All the experts agree that the most successful people in the next 5 to 10 years will integrate technology into their lives. It’s almost implicitly understood when interviewing for the best jobs that you have a smartphone, understand and use social media, and text message the most important people in your life and work. It’s no longer optional. Technology has become an implicit element of being an active part of today’s global workforce.
If you are trying to catch up, you are already behind. That is the speed with which technology is changing these days. It has become part of the DNA of work life in so many ways it would take too long to list them all. I belong to the last generation of people where it was optional. For something this implicitly included in our life, the question is not “if” but “how”. How do you use it, integrate it, and limit it? Now that smartphones are not optional, how do they help or hinder you? When something is this natural and integrated, it is important to make sure it doesn’t push out meaningful elements of your life. Ironically, I have texted this same thought to my teen daughter one night, while we were in the same house together.
Have you integrated the amazing number of technological tools at your disposal to make your dreams a reality? Technological integration will continue to become more and more prevalent, but are you equipped for success or will you be more challenged by this?
Tech designers have tried to make the various ways technology can enter your life seem subtle but if you aren’t eager to embrace this trend then it’s hardly implicit. The future will ask you to embrace it more and more. As I said earlier, if you’re trying to catch up you will only get farther behind because it’s happening faster and faster. Many people of my generation and those before us are not embracing the changes happening, but that doesn’t have to be you. Do something today to change that trend and adopt a new form of technology.
This blog is part of a series from the book Discover Your Best Life by Mike Hintz. His personal, professional, and spiritual growth tools are also featured in Northlink Retreats. If this topic resonates with you consider reading the book or attending one of the upcoming retreats.