7 Must Do Habits to Leverage Your Time with Technology in A Rapidly Changing World
Technology is ever changing in the current fast paced world we live in. Most people find it hard to keep up with it all. The key to keeping up with it is to identify what technological gadgets and applications you resonate with that are in service to you and not the other way around. Feeling as though you have to keep up with something will only contribute to overwhelm and shutting down or procrastinating. When women get into overwehlm they spin their wheels and nothing gets done. Not every new technology is for each person such as how one person loves an iphone and another an android. In a world where the average American uses electronic media for 11+ hours a day, the concept of technology helping to leverage your time versus consuming your time can seem daunting. Implementing these 7 Must Do Habits can and will give you your time back.
1. Boundaries
Most women struggle with creating and keeping the boundaries they set. When setting a new boundary such as choosing to unplug at 6pm every evening to recharge and relax, you have to keep your word to yourself as though you would keep your word to a loved one. When you set boundaries for yourself and keep them, it cultivates self-trust and when you trust yourself fully everything in your life works in miraculous ways.
2. Self Discipline
Self-discipline is born out of self-trust and self-trust is cultivated from self-discipline. When you are working toward a goal and follow through on the action steps required to meet that goal you strengthen your belief in yourself and what you can and will accomplish. This creates a forward and positive momentum from which you can accelerate the pace at which you achieve goals. Start small and parent yourself like you would a child. If a child wants to stay up late on a school night for example, the parent would ensure the child went to bed at a decent time and got adequate sleep. You’ll need to do the same when inner resistance comes up regarding what action step you may be resistant to taking. When you continue to do this you cultivate your “self-discipline muscle” and before you know it a new healthy habit will be automatic.
3. Customize
In a world where there is an app for everything you can literally choose from thousands of options to customize what works for you. What calendar system is best for you? What health monitoring apps are right for you? What social media apps for you are of service? For my business I use Periscope to broadcast training videos in real time. You can follow me on periscope by searching for the username @rebeccamatias. I also use twitter, facebook, instagram and linked in. Do what works for you and customize the techologies so that they are in service to you and not the other way around.
4. Unplugging
Statistics show that most people are exposed to electronic media 11+ hours per day. This contributes to what many doctors call “brain fog” and ultimately declines ones health and positions them for being more susceptible to diseases like Alzheimer’s and dementia. Setting boundaries around when you check email and social media and how often and honoring those rules like you would enforce for your children, will give you the opportunity for real connection to yourself and others.
5. Take a Stand for What Works for You
Try different things out and see what you are drawn to and make note of what is working and not working. Different technologies work for different times in your life. Are you an early adapter? Do you embrace new technologies or do you run from them? Stick to what is working regarding the technologies you use but also be open to trying new things that may serve you by being more effective and save time.
6. Focus on One Thing At a Time
Contrary to common belief that multitasking is a necessity and helps you get more done, the majority of studies show that multi tasking actually hinders productivity. Having a master project list to reference in Google drive for example can get you focused on one project at a time and get you lasered in on the tasks associated with that for maximizing your productivity. “Batching” is doing similar activities. Batching your day can leverage your time also. For example if you are responding to emails here and there throughout the day it takes more time than if you were to schedule a block of time in your day to respond all at once.
7. Know Where Your Time Drainers Are
The best way to get control of your time and know where you are wasting time on unnecessary technology is to calendar everything in to your ical, google cal or outlook. At the beginning of the week, fill every slot with what you anticipate you will spend your time on, then during the week in “real time” edit the calendar to reflect what you actually did. At the end of the week you will have an actual account of where your “time leaks” are and you can modify for better productivity.