Giving up the BlackBerry

I’m giving up my BlackBerry. Well, I’m trying to. You see, I’m rather addicted to it.

My problem is not with the device. The BlackBerry Curve itself is fantastic. It’s lean, smart, and easy to use. It’s not the most fun device on the market, but it does exactly what it’s supposed to do. Plus it’s tough. Like, really tough. Even without a case, mine has survived many drops.

In fact, the BlackBerry is so functional, it has become like an appendage (my digital hand), which contributes to my big problem: I’m addicted to work! It’s easy to get addicted to work at BookFool.com. Most of what we do is the right mix of challenging and weird that puts you in a Flow state.

Do you love the phone more than me, daddy?

But now we’ve got two dogs and a baby in the house. And home repairs. And we’re trying to make new friends in this new town. And save money. And ABC has some funny shows on Wednesday night. And so on.

So I’m scaling back a bit, intentionally becoming less connected. Trying to find the work/life balance that we all crave. And ditching the smartphone is the first step.

Yesterday I went back to my old Samsung SGH-t509 for a week-long test drive. If I survive without full connectivity for a week, I’m going to switch off my BlackBerry data plan and go back to basics.

Here’s what I miss already:

• Taking quick notes and emailing them to myself.
• Smart calendar that syncs with Google Calendar.
• Random emails to friends/family, whenever the mood hits.
• Easy anytime Tweeting from UberTwitter.
• Screening my inbox throughout the evening so I’m not surprised with 50 emails every morning.

Here’s what I don’t miss:

• The irritating beeps that signal new messages.
• The obligation to check email at all times, especially at night when I can’t sleep.
• The feeling of being always on.
• Receiving email for urgent items b/c everyone knows I’m always on. If it’s urgent, call me!

Mornings without my smartphone are already much smoother. More time reading as I eat my Cheerios, less time typing replies with one thumb. Evenings are also more mellow. I actually got bored last night! Usually boredom means I pick up the BlackBerry and see what I can work on. Last night, boredom led me to bake some bread and watch 3 episodes of Arrested Development.

I know what you’re thinking: Why don’t you keep the BlackBerry but turn it off when you’re not at work? Oh, if it were only so simple. I’m trying to break an addiction here, which means cold turkey. If you could push a button and the device could become merely a phone for the evening (no emails in/out, no calendar notifications), I might keep it. But I’m also trying to save money.

I’ll keep you posted on my progress in the comments.

What about you? Have you given up something awesome in the name of simplification?