The myPhone Setup Guide

You check your phone over 100 times a day — and most of the time, you don’t even know why. It just… happens.

That’s not a glitch. That’s the default design.

When we don’t define what our phones are for, we inherit someone else’s idea of what they should be: a vending machine for dopamine, a portal to distraction, a trigger for anxiety.

But what if your phone could become something else?
What if it could help you become more present in your relationships…
More grounded in your habits…
More creative in your work…
More you?

This is not a guide to “digital minimalism.”

This is a method for reclaiming your phone as a tool — one designed not to entertain you, but to elevate you.

Let’s begin by making your phone… boring.

Journaling Prompts

• What are you using your phone to avoid?
• Which apps or behaviors help you avoid those things most effectively?

Why this matters

Most of us check our phones hundreds of times a day without realizing it. That’s not intentional use—that’s reactivity. In order to change your relationship with your phone, you first need to become aware of how it’s being used today. Once you identify what you’re avoiding and which tools help you do that, you’ll be ready to design your phone to support what you want to focus on instead.

Action Steps

1. Open your phone and swipe through your home screens.
2. Write down the top 3–5 apps you default to when you’re bored, anxious, or avoiding something.
3. Move those apps off your home screen or delete them altogether.
   • On iOS: Press and hold the app > Tap “Remove App” > Choose “Remove from Home Screen” or “Delete App.”
   • On Android: Press and hold the app > Drag it to “Remove” or “Uninstall” at the top.
4. Replace App Icons with Text.
   • iOS Tip: Use the “Blank Spaces Launcher” app.
   • Android Tip: Use a custom launcher like Nova Launcher.
5. Turn off non-essential notifications.
   • Go to Settings > Notifications and turn off any alerts that aren’t time-sensitive or meaningful.
6. Set Emergency Contact Exceptions.
   • On iOS: Settings > Focus > [Choose Mode] > People > Allow Calls From: Favorites or specific contacts.
   • On Android: Settings > Notifications > Do Not Disturb > People > Allow calls/messages from selected contacts.

Journaling Prompt

• What actions would help me be more of who I want to be every day?

Why this matters

A phone without personal context becomes a portal for escape. But when aligned with your values, it becomes a powerful tool for growth. This step is about naming what matters—and turning those intentions into daily actions your phone can support.

Action Steps

1. Write down actions you take regularly to be who you want to be.
   • Example: If “Writer” is a role, actions might be “Write” or “Research”
2. Rename your essential apps into verbs that reflect these actions.
   • iOS Tip: Use can youse the Blank Spaces Launcher to rename the default app label.
   • Android Tip: Long-press app > Tap “Edit” > Rename and/or change icon with a custom launcher like Nova Launcher.
3. Rebuild your Home Screen to only show those renamed action-based apps.

Journaling Prompt

• What roles do I play throughout the day—and when?

Why this matters

Who we are changes throughout the day. You may be a parent in the morning, a manager at work, and a friend in the evening. Each of those identities has its own priorities. When roles blend together, we suffer from context bleed—feeling stuck in one mindset when we need to shift to another.

Action Steps

1. List the main roles your play daily.
   • Example: parent, artist, student, partner, leader
2. Map your typical day into time blocks the reflect these roles.
   • Example: 7–9am: Self-care, 9am–5pm: Work, 5–10pm: Family/Personal
3. Assign a title to each block that reflects your role in that context.
   • Example: Self-care You, Work You, Evening You
4. List 3–5 key actions that matter in each role.
   • Example for Work: Write, Email, Plan, Read, Collaborate
5. Set up Focus Modes (iOS) or Routines (Android) to reflect those roles.
   • iOS: Settings > Focus > Add Focus > Customize screens, widgets, and app availability by time.
   • Android: Settings > Digital Wellbeing > Focus Mode or use modes within Digital Wellbeing or custom launchers.
6. Use widgets or custom screens to display only the actions relevant to that window.
   • Use apps like “Blank Spaces Launcher” on iOS or KWGT widgets on Android.

Journaling Prompt

• What actions moved me closer to the person I want to be?
• What actions pulled me further away?

Why this matters

Even the best setups drift over time. Reflection helps you realign. By tracking what works and what doesn’t, you stop repeating patterns that undermine your intentions — and start building a setup that evolves with your life.

Action Steps

1. Use the TAME Method once a week
   Create a half-page reflection in your Bullet Journal (or Notes app) using the TAME framework:
   • Tidy: Cross off completed tasks or remove irrelevant actions.
   • Acknowledge: Write down 3 things that moved you toward and 3 that moved you away from the life you want.
   • Migrate: Carry forward what matters — key apps, ideas, or actions.
   • Enact: Decide what to prioritize next week.
2. Update your setup
   • Add or remove actions based on what’s helping or hindering.
   • Adjust Focus Modes or widget visibility accordingly.
3. Stay current
   • A powerful phone setup isn’t static — it’s seasonal.
   • Make your home screen reflect this chapter of your life.