Adoption, elimination, and mastery: finding joy in technology

When a habit begins to impact our lives negatively, our first reaction is to get rid of it—to cut it out altogether. In some instances, that’s a healthy route to take. In others, it just isn’t realistic. 

In the case of technology, eliminating it from our lives just isn’t viable for most of us. We rely on it for work, for play, and to maintain meaningful personal relationships.

This means we need to learn to live with it in a way that works for us, not against us.

So how can we coexist with the digital platforms we use daily, when it seems like they’re programmed to fuel unhealthy addiction? We can learn a lot from those who actually enjoy technology.

After interviewing dozens of mindful tech leaders during the JOMOcast, I’ve come to notice that folks who enjoy a healthy relationship with technology tend to use three themes to harness its power: adoption, elimination, and mastery. 

Let’s go a little deeper into what I mean by that.

Adoption

One of the biggest things I’ve picked up from various people I’ve interviewed is that they’re not afraid to try new things when it comes to technology. They adopt new methods and platforms brazenly—eager to see the way in which it can bring joy into their lives.

Even if you feel like the technology that’s already out there adds very little value to your own life, it’s entirely possible that in the future there may be something that does. Keeping a flexible attitude towards anything is symbolic of a healthy relationship with it—technology is no different.

The other important thing to remember is that adoption of new tech means being more stringent with the platforms you already have hanging around. It makes you really question where you put your time and energy, or you won’t have room in your life to try new things when they come up.

It’s a great excuse to do a little housekeeping—which leads us nicely to our next technique.

Elimination

Like I said, keeping flexible is healthy, so I’m not talking about total eradication here. Think of the process of elimination more as selective pruning: identifying those situations where technology is causing you more frustrations and headaches than it’s worth, then making some conscious changes.

If we look at tech fans, they tend to keep their online journey focused and light.They’re constantly reassessing and looking for opportunities to change habits if they no longer serve them. 

I love Marie Kondo’s philosophy of sparking joy through tidying up, and it’s definitely something we can apply to our use of technology. 

Here’s one or two situations you might consider straightening up in your own digital life:

• If checking your phone before bedtime makes it hard to fall asleep, consider swapping scrolling for 30 minutes of reading or a 10-minute guided meditation.

• Think about removing specific apps from your phone or cancel subscriptions that don’t serve you.

• Eliminate work distractions from your personal life and vice versa to keep your attention focused on the task at hand.

Once you pare back your technology, it opens up a world of possibilities—getting you one step closer to the life you want to live.

Mastery

It might be a little counterintuitive to suggest spending more time with technology, but plenty of people who enjoy a healthy relationship with technology actually boost their usage. 

For instance, some writers swear by tools like Scrivener or HemingwayApp to streamline their process. Project managers learn the ins and outs of tools like Asana or JIRA to keep them organized and on track. The point is, when a piece of technology helps make our lives easier, we spend more time using it. Eventually, we figure out ways to make the tools work for us, instead of against us.

If we want to usher more joy into our lives, we have to remember that technology is exactly that: a tool. Technology has the potential to bring us either joy or frustration—it all comes down to how well we harness its power. 

When it comes to our three key themes—adoption, elimination, mastery—which do you have a handle on? Which do you see areas for improvement in your own life?