patience is a forgotten virtue
Get this, the amount of data out there doubles every 18 months. Stop. Read that again and give it more than a second’s thought. The amount of data on our pc’s, servers, smart phones, separate hard drives, iphones and crackberries doubles every 18 months. Data overload just has to be one of the major irritants in today’s modern life and you’ll notice I stop short of calling it information. Information is of value and has a purpose, data’s just, well data and it’s purpose is to be stored.
We’re all bombarded with unwanted and unnecessary data that has no relevance whatsoever to our lives. Thankfully, the Viagra scams and begging letters from the down-at-heel Nigerian Prince appear to have long since consigned to history but there are still thousands of emails to answer, virtual friends to annoy, wacky youtube vids to watch and don’t forget that there’s only three minutes to go on that ebay auction for the latest toy that you don’t need and won’t use. And that’s not to mention meetings to attend, conference calls to blag, paper to shuffle, coffee to drink, afternoon constitutionals to enjoy and the new girl in accounts to impress.
Better filtering helps, en-masse deletion is a skill which can be learned, being able to say ‘no’ is a blessing but self-discipline is the key. We need to be able to wean ourselves off the instant dopamine-hit that accompanies all those ever-so-important messages and need to appreciate the space, calm and time that we can enjoy when we cut it down to an essential minimum. But, and this is the key, by the same token we’ve all got to reign in our own expectations of those around us and those that we’re trying to get hold of. If we still expect and demand instant access when it suits us then we ain’t going anywhere fast – getting shirty if you can’t reach your colleague for even a few minutes shows you’re on a very slippery path indeed. Get over yourself and gain some perspective and self-control.
