Upgrade Your Personal OS

I’m at a café with a friend and we’re each working on our laptops. She’s typing away, and suddenly lets out an exasperated sigh.

“I hate when I ‘undo’ (Ctrl or Cmd Z, or Edit, Undo) one too many times and end up getting rid of something I wanted to keep, then I have to type it all over again.”

“Just do a ‘redo’ (Shift, Ctrl or Shift, Cmd Z, or Edit Redo), and the last thing you got rid of returns,” I say.

She tries it. “Oh my gosh! I never knew you could do that!”

This week, Apple released iOS 8, its latest operating system for iPhones and iPads, and the Internet is buzzing with intrigue and excitement. 

Being a life and business coach, it’s kinda my job to make cheesy correlations from time to time, so the new iOS 8 got me thinking about upgrading our personal operating systems.

Think about those things you do on a regular basis; things like grocery shopping, emailing, driving your kids to sports or lessons, returning phone calls, exercising, etc. To help get yourself out of the same old, same old thinking, play with checking out the gray area between the black and white. What are some other ways you could approach these tasks that would make your life easier?

For example, could you coordinate a carpool with some other parents whose kids are in the same activities to save you some trips? Maybe you return some phone calls while you’re out walking, killing two birds with one stone. Perhaps look into a grocery delivery service to have the shopping done for you and your bags delivered right to you door. The nominal fee might be totally worth it! Consider setting aside a one-hour block of time to get through your pending emails instead of doing them piecemeal throughout the day.

The point here is to simply expand your thinking; to get you in the habit of considering different options. In this world of “there’s an app for that”, chances are there are shortcuts you’re not using.

When you find yourself saying “Ya know, I should be able to just ________,” take that idea a step further and do a web search. I bet you’ll find that an easier option exists.

I jump online whenever I’m feeling puzzled, stuck, or frustrated with a task or project. Chances are I’m not the first one annoyed by a similar situation, so by looking on the internet, I learn from others’ experiences, and, in the meantime, save myself some grief.

As a result, I have installed a $30 heater in my refrigerator door to stop the water line from freezing (versus paying $450 for a service call and install), learned to edit videos in iMovie, discovered customers’ preferred day of the week to attend a webinar, and a whole lot more.

So the next time you’re feeling frustrated about anything, stop and consider alternatives and options to the approach you’re taking. A simple shift in your thinking could be all you need!

I’d love to hear your thoughts about this. Please join the conversation in the comments below. I’m listening…

Until next week, keep taking those small steps to Live Out Loud