Today all forms of home and office technology surrounds us. Some items such as laptops, mobile phones, pda's and iPods seem to have become almost part of our clothing and persona. Mobile phones and akin no longer being the size of a brick can be tucked into the trendiest jacket pocket with not much fuss. Each item of course comes with its own dedicated manual. Some people look at these when they purchase their gadget, and then seldom after that. Our confidence with gadget technology has risen to a level that means that most, but not all users, feel able to jump in and get on with it. This is great until technology takes over our lives.

So just how do we take the best advantage of the technology we have? Well initially we need to take a step back and look at all the gadgets we have and make a list of what they all do and what we do with them. Yes! You need to dig out the manuals or find them on the Internet. Take time to play and investigate. The possibilities for integration should also be noted. From this initial list you'll probably be surprised at what you’re missing.

The next thing you need to do is set down some rules to define how you want your technology to fit in with your work life balance. How do you feel when you are out with your family taking work calls? Is it really necessary to be available every night and every weekend? Do you not deserve some time without the mobile? Have you forgotten what daylight look likes due to the hours spent surfing the Internet?

Finally you need to work out how to be smarter with your technology. What can you do better? If your email is driving you mad, take some time to learn how to use the application. Similarly, if your phone has the functionality to get on the Internet, but you've not got around to working out just how it's done, invest the time to understand how to use your phone to access the Internet. Learn how to use your technology in order to get time back.

Web Page Last updated: Feb 2008