Embrace New Experiences, Embrace Life!
My mother had been driving a car for nearly forty years when one day, while driving with my niece, she almost ran out of gas. I say almost, because my 14-year-old niece saved the day.
Having grown up in an era when you as a woman stopped working when you got married and raising kids was your only career, my mother had managed to drive for nearly 40 years without ever learning how to fill her car with gas!
Mind-boggling?
Absolutely.
So leave it to the 14-year-old granddaughter to insist that grandma do it herself! (instead of driving the car home to grandpa as she’d done all those years)
Nearly in tears, as my niece recalls it, my mother managed to follow her granddaughter’s step-by-step directions and filled her car up with gas for the first time in forty years.
The empowerment my mother must have felt!
Ten years later, and now a recent widow, my mother uses an iPad and does her banking online. I can’t say she has it all figured out, since some things (like WhatsApp and FaceTime) only work when the grandkids are around, and she still needs a lot of assistance. But she’s not afraid to admit when she can’t do something and she’s not afraid to ask for help!
Are You Part of This, or the Baby-boomer, Generation?
My mom is seventy. I know plenty of people younger than her who are still afraid of technology. I also know business owners who have not embraced technology yet, and now quite obviously lag behind their competition.
Case in point: one of my newest clients is a neat lady. I do not know her precise age, yet I know she’s at least 10-15 years my senior, which makes her 55+.
She runs a retail shop and an online store.
She told me that several years ago she had this epiphany and realized her limitations. She did something I want to share with you.
She hired a computer coach for a whole week (paid for travel expenses and put her up in a hotel) and learned how to use her computer!
She’ll tell you herself there are many things she still doesn’t know how to do – one of them how to best navigate her Smartphone and I am going to help her with that – but the best thing that came out of that week is this:
She’s not afraid of her computer anymore! She’s not afraid to ask questions and not afraid to make mistakes. The ‘mystery’ of THAT thing, is gone.
What’s Holding You Back From Moving Forward in Your Business?
Is lack of technology knowledge holding you or someone you love back? Or is it lack of motivation and drive to learn?
Here are some ideas to get past your fear and hesitation!
- Take a computer class at a local college
- Hire a private coach to teach you
- Attend an in-person workshop
- Take a Smartphone class with your service provider
- Attend online webinars
- Ask a friend with the same Smartphone, tablet or computer for tips
- Learn a little bit at a time. Master one or two tasks really well, before moving on
Age Is Only a Number!
Not having grown up with technology in the classroom and at home does not mean it’s too late to learn. Embrace it if you need it, especially if you own a business or have family overseas you want to connect with.
Whether you need to know more about email marketing, learn about the newest live streaming Periscope or how to use Instagram, you can learn!
One Last Tip On How Best To Learn About New Technology
Find someone you trust, like and can work with!
If you are an organized person, find someone who is as well. Are you laid-back? Don’t hire a drill sergeant! When learning something new and over a longer period of time, it’s important that you both like working together.
I am available for hire; I’ve taught social media and technology to many in my workshop as well as one-on-one. Many of my social media management clients add-on several hours of consulting when I start, so they understand better what I’ll be doing for them.
Let me know if I can be of service to you at any time!