“To know what one ought to do is certainly the hardest thing in life.
‘Doing’ is comparatively easy.” – Maria Mitchell

We all have entrance to the largest knowledge collective at the very tip of our fingers. Access to the internet is usually no more than an arm’s reach away – tucked into a pocket or resting on a bedside table. Our smart phones, tablets and computers are wealth of immediate information and human connection. The Age of Technology has changed the way we are able to interact with the world, quicker and with more accuracy than ever before.

With this new strength we have seen an increase in human productivity – though not always for the best. Many managers and employees report that they are struggling with reacting to this information as quickly as they receive it. The Age of Technology has become the Age of Doing.

When we sit in a place of reactivity instead of proactivity we lose our purpose. Our vision becomes narrow and we experience fatigue and burnout. Maybe we solve for problems but never understand why we are experiencing them – we allow the demands of the world to shape our perspective. We stop having purposeful impact on our community and even feel as if life is “just happening” to us.

Technology will continue to improve and foster even faster forms of communication, though with “small shifts” we can change how we interact with the onslaught of information. Below are some questions to help you respond to the everyday fires with your most authentic self:

• What are my values? Do I live those values every day? Where do I need to create better alignment?
• What is the basic principle in which I live my life? (ex: “Do all things with kindness.”)
• What is the next move for me? My team? My business? Am I prepared to make that move?

When life is chaotic and you seem to be pulled by a million different virtual forces remember to check in with your values, mission and vision to remain in control of your own perspective.

Being told what to do is easy – figuring it out for yourself is genuine.