…and pay attention to what matters most!
How would you define your relationship with technology? Are you able to put it down and walk away from it when someone or something that matters demands your attention? Or, are you denying your technology addiction as you sneak glances at your device during moments that really matter?
If we are ever going to decrease our stress and the feeling of being too busy, we must start first by creating a new relationship with technology. We must recognize who is in charge and understand technology is a tool, not a life source. Social media is for socializing, not surviving.
Technology is a tool, not a life source. Social media is for socializing, not surviving.
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Let’s start first with a confession session by answering the questions below. These will help you understand how your relationship with technology is defined and where it can be refined.
What digital habits do you hope to create for yourself in 2018?
As you know the focus of my work as a keynote speaker is getting the world to pay attention! My new book, Attention Pays
is full of strategies to help people pay attention, and that includes me too! Throughout the process of writing the book, I began to uncover habits I had developed that needed redefining. There are several tools I used to help me manage my focus and concentrated time. Those will certainly become must-haves in my 2018 routines – see the list below for the tools I swear by.
What about you? Do you suffer from daily distractions such as alerts on your phone, text messages or social media? Do you find yourself spending countless hours online without even realizing it? Perhaps you spend your day drowning in your email inbox, allowing it to dictate your day, energy and time.
What digital habits are you trying to leave behind in 2017?
I want to leave behind the habit of pulling out my cell phone when I am traveling or between meetings. I’d rather use that time to be creative, meditate, learn something, or be alone with my thoughts. I want to create more white space in my life in 2018.
What about you? Perhaps you’ve realized it’s time to stop pulling out your phone while sitting at a red light, or allowing it’s alerts to distract you from meaningful conversations. Maybe, you’ve developed some unwanted habits of tuning others out while you tune into your screen. What do you recognize that needs to change moving into the new year?
What digital habits have helped most in terms of productivity, focus, mental health, etc.?
I’m always on a search for the latest and greatest technological tools that will – ironically – help me decrease my time with technology. While digital tools can certainly help us in daily productivity, it can also be a huge time suck that steals away our focus and attention from what matters most. Below is a list of tools I’ve found necessary to my daily success. Share with me your ideas and let’s pay attention together!
- Using Freedom App on my mac allows me to do dedicated work.
- Installing the Facebook Feed Eradicator on my Facebook (I can’t see anyone posts anymore and I love it)
- Turning off every notification, alerts, and sound for social media, my smartphone, mac and email also assists me.
- My smartphone is permanently turned to silent so I only answer calls if I see it ring otherwise it is out of reach so I can get work done.
- Using meditation apps has helped me this year and I hope to get even better at that next year.
- Having my whole team using Slack has assisted minimize email, have quick conversations, and even though we are spread across the country it’s a great way to feel more connected.
- Sharing Facebook Live videos with clients has allowed me to be accountable and productive for where I am and help others share in the experience.
- Only using Google products has assisted us i. Gmail, Alexa, calendar and maps – the whole team is united in everything.
- Leveraging Boomerang for Gmail is helpful for email management.
- Buying a Peloton 1 year ago was life changing, with live and on-demand classes and hundreds of workouts off the bike I can use it when I travel and it keeps me healthy and in shape.
What tools/techniques have been most useful in creating a better relationship with technology?
- Freedom App
- Gmail
- Google calendar
- Boomerang
- Peloton bike (and app)
- Techniques include:
- switching off my cell, putting it in a draw, leaving it in my bag when I am driving and traveling.
- Not using my cell phone as an alarm to wake up.
- Using my cell phone as a timer to power through tasks (especially email) I play a game that I set the timer for 15 minutes to see how many emails I can answer in one dedicated 15 minute block.
- Not checking email until I have worked out.
- Pre-scheduling rides on Peloton in my calendar so I commit to health first
- Leaving devices in my bag when I meet someone for a meal.
- Using Alexa for reminders in my house.
- Using Slack with my team (instead of texting or email)
- Blocking my calendar before 9 am so I can workout and eat breakfast before any meetings. In 2018 we are blocking out until 11 am so we can also get strategic work done early in the day when I am not speaking for clients or traveling.
- Stopped sending emails at night or weekends (still wrote them but scheduled them for later delivery)
Now, it’s your turn. Are you ready to pay attention to what matters most? Will you consider changing your relationship with technology so you can begin to pay attention to what matters most? Share with me your ideas in the comments below and join the #AttentionRevolution by encouraging others to unplug, disconnect and take control of who and what deserves their time and attention.
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