WE are living in a mobile world. About 20 years ago it was unthinkable that almost every person in South Africa would have their own cell phone. These days we have multiple wireless connections. From our cell phones to our mobile data dongle, not to mention our laptops and tablets. We are always connected, always available.
Years ago we mailed a letter to someone, waited a few days or weeks for a reply. You would phone a friend on his home phone number and if he was out and not able to answer it was fine. We did not feel that he had to answer immediately. We then moved to email and cellular telephones. Today we expect people to answer the phone immediately, and that they always be available. Email, on the other hand, is also too slow these days. We expect a reply to our emails in at least an hour or two. We are always rushing, so now that is not fast enough. Now we are moving more and more to using instant messengers on our cell phones.
Now we expect an immediate response. Five to ten minutes. Now that we do not necessarily have to pay inflated SMS rates we feel that the response should be quick.
We need to slow down, we need to reclaim our time. Who would have thought that we would think back to the days when we used to only be required to reply to emails in a few hours. Those good old days when things were slow.
Yes, we are bombarded with loads of information and we are always available and connected, but remember that you determine the speed at which you use technological innovations. You should be in charge, do not allow the speed of technology to determine the speed at which you burn out. Step back and reclaim your time.