smartphone usage by evaluating the time spent on it and assigning a monetary value to that time. For example, if you value your time at $100 per hour and spend an hour a day on your smartphone, it could cost you $36,500 per year.

Why does the speaker think mainstream media on smartphones is useless for financial markets?

The speaker argues that the information delivered via smartphones from mainstream media is not useful for making money in the financial markets. It's always reactive and focuses on past events, while successful trading requires the ability to predict future trends.