You might be making plans to change some aspect of your life or career. The first thing you will need to do is re-prioritise other aspects of your life. For most of us, having a better relationship with the technology that we use is the best way to free up time and energy to do the things that really matter to us.
I am a gadget guy and I love tech. But I have also caught myself mindlessly scrolling through Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Linkedin or even Netflix. Cal Newport, a computer science professor, writes in Digital Minimalism that these activities are not just time sucks. They also delude us into thinking we are doing something of value.
Newport is not arguing that we return to some Amish, Luddite lifestyle, although he does make an argument why the Amish have a better approach to technology adoption. He is suggesting we think more carefully about how we use technology to get the most out of our lives and relationships.
So if you want to make a career switch, you can still use platforms such as Linkedin or Twitter to do research. But sending an inMail or a connection request through Linkedin is not enough. I always hear from students who are stuck in a careers rut saying, “But I sent out 200 emails and Linkedin messages this week.” That’s what happens when you confuse a message on social media with authentic connections. You need to go further and set up a face-to-face meeting or a Zoom call.
This approach will give you a much better chance of making that career switch.
I am adopting Newport's suggestions for decluttering so from now on, the best way to give me comments about the show will be by leaving a review. No more posting on Twitter or Instagram.
You can leave a comment here on Apple Podcast if you wish. I will respond to the comments in future episodes.
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-book-judge/id1523686044