Everything we need to know about life, we already know. If we still need reminders from books, it's only because our habits run too deep. The mobile phone, one of the most freedom-depriving tools, is often marketed as something that "lets you be free and always stay connected." In the days before mobile phones, your average office worker was like a general far from headquarters—orders could sometimes go unheeded. When they left home for work, their boss couldn't reach them; after work, their boss still couldn’t find them. But things are different now.
Leo Babauta’s blog "Zen Habits" offers extremely simple tips, yet it has an astonishing number of clicks and ranks among the top 50 most popular blogs globally. Then, living secluded in Guam, he expanded his blog into a small book titled *The Power of Less* (in Chinese: *少做一點不會死！*), which became another bestseller.
The lesson that struck me most deeply is actually a rule I've been practicing for years. For instance, “Don’t spend all day making calls; list everyone you need to contact and finish the calls in one go.” I usually set aside 30 minutes for phone calls. The same goes for emails—it can "easily take over your life," so "only check and send emails at fixed times each day." For those addicted to BlackBerries, who feel uneasy if they don’t receive emails within three minutes, this might seem unimaginable. But when you think about it, what is communication really for? In the past, we contacted others only when necessary. Nowadays, we communicate just for the sake of communicating. That’s why I firmly refuse to use instant messaging tools like MSN or QQ. People often ask me for my contact information, exchange phone numbers and emails, and then casually inquire, “Do you have MSN? It would be more convenient this way.” Convenient? I don’t want it to be that convenient, and besides, it’s not even truly convenient. Just look at how people use these chat tools—they feel compelled to say a few words whether there’s anything important to discuss or not. When someone logs on, they greet them with a “Hi,” and if someone says they’re feeling down, they hastily offer a few words of comfort without knowing the full story. This kind of communication lacks substantial meaning; its sole purpose is to keep the conversation going.
Tools alienate us, and modern communication tools are the best example. We no longer question their purpose—we simply let them control us, allowing them to become our masters and generating vast amounts of harmful nonsense (such as gossip, rumors, and slander). Even if you don’t say a word, isn’t it boring to have to notify everyone every time you log on? In the end, your work efficiency decreases, and your rest time diminishes significantly. I calculated that before I used a mobile phone, I spent no more than 20 minutes a day on the phone. Now, it has expanded to 40 minutes. With email, I spend another hour daily communicating with others. If you also use MSN and frequently send text messages, you’ll likely spend over three hours a day just staying in touch with others. There are only 24 hours in a day—how many three-hour blocks do you have?
Leo Babauta puts it simply, yet we’ve somehow forgotten: "For most people, after subtracting the hours spent sleeping, preparing meals, eating, commuting, working, and dealing with miscellaneous tasks, there are only a few hours of free time each day. Please protect your time carefully—it is your most precious asset, and you must defend it with your life."