Balancing Work and Life in the Age of Smartphones
Back in the prehistoric days of 2010, I was a third-year lawyer, blissfully unaware of the digital wonders that awaited me. My phone of choice? The legendary Nokia 3310, a trusty brick of a device that could survive a nuclear apocalypse. Then one day my firm gifted all of us with BlackBerry smartphones. These devices marked the dawn of the smartphone era in Rwanda. Their sleek design and innovative features were captivating. One of the standout features was the tiny red blinking light that alerted you to new messages. It may sound basic today, but at that time, it was cutting-edge technology which made us feel like secret agents. I received my BlackBerry during a particularly busy work season. I had a new client in Singapore who was interested in purchasing a company in Rwanda. Singapore is 6 hours ahead of Rwanda, and my client often began emailing me at 9 am Singapore time, which translated to 3 am in Rwanda. Many nights, I found myself awake at this ungodly hour, and tha...