With the countless number of apps on your phone that keeps buzzing and demanding your attention, it won't be wrong to say that your technology is ruling you more than you realize.
Our current technologies can provide such immediate responses to our actions that we can easily get swung into the motion of responding, thinking we are being productive when we are actually being distracted.
The first step towards using your technology to add to your efficiency and productivity is to come to terms with how you are using it. Only once you have a clear map on how you are using your technology can you be in a position to use it as a powerful tool to achieve your high-priority goals.
How can you deal with technology?
Choose one weapon
Look around you at any point in time and you will have some technological device on you. From your computer to your phone to your watch you’re connected all the time. Each device has a unique ability and way of creating task lists, schedules and organizing data. Before you know it you have multiple lists running on each device leaving you more unorganized than you have ever been.
Tip: Choose one device on which you want to have all your activities listed. Getting everything in one place won’t let you miss out on a task and neither will it leave you hunting for data when you need it.
Sync your devices
It may not always be practical to have only one device as each has a device that has its own unique functionality. But technology has even given you the advancement to sync all your devices. This functionality is key to productivity. It will stop you from juggling and digging into chaos. If synced properly it will be a systematic approach to getting the identical data on all your devices.
Tip: Use software that syncs all the devices that you are using. If you are creating a master task list on your computer get a software that helps it sync to all your other gadgets. So no matter where you and what change you make on any device, you at all times have only one reference point.
Create a distinction
Technology can be your worst enemy through the sheer incoming of distractive data. Be it on social media or a messaging service. Starting from one scroll you’ve spent more time than you ever expected on the device. Giving yourself a distinction of what is important and what is a distraction is very important. Once you’ve made that distinction it’s important to keep the ones contributing to our productivity at reach at those that are not at bay.
Tip: Have a separate ringtone for all your functionalities. A simple way could be to silence your phone when at work other than keeping your professional numbers on loud. The same could be done for your social media by keeping the ones that drive you to distraction off.
Use these tips to make technology your biggest asset and not your blindsided liability. Technology will only advance and to make the advancement contribute to our success we need to know how to manage it, otherwise, it will only become a lethal addiction.