What would we do without our phones? Where would we be? How would we function in day-to-day life? Technology, as it has rapidly advanced over the last ten years, has opened up so many doors in terms of communication and work options. Many of our jobs can be done from anywhere and phones have played a massive part in allowing us this freedom.
We can communicate with people across the world for free and, I’m sure, if you can remember the days of counting how many texts you had left for that month in your plan, you’ll never take this amazing ease of communication for granted.
My phone certainly does a lot for me and not always in ways I would have expected. It has transformed the way that I work, travel, stay close to friends, and build my career. Here are a few ways my phone has helped me professionally and personally.
How my Phone Helps Me Professionally
I know that I’m incredibly lucky these days. I get to work outside an office – from home, a cafe, a park bench, wherever I desire – but there’s no arguing that this lifestyle wouldn’t be at all possible without the incredible support of my phone.
As a freelance writer, my phone allows me to do so much while on the go. If something special and unmissable crosses my path while I’m travelling, I can capture it in a photo or in HD video to look back on later, add to an article, or share online to inspire others.
It’s a moment that would otherwise be lost forever but, thanks to my phone, I now have it with me always. Even more practical than the use of the camera is how my phone helps me work. As a writer, I can take notes at any time.
On press trips, you’re given so much information at once so having somewhere to write notes at a moment’s notice is so valuable. There have been moments when using my phone as a voice recorder has allowed me to capture immediate and important information that I’ve been so grateful to have come article-writing time.
I’ve even recorded the words of people who inspire me at conferences or who have provided me with valuable tips and insight that I’ll need later. Taking notes on a phone is also far more practical than using a notepad and pen, especially if you’re on foot.
Read More: How to Get Started With Freelance Writing.
I can send pitches to magazines and newspapers at any time while out and about, and from anywhere at all, whether it’s walking in the park or while riding the bus. I can answer messages on Slack, set up meetings, and even edit photos and proofread my writing while on the go.
Because I work primarily for companies in the US and Japan (but live in the UK) I have to be available most of the time — that wouldn’t be feasible at all without my phone. Working remotely has never been so easy, thanks to our phones.
The kinds of apps available are astounding, from editing photos with lightroom to creating videos or downloading an app to keep me productive. My phone manages my life from professional to personal with ease.
Read More: Learn How to Edit Photos and More With Our Handpicked Creative Classes.
How My Phone Helps Me Personally
Here’s a personal story of how my phone became the only way of communication with my friends and family at one point. I’ve lived abroad for many years in several different and disparate countries but, before moving to China, I knew the censorship of popular communication and social media sites was going to be a major issue. This is thanks to what we call the Great Firewall of China.
My usual ways of communicating with friends and family (like using Whatsapp, Facebook Messenger, and Skype) which had served me fine while living in the UAE (still all on my phone) would suddenly be useless in China thanks to the firewall.
What was I to do? Well, I had my friends and family download the Chinese communication app Wechat – the Chinese version of Whatsapp. Wechat is only accessible on mobile phones and is an app that is completely allowed within China – being that it is Chinese.
It was amazing not to have to worry about this issue while starting a new life in another country; I could let people know we were safe and happy and chat just as easily as I would have at home, and for free. Without Wechat, I would have been potentially cut off from friends and family with absolutely no way of contacting them. Every method of communication would have been blocked, and only Wechat on my phone could save me.
Of course, I made plenty of friends in China, and later in Korea and Japan, and communication apps like Kakao in Korea and Line in Japan all opened new lines of communication and friendship along the way.
Read More: Teach Abroad in China, Korea, or Japan. Honest Pros and Cons
How has your phone helped you on your professional or personal journey? Let me know in the comments below.
This is a paid partnership article with Three, a mobile phone supplier in the UK as part of their Phones Are Good Campaign. Three believe that phones have been getting too hard a time recently. Far from bringing the end to humanity, they think they bring people together.
These pocket rockets help us plan our social life, find love, build relations, run businesses and make memories. They also keep us connected on the go, including 71 destinations worldwide with Three’s Go Roam proposition. As part of the paid article, Three asked me to share my personal experiences on why phones are good. These opinions, stories and images are my own.