{"id":28393,"date":"2021-03-08T08:50:06","date_gmt":"2021-03-08T12:50:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=28393"},"modified":"2021-03-10T19:54:14","modified_gmt":"2021-03-10T23:54:14","slug":"the-use-of-technology","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/the-use-of-technology\/","title":{"rendered":"Master the Use of Technology to Manage Your Time"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Do you find yourself constantly checking your phone? How can you master the use of technology to minimize distractions and increase productivity?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Technology can be a major distraction, but if you learn to master the use of technology, it can help you <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-manage-time-efficiently\/\">manage your time<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-keep-yourself-motivated\/\">stay motivated<\/a>.  Even social media can be a powerful motivator if used properly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Read on to learn how you can master the use of technology and improve your productivity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Master the Use of Technology&nbsp;<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Technology has enormous benefits, but if you don\u2019t master the use of technology, it may end up controlling you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Many people feel compelled to be in constant touch, which keeps them reacting to a never-ending stream of messages rather than choosing whether and when to respond and controlling their own schedule. Immediately upon waking up, they check their phone messages and notifications. This continues throughout the day until bedtime. One study showed that people check their devices 85 times a day. They check twice as often as they think they do, according to another study.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It adds up to wasted time, a feeling of not being in control, and more stress about what\u2019s not getting done. And no matter how often you check for messages, they keep coming in. But <strong>the fact that someone sends you an email doesn\u2019t mean you owe them your time.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Apply the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/80-20-law\/\">80\/20<\/a> rule to your messages and email. As many as 80% are unimportant and you can Ignore, delete, unsubscribe, or block them<\/strong>. Most of the remaining 20% can probably be put off, which leaves only around 5% requiring an immediate response. Ignore anything not relevant to your priority tasks and relationships.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There are numerous benefits to unplugging or taking a break from communication devices. In one study, CEOs and entrepreneurs who turned off their devices temporarily experienced improved memory, sleep, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/methods-of-decision-making-crucial-conversations\/\">decision-making<\/a>, and relationships.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Tech entrepreneur Bill Gates unplugs and meditates each day. Similarly, you should <strong>try turning off your devices for an hour in the morning and in the afternoon<\/strong>. Or go further and unplug for an entire day each week. You won\u2019t miss anything important and you\u2019ll focus and perform better when you take tech breaks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Make Technology Work for You<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Instead of being controlled by technology, you can <strong>master the use of technology to help manage your time\u2014both to remind you of what\u2019s important and keep unimportant things from distracting you.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When you\u2019re working on a high-value task, close all computer windows, websites, and programs you aren\u2019t using for the task. Turn off phone alerts and notifications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Some people keep alerts and notifications turned on all the time because they want to be reachable in a potential family emergency. But rather than making yourself available to everyone 24\/7, you can adjust your phone settings to limit your calls and texts to emergencies or certain people only. Take control of the use of technology and only respond to messages by choice rather than reactively. Similarly, use your email program\u2019s features to sort and prioritize emails.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Use Digital Tools<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Use your online or paper calendar to block out time for your important tasks the same way you would block appointments and meetings. You can also use digital productivity tools or software to help you <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-manage-tasks\/\">manage tasks<\/a> and delegate them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Some people hesitate to use digital tools because they require learning new software and systems. However, everything can be learned. Work to master the use of technology\u2014the time you spend learning new tools will pay off in greater efficiency. Accept that everyone gets frustrated with technology occasionally. Remember, it\u2019s there to work for you, and you can master it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Social media can be a big distraction or time waster, but some people use it to generate encouragement and positive feedback. They share their goals and updates on their progress with friends or like-minded people, who help them stay motivated and less likely <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/to-procrastinate\/\">to procrastinate<\/a>. This can be a more beneficial way to use social media than posting about trivial things or complaining.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Do you find yourself constantly checking your phone? How can you master the use of technology to minimize distractions and increase productivity? Technology can be a major distraction, but if you learn to master the use of technology, it can help you manage your time and stay motivated. Even social media can be a powerful motivator if used properly. Read on to learn how you can master the use of technology and improve your productivity.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":28396,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,42],"tags":[224],"class_list":["post-28393","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-lifestyle","category-motivation","tag-eat-that-frog","","tg-column-two"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v24.3 (Yoast SEO v24.3) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Master the Use of Technology to Manage Your Time - Shortform Books<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Technology can be a major distraction. 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But, if you learn to master the use of technology, it can help you manage your time and stay motivated.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/the-use-of-technology\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Shortform Books\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2021-03-08T12:50:06+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2021-03-10T23:54:14+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/wordpress.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/social-media.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1313\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"743\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Hannah Aster\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Hannah Aster\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/the-use-of-technology\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/the-use-of-technology\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Hannah Aster\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/f39f52830e4f7039a16e45d12354542f\"},\"headline\":\"Master the Use of Technology to Manage Your Time\",\"datePublished\":\"2021-03-08T12:50:06+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2021-03-10T23:54:14+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/the-use-of-technology\/\"},\"wordCount\":684,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/the-use-of-technology\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/social-media.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Eat That Frog!\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Lifestyle\",\"Motivation\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/the-use-of-technology\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/the-use-of-technology\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/the-use-of-technology\/\",\"name\":\"Master the Use of Technology to Manage Your Time - Shortform Books\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/the-use-of-technology\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/the-use-of-technology\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/social-media.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2021-03-08T12:50:06+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2021-03-10T23:54:14+00:00\",\"description\":\"Technology can be a major distraction. 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