Historically, I’ve been a self-admitted technology-junkie. I used to be a technology fanatic before that, but time (less of it) got in the way. Today, I still like technology, but first I ask myself, “Will the time I put into learning some new technology pay me back in time-saving dividends down the line?” If the answer is “Yes”, I pick it up. Most of the time, the answer is “No” and I mentally drop it into the “one day when I have time, maybe I’ll pick it up, but until then, this will just be a big time sink” bucket.
It all comes down to efficiency, when and where it makes sense. Tedious tasks - automate them. Repetitive tasks - get it to down a process so you don’t have to think about it. Complex tasks - break them down into simple tasks, then automate what you can. If in doubt, find the keyboard shortcut.
This need for efficiency drove me to read several self-help books. Out of all the self-help books I’ve devoured, only “Getting Things Done” by Dave Allen proved to be practical and immediately valuable. The best part is I didn’t have to apply the entire system to start gaining value from reading the book. I was reminded of this book by a recent radio show titled “Tech Junkies Crazy About ‘Getting Things Done’” on NPR’s “All Things Considered”. I wholeheartedly recommend checking out this book - it was well worth my time and could be worth yours.
Remember, spending time with your loved ones should never be considered a task. Spend as much time as possible with them and avoid automating with a DVD player, television, or anything technology.