by Cameron Ingalls As I am entering my winter season I am spending intentional time reviewing how I do business and how business does me. It is one of the most amazing things to own a business, but sometimes I must admit it feels like the other way around. My constant determination to improve my services and systems fuels me towards hard work, but I am also determined to not burn out my most valuable tool; me.

I ran across an article in Reader’s Digest called ‘Get a Grip’ that really spoke to me. It addresses the new ‘Age of Technology’ that we find ourselves in and the adverse affects it may be having on the average business person.

Ron Geraci writes, “Surveys show that the average office worker sends and receives 108 e-mails a day-an onslaught of electronic clutter that can take hours to slog through. Even when we manage to clear out the in-box and escape our desks, most of us are still reachable by cell phone or some other handheld device. Sure, these gadgets add convenience and fun to our lives, but there’s a price to be paid. ‘Technology is allowing us to do things we’ve never been able to do, and it’s positively incredible,’ says Edward M. Hallowell, MD, author of ‘CrazyBusy’. The downsides are that it’s addictive and you can become tied to it in ways that are exhausting.’”

‘8 Tips to Fight Info Overload’ is my favorite part of the article. Check it out! (I will adapt them to fit us photographers)

1. SPOT THE SIGNS Feel alone even as you communicate with people all day? That’s a signal technology is dominating your life.
2. TAKE BABY STEPS Try being accessible for short spurts to see what happens. The world probably won’t implode.
3. REPEAT THESE FOUR WORDS: “I have a choice.” People who say, “My boss (or client’s) want me to be reachable after 8p.m.” are likely exaggerating the control others have over them.
4. SET LIMITS Rein in office e-mail, (blog-stalking) and instant message traffic. (Who truly needs to view 35 photographer’s weddings from the weekend?)
5. GIVE CLEAR INSTRUCTIONS Try an e-mail signature that reads “I answer e-mail at 10 a.m., 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. If you need a quicker response, please call.”
6. MAKE A TASK LIST If you’re interrupted, you’ll get back to wrok faster if you have one.
7. STICK TO A SCHEDULE Handle recreational Web surfing, (blog stalking) and e-mail at set times. Dipping in and out is classic self-interruption.
8. DO A REALITY CHECK After five minutes of unplanned surfing/stalking, ask yourself, “Should I really be doing this now?”

I really hope that this article is of encouragement as you take time this Holiday season to reflect on a busy year and prepare for a potentially busier one to come. Ask yourself, whether you own your business or does your business owns you. Take time to evaluate where you spend the majority of your time; with people or technology? Take this Reader’s Digest quiz, Are You a Tech Junkie? And if you are like me you will probably score ‘Always On’. Then make some decisions in your life to prioritize the most important things (relationships, rest, play) so that you will avoid the technology burn out.

Take the quiz and let everyone know how you rate. Does this speak to anyone else but me?!

Cameron Ingalls, Inc. Central Coast Real Life Wedding Photographer