We all have an extremely close relationship with our technological devices. In fact, it seems that we cannot live without them. We all want to buy the latest trend: smartwatches, tablets, smartphones and the list go on… But have we thought that maybe our interaction with technology can influence our success?

Interestingly, Steve Jobs and Bill Gates, two of the biggest tech successes, openly stated that their children had specific and limited hours to use electronic devices. So, if we control our children’s screen time, why are we not doing the same? Limiting the time, we spend on our devices is crucial to developing a healthy relationship with them. No need to be constantly available, checking notification/e-mails every second. A 2019 study conducted by ResumeLab showed that highly successful people spend only around 28 minutes daily on social media.

This study also showed that the tech habits of highly successful people included “charge their technology while sleep”, “take breaks from social media” and “use password protection on my tech devices”.

If we think about it, our time is spent looking at screens: at work, while commuting, and during leisure time, we are mostly doing it. It is important to develop healthy habits that do not include technological devices, such as reading, painting, exercising, etc. At work, it is equally vital to take effective breaks from technological devices, to reset and disconnect. Thus, everyone should schedule time away from technology, less is more.

More than limiting and scheduling the time spent on our devices, it is vital to develop healthy habits when using them. For instance, we must adjust our postures, avoid sitting too close to the computer/tablet/television, not listening to music too loud, not using our phones before bed, etc… Our gadgets can help us develop some of these habits by adjusting resolution/brightness, install apps that control device usage, among others.

All things considered, our technological devices should be used to help us in our professional lives. They allow us to establish connections, develop our network, get to know/learn from other people’s work, and get inspired and creative. They can also be a great way to optimise ourselves and our performance. For example, using apps to track our sleep/health or to plan our days can be efficient ways to reach a healthy work-life balance. Other work-related apps allow work teams to be connected 24 hours and have access to work files/programmes 24/7. This can be really useful for remote workers or even for organising all the necessary data in one place.

However, we must be careful about what we share online and the information we have on our devices/apps, like card codes, passwords, etc. If one has access to it, it can be dangerous.

References:

1. Surprising Tech Habits Of Highly Successful People, December 2019, Forbes
2. 19 Daily Habits Practiced by Incredibly Successful People, June 2019, Inc.
3. Is Technology the Key to Success in the 21st Century? Lifehack
4. Triumphs Through Tech, June 2019, Resume Lab