Is it possible to use technology to bring balance to your life? In the modern era, the answer is “yes,” and you can even do so from the palm of your hand. Thanks to smartphones, there’s much you can manage—in both your home and work life. This article will be taking a look at some of the cool new tech you can use right now to help bring some organization to your world.
Your Smartphone At Home
There are all manner of devices that can link up to the network in your home to control specific functionalities, and those, in turn, are often controlled right from your smartphone:
- Smart Thermostats — While your standard thermostat may require manual interaction for nearly everything, smart thermostats make use of your home’s Wi-Fi network to control your heating, air conditioning, and ventilation more efficiently.
- Security Systems — In a similar vein, you can arm/deactivate your home security system, or even monitor cameras through the use of a smartphone.
- Lighting — Smart devices have taken the place of old-school timers for controlling lights on a schedule, and even allow for you to control additional features—like color—with the right bulbs installed.
- Home Appliances — Your washing machine, dryer, dishwasher—these can all be operated at the press of a button with your smartphone, and monitored so that you always know their progress.
- Locks & Keys — Even the traditional deadbolt may be phased out by smart technology, as upgraded systems can generate unique identifiers for you to mitigate the possibility of someone stealing your key and making a copy.
Your Smartphone At Work
Smart technology and apps are making their way into more facets of work than ever before. Could you have imagined an app like HaasConnect to monitor machining equipment just five or ten years ago? Now such utilities are becoming commonplace, and they’ve got a whole wide range of uses that can enhance your ability to get things done:
- Planners & Calendars — Whether you’re a big fan of the GTD method or you just want to remember a few important things here and there, it’s never been easier to plan out as much (or as little) of your day/tasks/etc. as you like.
- Note Taking — If you’re used to taking notes the old-fashioned way, you’ll be blown away by the impressive functionality of modern note apps. In addition to keeping everything in a place you can’t forget, you can organize it all to best suit your way of operating.
- Communicating — In addition to the “phone” feature inherent to every smartphone, you’ve also got your apps for video chatting and staying in touch with co-workers with shared chat rooms or via social media.
- Keeping Focus — There are even apps for keeping your head in the game or locked-in on a single task. They can help you block out distractions and work toward your goals without interruption, improving your overall efficiency.
Creating Balance
When combining smart apps for work with those for your home life, you’ll have the opportunity to do and control more than ever before, but you’ll need to proceed carefully to maintain overall balance. By and large, you should remember to keep work and home separated where possibile to keep either from dominating your life, and get serious about your scheduling so you know what time is meant for work and what is meant for enjoying your home and family.