Written by Kim Lato
I’m sure many of you are well into your new year’s resolutions. What are you trying to improve this year? As a CEO, bringing out the best in people is one of the things I set out to accomplish every day. I want people to find success. Everyone, however, defines success differently. It differs from person to person, generation to generation.
When I ask people to define what success would be for them, the usual answers are economic comfort, professional fulfillment, and most common of them all: personal happiness and contentment.
2023 marks another year and another chance to improve ourselves. Whether you're working on small matters or getting a literal new year, new me overhaul, let me share some methods for setting yourself up for success!
By combining tried and tested ways and the newest tech and gadgets, we’ll all find ourselves making steps forward this 2023.
In my world of tech and electronics, trends keep changing at a breakneck pace. It’s easy to lose your footing, feel inadequate, and suffer from impostor syndrome. I know many professionals feel this way! If you feel stuck in a rut personally, professionally, creatively or whatever way, take a few minutes for yourself and meditate.
Meditation and Reflection
Meditation is a practice that literally goes all the way back millenia. It’s a wonder what a few deep breaths can do! The harder part and more crucial part is clearing your headspace. It takes practice but once you get it down, you’ll be able to place yourself in a state of calm yet somehow still alert and aware. Keep your thoughts organized and daily priorities straight to set yourself up ready to tackle the day’s objectives.
While meditating, take some time to reflect. “An unexamined life is not worth living” says Socrates. Personally, reflection is one of my most favorite things. Reflection makes way for gratitude and appreciation.
The point is not to escape but to ground ourselves, the same way you fix a piece of paper so it doesn't fly away uncontrollably. It helps us live life to the fullest not only by doing more, but by creating and finding a deeper experience. Quality over quantity. Add more dimension to life and live it to the fullest by adding breadth and depth.
Combining it with Technology
I’m far from a traditionalist. If technology can help make an activity better, why not? I’m an advocate of small but consistent changes, and that applies to the way we do things too. I know for a fact that successful people I know love hearing about the newest things to check out, whether it be apps or gadgets.
In terms of productivity, the iPad is unbeatable. The tablet form factor is sure to make a comeback thanks to more powerful hardware. We are already seeing the early signs of it. The newest laptops are looking more and more like tablets and bringing more handheld functionality.
With a tablet like the iPad, you have everything in the palm of your hand. Take all virtual meetings through it, write down notes, check out spreadsheets, and watch a movie.
Additional peripherals are up to you too. Combine it with your preferred headset, or stay within the Apple ecosystem with AirPods, add a wireless keyboard and you already have yourself a do it all machine for productivity.
For a more focused, less distracting gadget, the Kindle Scribe might be the one for you. After generations of e-readers, Amazon has come out with their first e-ink tablet. The battery lasts a lifetime like any of their e-ink Kindles. The Kindle Scribe is a note taker's dream. The stylus doesn’t need to be charged and the e-ink display makes it not just relaxing on the eyes, but actually pleasant to read. Of course, both Apple iPad and Kindle Scribe are available at Kimstore.com.
For productivity apps I like to keep it simple. Something that’s enough to help me stay on track but enables me to adjust on the fly. Apps like Todoist help break the objective down into simple steps just enough. A plain pen and paper checklist also does the trick!
If you’re struggling with focus and attention, the Pomodoro Technique is built for you. By chopping up work time into intervals, you also help avoid getting overwhelmed. When you stick to the schedule and get the hang of it, you’re guaranteed to put in solid work consistently without the burn out.
Both Todoist and Pomodoro are great tools for the office but also in personal matters. More importantly, they function for free on iOS and Android.
Social media has drawn a lot of criticism in recent years, but take my word for it, it's not going anywhere. What we can expect is for social media dynamics and usage to change. For example check out Mastodon and BeReal, both relatively new platforms with unique takes on how social media can move forward.
Mastodon is a free and open source, decentralized website with a microblogging feature similar to Twitter. In fact, some users who were unhappy with Twitter after Elon Musk’s takeover migrated to Mastodon. Mastodon users can create their own communities and self-moderate. If you want to see a glimpse of what social media could be in Web 3.0, this is definitely it.
Do you feel social media fatigue on a daily basis, but can’t bring yourself to quit? BeReal is an app which has been gaining popularity for its unique take on social media interaction. BeReal notifies users daily at different times to capture and share a photo in two minutes, and that’s it. Your next opportunity is to post the next time BeReal sends a notification. Everyone can only give an unfiltered, unscripted glimpse into each other's lives. It’s a new and unique way to discover who your friends really are in their daily life, as BeReal places it.
Just like the parable of talents, I have been given a lot and I am confident that there is more to give back. “I can do better” is a mantra each and everyone of us can take to heart. I’m excited for what's next and what's in store for all of us. Enjoy merging trusted traditional ways of centering the self and injecting your own modern twist. I'm confident we’ll all have fun making 2023 full of meaning!