As many of you know by this point from reading my blog, I am a writer. I am tech savvy because I need to be in order to run my writing business and stay competitive, but on a personal level, I feel better being “unplugged” I see technology as a tool, not necessarily a passion, and I am totally OK with that perspective — although I do have my favorite apps.
At heart, I am a writer who uses pen and paper for my notes, calendar and journaling. I get excited by the idea of hand-written cards and letters to friends and family. I love that the ring tone from my old phone featured a combination of croaking frogs and banjos, and I have a bit of a challenge getting over the fact its now a distant memory. I am OK with completely ignoring my phone while driving, in meetings or while brushing my teeth (my tooth brush is electric and requires at least one hand at all times or dangerous hilarity ensues).
However, as my business continues to evolve and expand, I noticed a growing need to upgrade my tool belt in a variety of ways. Not only was I rushing home from meetings with clients and friends to check my email, but I was getting annoyed I could not leave the house without turning on my frickin’ laptop. I was beginning to feel the pinch of change in the air.
Seeing the Truth About My Personal Hang-ups
To put things in perspective, my aversion to upgrading my systems and tools stems largely from the ideas featured in my previous blog post. I take my personal time in the morning to get centered, clear and organized about my life and day. I dislike having to immediately jump onto the laptop, and get grumpy feeling like technology has to be the first thing I need to engage with to start my day.
Slowly the nudge became a full-on bitch-slap as I noticed how I was working was no longer working. I was attached to HOW I was doing things, even though it was causing frustrations and challenges that could easily be avoided with better tools. Not only was it making me cranky, but I had to work harder to get simple tasks completed. It was getting old.
Quitting Stubborn Thinking and Opening Up to Doing it Differently
When I got frustrated enough, I took the plunge and purchased my first Android phone a few weeks ago. Its the most money I have ever dropped for a phone, even factoring in the rebate and my two year contract upgrade. As I hesitatingly prepared myself for making the purchase, I came to realize that this stubborn type of thinking may be causing friction in other areas of my life too. Where else was I unwilling to bend or change? Where else was I letting old, unnecessary attachments get in the way of a better, brighter path?
In a world where creativity can come in so many forms, there is no mistaking how technology has an increasingly important impact on how we work and run our lives and businesses. At the same time, it offers us the opportunity to create in a new way, to change our approach and try something new that may open up huge opportunities you never thought possible.
If I stay attached to having to having to do things in a certain way, I am interrupting the flow of life and change. The ability to change is something I treasure dearly, and I am so glad that life gave me a little reminder this week, along with a cool new toy to learn along the way.