I’ve spoken at family office conferences about succession and governance many times. This was different: I spoke of time as an asset class and our most precious resource, and one that’s being quietly eroded.
Just as inflation slowly erodes the value of financial assets, invasive technology is eroding our time and desocialising us. That landed. Not because it’s a new idea… everyone in the room knew they had a problem with their phones, but because most people don’t know where to start.
A full day off each week feels too distant for many. So there’s real value in a spectrum of options, starting small and going as far as someone is willing.
Two moments stood out. One attendee sends his kids to a school on a ranch — no phones, plenty of physical activity. Another asked me a good question: how have I noticed a difference across my six days on the phone?
Honestly, I still use my phone a lot. But knowing I’ll take a full break from it every week makes me feel more in control during the other six. The pause changes the week around it.
