How to not be a slave to technology

Schwartz, CEO of The Energy Project, shared four of his most important tools for applying technology more productively, and building a work life that supports—rather than wastes—your energy.

Build daily rituals (习惯). 【小题1】 Build highly specific behaviors that you do at precise times over and over again until it becomes as automatic as brushing your teeth at night. The best way to prioritize (优先考虑) what’s important to us and make sure we actually do the things we care about is to create highly specific habits.

Take a “first things first” approach to your mornings. 【小题2】 Ninety-five percent of people have more energy early in the morning than they do as the day wears on, and they also have fewer distractions(干扰). So if that’s the case, why wouldn’t you do the most important thing when you have the most energy?

Use technologies selectively. If you expose yourself to different forms of technology continuously, they will pull you in the way a drug would, even when you know it is not serving you well. Keep technological temptations (诱惑) away when you find yourself getting too distracted—or as Schwartz puts it: “【小题3】”.

【小题4】 Many of us live our lives in a gray zone—were not fully focused on work when we’re working, and during our leisure time, we’re not fully relaxed. This leaves us feeling distracted. Schwartz’s advice? 【小题5】 Applying less than your full focus doesn’t just make you less productive; distraction keeps you from being fulfilled by and connected to your work. Distraction is the enemy to meaning.

How to Turn Your Goals into Habits

First we make our habits, then our habits make us. It’s such a simple concept, yet it’s something we don’t always do.

I believe that having ONE goal to focus on is much more powerful than having many goals. By putting the belief into practice, I have achieved a lot of personal goals over time. 【小题1】 My answer takes a little explaining. I try to turn my goals into habits, and in doing so, I put my goals on autopilot. Turning a goal into a habit means really focusing on it for at least a month. The more you can focus, the more it’ll be on autopilot. 【小题2】 You’ll still do it, but you only have to use minimal force to maintain it, and you can focus on your next goal or habit.

Take my marathon goal as an example. I was just starting running and had the brilliant idea to run a marathon within a year. So that was my goal. 【小题3】 First, I had to make running a daily habit. Second, I had to report to people in order to have accountability (负责) so that I could not quit easily. I focused on the daily running habit for about a month, and didn’t have any other goals or habits. When the running habit stuck, I started reporting to people I knew and blogging about my running every day.

【小题4】 I could focus on new goals without having to worry about the marathon. I still had to do the running, of course, but it didn’t require constant focus. 【小题5】 I was able to achieve this because, all year long, I had daily running and accountability habits. I put my marathon goal into autopilot, so instead of struggling with it daily for an entire year, I focused on it for one month and was able to accomplish it while focusing on new habits and goals.

Childhood is an important period of social development, particularly in the formation of social identity, which is how we perceive our various roles in society in relation to others. 【小题1】If a child is very shy and withdrawn, it’s likely that other children will pick up on that child’s social cues(暗示)andleave them alone,thus confirming the child’s social identity as "shy and withdrawn.” In turn, the child may become upset, trying to break free from that identity.

【小题2】The more people identify with(认同) a particular group, the more that group plays a role in shaping how people feel about themselves. Being a member of that group becomes important for how people regard themselves and their abilities. 【小题3】

Not all children who experience threats to their social identity will experience depression. 【小题4】For example, a child who only sees himself as a star soccer player may experience discomfort and a sense of loss if he suddenly becomes injured and is unable to play soccer anymore. The child may lose his status as a star athlete, which opens the door for depression.

How can a child’s identity be supported? As an adult, you can acknowledge what and who is important to them. Try not to place too much emphasis on any one single social role. 【小题5】What’s more, if you notice that a child is losing interest in activities they once loved, or other behaviors that show they are feeling depressed, seek advice from their mental health providers.