Are you a technoholic?

Technology can be a wonderful thing, but it can also be a curse. If you’re dependent on your phone, computer or other devices to run your life, then you may be addicted (or e-dicted).

It’s time to tame your technology and get your life back. Whether you are totally ruled by machines or just feeling the tide turning against you, now is the time to act, and regain control. It’s time to confront the problem and make some resolutions that change things for the better.

There are five main areas that need attention: thinking, talking, communicating, doing, and being. Of course, they are all interrelated, but they are worth breaking down so we can see how they can affect our relationship with technology.

Thinking

We don’t do enough of it, even though it’s completely free. Events overtake us. We need to rediscover the art of thinking clearly and use it to improve our quality of life.

Thinking takes time and From Kevin Duncan Technology requires a bit of peace and quiet. We can’t think properly if we are distracted, and distraction comes in lots of ways. If you are trying to think and you are constantly interrupted by inbound alerts, you may never crack the problem. It doesn’t work if the phone keeps going, or an email, text or instant message comes in, or if we are trying to multitask and not making a good job of it. So, we need to create space at certain times to think properly.

Talking

We do too much of it, often without having thought first. We talk too much rubbish, and not enough sense. It’s time for a new, more considered approach that reflects what we feel more accurately and makes it easier for others to understand us.

If we don’t think, then there is a very strong chance that the quality of our talk will suffer. This works in two directions. First, people who don’t think first tend to talk nonsense in any medium.

We need to create space at certain times to think properly

Second, the person who has to listen to the resulting drivel is either frustrated or hasn’t a clue what the other person is talking about. Neither state of affairs is good.

People who blurt out rubbish without thinking create the impression that they don’t think much, and are also lousy communicators – so nobody wins. Many people claim that they can’t work out what they think until they talk it through. This may be true, but at least they should have the courtesy to alert the other person that that is what they are about to do.

The recipient of an outburst (the wafflee) has the right to know what they are in for (from the waffler). Talking straight affects how well you can communicate through your technology.

communicating

We have so many methods of communicating available to us that we frequently choose the wrong one. We need to use the right medium for the right message, and a clear understanding of the suitability of each for the task.

Communicating is a broader skill. It includes talking (in person and on the phone), email, text, instant messaging, social media, presentations, and much more. Communication is two-way, and can rarely be achieved by a monologue, unless you happen to be the president making a speech, and even then there is plenty of room for misunderstanding.

This means that listening is crucial if communicating is to be successful. Choosing the right medium is absolutely critical. How many times have you chosen the wrong medium for the message? It happens all the time, and the more technological options we have, the more baffling it becomes.

doing

We do far too much of the wrong stuff, which often means we do not have enough time left for the right stuff. We need to be able to distinguish between what matters and what doesn’t to make better use of our time.

Doing is the action part.  Without it, nothing happens. Writers do not sit waiting for inspiration to strike. They sit and write until something emerges. Anyone can have a great idea, but it is worth nothing unless it gets done.

In that respect, execution has become one of the most valuable traits in the modern world. People mistakenly think of execution as the tactical or menial side of things. They are wrong. People who get seduced into concentrating on the so-called bigger picture usually fail to deliver.

In 2000, 40 of the top Fortune 200 company chief executives were dismissed because their organisations had failed to do what they promised. There should never be a gap between thinking and doing. Technology can fool people into thinking that something is being done, when in fact it isn’t.

being

We can all be better. We should define our own characters, not allow them to be defined by our possessions or technology. Having a better life starts with knowing what you are all about, and emanating that style.

Existence, and the quality of it, is the essence of life. So it must be worth making sure that what we are suits us. Our self-determination and selfesteem may be enhanced by technology, but they certainly should not be ruled by it.

Getting your attitude to your technology right and having a balance leads to less stress and a more fulfilled life (see box, right). It starts with good thinking, emerges as well-considered talking and communicating, and manifests itself as doing, which leads to high-quality being.

And if you believe the words of René Descartes – ‘I think, therefore I am’ – then the cycle from thinking to being is complete.

Kevin Duncan is the author of Revolution – a book, app and Facebook forum. kevinduncan@expertadvice. co.uk