I have found myself walking and texting a lot recently or walking and emailing. Is there a name for this ? Wexting or Ewalking ? Since it is not easy to keep up with it, I have really been maximizing my time to respond to emails and texts while I walk.
Yesterday, when I was walking from our Northern Liberties condo to DNA Salon at Liberties Walk to get my haircut, the whole way up and back that is what I was doing. When I walked to the bank later in the day from my office, I was doing the same thing.
Now this is efficient !
And... Not that smart.
After thinking about it and realizing how oblivious I can be, it is not that safe. What if I walked in front of a car or biker ? Not to mention that yesterday was such a beautiful day, I really missed out on just enjoying a few minutes of serenity to give my mind a break, enjoy the breeze and relax.
I know it is hard to keep up with every email and text. How did we manage before without our Iphones and Blackberries ?
So, the next time you have an obsessive mind like I do and you catch yourself Wexting, take a step back, put the phone away, relax, take a deep breath, smile and be thankful.
Let's have a great day today !
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Sometimes the time you take for yourself will make you more productive when you are responding to your texts and emails. Great Post Thank you>!
I use walking as a time to reflect and meditate so I take my phone, I just dont pay any attention too it.
I don't walk and txt or email. The reason is simple I may hit a hole or crevice and fall. I am still recovering from a fall I had this summer, looking at the lake and not my feet. It happened in June and I am still recovering so I am now very very careful.
Chris - That is a great point as your mind will be sharper. I think my mistake is that I just respond to emails all day, whether in front of my pc or on my blackberry. I am thinking that it may be better to block off 3 or 4 times during the day to do that where I am more focused.
At times it seems we've all become obsessed with our "smart phones", almost an addiction. Your post caught my attention because I find myself doing the same thing when I walk my dog in the early mornings. "Wexting" keeps me from getting frustrated when my dog makes too many pit stops plus I feel like I am getting more done since I am multi-tasking. I think it's a great time to keep up with the social networking sites, but you do have to keep one eye on the sidewalk. Wexting can be as dangerous as driving while texting.
C & S - I don't even walk and chew gum at the same time, but then maybe that's because I don't chew gum. But I am with Missy on this, there are too many hazards to walk and text at the same time.
Chris, I have started taking time at various intervals during the day to return calls and texts. I find I have to have a break and my clients and friends appreciate it. I stopped taking calls when I had a client in my car years ago and they complained to the person who referred them that I was too busy on my phone and not focused enough on them. The only exception is when time is of the essence.... It works. sigh
Laura - That is great ! Congrats to you. Sometimes on little "mini-outings" I should just leave the phone behind. Recently, we have been so busy have been too obsessed !
Missy - Wow ! I hear you !! It is important to be careful. Being on the phone while driving is dangerous enough but walking and texting and/or emailing potentially could be even more dangerous.
Veronica - That is great that you are multi-tasking while walking the dog ! But you are right, multi-tasking is good up to a point. I am starting to think that too often my mind automatically drifts too work and thus, my phone. The flip side of that is that you can really enjoy some fresh air and some serenity while walking the dog as well. Sounds a little corny but I guess I am getting older : ) ~ Chris
Leave your Blackberry on its clip and enjoy your walks. There will be plenty of time to return those messages. Enjoy your day.
Wow! Thanks for the advice, from now on, I am avoiding "wexting". I wanted to suggest that you check out a site we launched a few months ago called TweetLister. It's a way for owners and brokers to post, manage and schedule all their property listings on Twitter. The site creates a searchable, no-nonesense "Twitter-friendly" 140 character tweet for you based on your listing features, and then links the tweet to a listing detail page with a photo, a link to the poster's website and a contact form. Members can then easily manage all their leads for fast follow-up. TweetLister easy to use, it's receiving positive reviews from bloggers and real estate industry analysts, and it's FREE. It's not intended to take the place of a broker's overall marketing, whether on Twitter or elsewhere, but it makes posting and managing listings easy, and the listings provide what people are looking for -- location, features, price, etc. The website is at: http://www.tweetlister.com
At least you are doing it while you are walking and not driving a car. I see so many people who test while driving. It is an accident waiting to happen!
I walk my lab, twice a day. Early morning and early evening. It is my quiet time, so, I do not bring my phone. My lab doesn't like it when I am on the phone, in my office, so, my luck, he would walk me into a pond, if he saw me bring along my phone! I loved your post. It and the comments, made me laugh:)
It's a Good Life,
Fran
Mike - Agreed ! One must be careful.
Marcia - I hear you ! It is always that mixed bag in terms of maximizing your time and being efficient at the same time and being professional in front of the clients. I definitely think it is reckless for people to be on the phone while in front of their clients.
On a sidenote, someone just messaged me on Facebook that the Iphone has an application for Wexting... a video that can show you what is ahead of you ! OMG !!!!
Chris - Definitely talk while walking, the other two not so much. Oh, and I make sure that there is NO gum in the equation. LOL
In reality, it is not safe to walk and text or email as you're oblivious to what is going on around you.
I need to have my own space at times...NO electronics. No phones, no computers...nothing :)
I hold my phone all the time so yes, I've done it. I also check my emails at stop lights. Promise Bill Gasset, I dont text while driving. I'll do it at the next stop light.
I take my phone when I walk or run for my personal safety in case I've fallen or worse (and in case Kat calls then of course I answer!) and otherwise ignore the calls and texts. John
Stephanie and Chris, I'm guilty too although I don't text while driving since 1 minute with your eyes not on the road could be fatal. I do however always have my blackberry with me - checking and responding to emails and I like the name you gave it - Wexting. I also like your suggestion to sometimes take a moment and enjoy your time and suroundings - it will all be there when we're done enjoying a few minutes for ourselves. ~Anne Marie
Good way to break an ankle on a Philly curb! I make it a point to talk about a mile walk a few days a week with no phone. We need to make more down time before we all explode from the constant barage of messages and ringing phones.
One of the funniest things my mom saw one time was a woman walking down the street texting and she ran right into a tree limb. Didn't hurt her, just embarrassing. Gotta watch where you're going if you are going to be texting. I like my phone because I can just say what I want to type. Much easier.
I use to pick up my blackberry everytime it went off even if I was walking down a street. But now I carry my camera in hand instead and save looking at my blackberry for when I am at my destination point.
I am forever checking my phone!! I've been using my phone (emailing and texting) to fill voids of time... ANY voids of time.
At a traffic light (so I dont text while driving, but I speed to get to the next traffic light!!)
during my office sales meeting (shhhhh, don't tell!)
while the coffee is perking or the toast is toasting
when I get up to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night! (You never know when a client has a crisis)
walking the dog (Sad that I don't even give the dog my attention!!)
while watching tv
while talking to people (could I be any ruder?)
at the grocery store!! (it's hard to text and drive that cart!)
I've lost all ability to NOT communicate!!
Even before reading your post, I had decided to make a concerted effort to change my evil ways!! Thanks for the reminder!