This is Steva Robbins.

Welcome to the Get It Done guys, quick and dirty tips to work less and do more.

I used to love getting phone calls.

I would sit by the phone for hours just waiting for one of my many friends to call.

And then I would remember that I didn't have any friends.

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

But now I have a great many friends,

but still no one calls. Phones have fallen out of favor. We love being interrupted and distracted by

our devices, bleeping and blinging and popping up text to us, but we really don't like it when

actual people call. After all, they might distract us from our texting. But some people, they still

do call, specifically, my dentist's office, to remind me of appointments.

Political fundraising campaigns, telemarketing companies, political fundraising campaigns, political opinion polls, political fundraising campaigns,

debt collection agencies, political fundraising campaigns, credit card companies, political fundraising campaigns,

charities and political fundraising campaigns.

Occasionally a prospect calls, too. Simply picking up the phone when an unrecognized call comes

in has become a real problem. When you're trying to design the perfect zombie hydration chamber,

zombies dry out in the hot sun, yet another detail, the movies gloss over, a prospect call

is fine, but a telemarketing call or a political fundraising call

represents a serious distraction. The solution has been with us for decades. Screen your calls

with caller ID and voicemail. When it's focused time, check the caller ID. Pick up if it's a friend,

client, or other person you want to speak with. Otherwise, those political fundraisers go straight

to voicemail.

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