Do you take your laptop on vacation? Do you sometimes loathe your cell phone?
Harris Interactive recently reported that as many as one-third of vacationers take their laptops on vacation. During a Sunday meal at a restaurant, I even observed a man sitting with his family talking on his cell phone — obviously about business. He was not happy, and neither was his family!
To paraphrase Charles Dickens, “It is the best of times. It is the worst of times.” Certainly, that applies when it comes to connectivity. Stories of 9-11 victims being able to communicate with family members in the last minutes of their lives warmed my heart, while the story a friend told of her mother answering her cell phone in the delivery room during the birth of her grandchild chilled my soul.
How grateful I was for my cell phone when I came across a young woman stalled on an interstate without one, and I could immediately get help. How convenient it is on vacation to use the Internet to explore the options for entertainment in the area on a rainy afternoon, and get directions to find it easily. How comforting to know that my family can reach me in case of an emergency–or something to celebrate!–regardless of where I am in the world.
But here’s the question: Should you take your laptop on vacation? Should your cell phone be on 24/7? Clients often ask, “What should I do?”
My answer: “That’s the wrong question.” The right question is: “What will you do?”
Maybe an even better question would be: “What would you like to do?”
Perhaps the best question of all is: “What action will bring the results I want?”
In order to answer that question, you have to take the time to answer: “What ARE the results I want?”
Repeatedly, I have emphasized that one definition of “organization” is “controlling the things you can control, so you can cope with the things you can’t.”
In our complex world, especially with the level of connectivity available, it’s easy to fall into the trap of feeling that we are victims of other people. I cringe when someone complains about having to answer their cell phone. Who says you have to answer it? If you don’t want to be reached, turn it off.
If you have to be reachable because your job requires it, then the question may be “Am I in the right job?” Or, have you simply trained people that you are always available? Service and dedication are great, but they only require good communication, not 24/7 accessibility. Sure, it’s frustrating to leave a message and get no response, but few situations would suffer if the response came one hour later so you could have lunch with a colleague without interruption.
So what does all this have to do with productivity? My passion is helping individuals and organizations create and sustain a productive environment so everyone can accomplish their work and enjoy their lives. When used appropriately, connectivity does help you accomplish your work and enable you to play.
But, it can also undermine your priorities at work, destroy your health, and poison your relationships when used inappropriately.
The issue is not whether you take your laptop on vacation or leave your cell phone on 24/7. For some people, the ability to check e-mail once a day on vacation brings peace of mind and can be done when others are sleeping or swimming. For others, the whole idea of a vacation is not taking your laptop. There is no right or wrong; the question is whether your choice is enhancing your life or diminishing it (and the lives of the people around you).
About Ariana Society
Ariana Society is a private VIP membership club for the digital elite. With powerful tools like networking, private social platforms, webinar hosting and business resources, plus other perks like heavily discounted travel and 24/7 streaming workouts, Ariana Society is the premier resource for successful entrepreneurs. Learn more at https://ArianaSociety.com.
