Quick Tech Tips

One of the biggest distractions in our lives is a lack of clarity about what’s important to focus on in a particular moment. You can correct this by taking a few moments at the beginning or end of your days and weeks to establish your intention and priorities using a tool like the Intention Planner.

When working, eating, pooping, and sleeping, we have a perfect opportunity to be socially distant from our devices. These breaks allow our brains and bodies to recover from the stress of being constantly connected.

• Start by charging your devices outside of your workspace and adding tech breaks to your calendar to check-in throughout the day on any important calls or messages.

• Turn off notifications for non-missional critical apps.

• Put away your devices during meals.

• Buy a real alarm clock and charge your devices outside your bedroom so you can get uninterrupted rest at night.

Establishing and communicating these boundaries removes the guesswork around when and how you are available for your work and personal life and reduces any anxiety you may feel about needing to be on and available 24/7.

These rules spell out things like:

• Which hours will you be available for work each day?

• Which hours will you be available for life outside of work?

• Which tools should colleagues use to reach you for urgent matters? What about non-urgent issues?

• What’s an urgent matter?

• How soon should someone expect a response from you depending on the level of urgency?

Tip, tricks, and hacks are great for short-term gains. But long-term and sustained change require making space and time to reflect on what I believe are the most important questions anyone could ponder, which are: 

1. At the end of my life, what will be my lasting impact and legacy?

2. What changes must I make to lead a life aligned with the legacy I want to leave behind?