A while back I posted that I was upgrading my smartphone and considering some options. The time has come like many gadget aficionados ('geek' after all is no longer in vogue) I have invested far too much time in my selection.

I chose the Blackberry Pearl 8130, a sexy little number with snappy performance. Unfortunately, after a week of use, I realized that it wasn't for me. The 'crack' in Blackberry just didn't grab hold of my PDA needs so I went looking for an alternative. Mistake #1.

Many video reviews later and I am still not sure which one to use. (I do recommend PhoneArena.com in case you need to see specs, etc.) Now I'm thinking about this process way too much and it's beginning to stress me out.

Here's the spiritual twist- gadget owning the gadgeteer. It bothers me that it bothers me which smartphone I use. I've adjusted my aim- instead of finding the ideal smartphone I just want to put the whole process to bed and be done with it.

My suggestions if you are like me and find that your gadgets are owning you:

Go on a gadget fast. Read "Unplugging the Noise" for some ideas on products and the media. A once per month fast is a good idea for so many reasons.

Put things in perspective...on paper. Write down the pros and cons of a gadget that you're thinking of purchasing. Do you really need it? Will it really improve the quality of your life? If we're honest the answer will almost always be, "probably not".

Know the fine print. If Sprint has fine print about returning a phone, read it carefully. You don't want to become a wasteful buyer of goods. Like the Prodigal Son in Luke 15, the desire for more can take over the best of us.

Stay old fashioned. No matter how cool the iPhone is, there is still no substitute for pen and paper.

Maintain quiet time each day. Steadying buying habits (and gadgeteering) with down time, alone, is valuable and keeps things in balance.

Off to work on an article...win old fashioned pen and paper. I'll keep my phone on standbye.