My hope is that some day this "passion" will be my full time job, but for now I will lovingly stick to the one I have. I am fortunate that fundraising well requires keeping a lot of information orderly and having a plan of action. So I get to organize databases instead of closets and help people plan out donor strategies instead of strategies around closet systems, but it's a pretty good deal none the less.
I recently presented a session to a fundraising staff about time management. We talked about the normal stuff - having systems, keeping your desk neat, watching for patterns that distract you, asking for help from your boss, etc. Whenever I do one of these sessions, I review my old "stuff" and see what is fresh and new. The talk trend now on good organization/ time management is about technology, specifically social media. I found this picture as I was preparing and it's been on my mind ever since.
Is all this interaction a good thing or a bad thing?
Does it distract us from what is important or does it connect us in a different way?
Do we "need" to know what our "friends" ate for lunch? What color they painted their bathroom? Or how that trip to Hawaii was? And do we need to know that when we are supposed to be paying attention at a meeting?
Does the time suck at work really make us THAT much less productive? Or is Facebook just the water cooler of the 2010's?
I will argue that social media/technology in general is good and bad.
On the good side... I love having connected with new and old friends. It is inspiring to see what wonderful things my friends have accomplished AND watch their children grow. My Facebook feed has become where I hear about news - big and small. And I recently found a group in my community where I can sell items online - kind of like a virtual garage sale where everyone is connected to neighbors and they come pick up items that you no longer need. (AWESOME!)
On the bad side... Studies indicate that our obsession with technology is remapping our brains and changing how we think from the inside out. Cyber-bullying, sexting, and other scary stuff makes me nervous for my son's world 10-15 years from now. And I have been at lunch with friends and ALL OF US have been on our iPhones.
There is a class at the University of Washington, and I am sure other places, on this very topic. In short, they recommend conscious connections with technology, the removal of multi-tasking and the incorporation of meditation.
So we need to, just as in anything else, find some moderation. I've been TRYING to put down my technology connections for consistent periods of time so I don't miss my son's moments, or my own life, with my head buried in an iPad. I've also tried this meditation thing -- not bad. We'll see if I can make it a "real" part of my life.
New challenges come and go, but I think the bottom line is that we all have to find what works for us and our families. The place where we are comfortable between Iron Man and Fred Flinstone. It's there, we just have to find it behind the winter sweaters.
xo friends...
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