Choices

I came across a couple of things today which seemed to be on a similar theme.  The first was an interview with some Tech ‘experts’ who were discussing the impact of technology on our lives and how it impacted our free time; do we have more more or less free time when we could get emails from work at all hours?  Of course the key to this is twofold.  One element is the culture of the business and the country; in a very intense company, such as Apple, it isn’t abnormal for people to expect you to be available at all hours, other firms have different expectations.  However, you have a choice.  Do you choose to keep an eye on the email, and ‘manage’ it so as to make things easier for yourself, or do you stop after a certain time and switch off?  I don’t think there is one right answer to this.  It depends on our natures and circumstances.  What we should never ignore is that we do have a choice, and we need to make one that works for us.

The second note in this theme, was the idea that we might be used to the idea of saying “No..” to others but we seldom do it to ourselves!  At first it is a strange idea but how often do we hear a little voice in our heads telling us that we have to just finish this  or we can’t go home till whatever?  The fact is that we can and perhaps often should say “NO!” to both these thoughts.  It is usually very conscientious people who fall pray to this kind of self-imposed pressure but usually, the world keeps on turning, and the wheels don’t fall off the wagon if we don’t go the extra yard every single time. 

The trick is to work out what works for you.  When are you most effective?  What sort of things create pressure for you?  What do you need need to perform at your best; sleep or knowing you have a clear in-tray?  Don’t be afraid to explore different ways of working to find one that works for you.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, June 3rd, 2015 at 07:00 and is filed under General, Hints, Tips & Techniques, Personal Change. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.