I am a technology nerd and I don’t know anyone who enjoys all the technological marvels the way I do. Over the past year, I have used my technology and enjoyed it to the fullest.
Birds of a feather flock together.
I like using my laptop, tablets, smartphone, and e-reader. All my devices are either PC or Android-based operating systems. These operating systems are best suited to the kind of work I do professionally and the things I like to do for fun. I do all my writing on electronic devices. I have not done any serious writing on paper for decades. I like working on my devices because my information is stored in the cloud. This means that nothing is ever lost, misplaced, or unavailable. This year has been interesting for me as far as my technology is concerned.
The laptop computer I am using I purchased in February of 2019 as a birthday present for myself. It is a Lenovo Ideapad. It is a beautiful machine that performs steadily and reliably. The 15-inch screen, 500 gigabytes of memory, and 8 gigs of memory make it possible for me to do all the work I need to do with ease.
In addition to my laptop, I have a Winbook tablet. It is a full computer in tablet form. Once I attach a bluetooth keyboard, I can use it to work just as if it was my laptop. My 10 inch Kindle Fire tablet is another great piece of technology. I set up both tablets so that I can use them in place of my laptop if the need or desire arises. If I am to be honest, the need and desire have arisen on many occasions.
I have made reading for professional development a daily part of my day. This means that my Kindle Oasis e-Reader gets a workout during business hours. It also pulls heavy duty after work when I read for pleasure. The ability to have thousands of books in a little square not much larger than my phone is a true thrill for me. It is a big step up from the days when I had to carry two or three books and three or four magazines in my backpack each day.
As I used my technology over the past year I have enjoyed it. I have several friends who went crazy with the bullet journal craze. They bought the journals, the pens, the fancy tape, and the stickers. Some even took calligraphy classes. They wanted their writing to be beautiful and artistic in appearance. As pretty as all those BUJOs were, they would never work for me. I need something more easily transported. For me, a tool needs to be near me to be useful. I can’t deal with an organizational tool that requires me to sit at a table with a ruler and scissors in order to be used. I created a bullet journal electronically with Evernote. I used my technology to make a tool that is always with me or that I can access on anything that can connect to the internet.
Old school and new school things can work together.
There is nothing like the tactile sensation of writing, physically writing things down. So this year I added the Blackboard by Boogie Board to my arsenal. This device allows me to physically write down whatever I want. After I write things on the blackboard, I take photos of what I wrote and add it to various programs so that I always have the information available when I need it. This way I do not have to worry about sticky notes let all over my desktop. I don’t waste paper or kill trees because I am not covering the house and my office with notebooks. By putting my writing into an electronic format, I can search for it, sort it, and use it in a myriad of ways a simple notebook would never make possible.
Over the course of 2019, I used my technology to be more productive. Because my devices all speak to each other, I was able to work or play whenever my heart desired. No matter when inspiration struck, I could jot down ideas, prepare proposals for clients, or even write another book. I never worried about losing a device, because everything is stored in the cloud. In fact, because I am a belt and suspenders woman, my information was backed up in two clouds.
[Tweet ” I encourage you to find ways to keep the old ways of doing things that work for you and add technology to the mix.”]
So, over the course of 2019, I reaffirmed my joy in technology and found ways to combine low tech and high tech work practices. In this way, I was able to create a way of working that was best for me and my world. I encourage you to find ways to keep the old ways of doing things that work for you and add technology to the mix. I was glad I did and I think you will be also.