You don’t think it will happen to you, but it will -- I guarantee it.
Right now you maybe a true digital native. You not only know the difference between Twitter, Tumblr and Facebook, but you also get how the cultures differ too. I bet you had a tablet before everyone else in your class or workplace. And maybe, just maybe, you’re in the Google Glass Explorer program. (Or at least you hope to be.)
But one day, maybe not for many years, the gravity of life will loom. Your business and personal responsibilities will grow. Hardened habits will settle in and you may not be as digitally savvy as you are today. You may even (gasp!) become a Luddite.
My advice to young grads and, really anyone in business, is this: don't let your digital skills and knowledge decay. Do the best you can to remain an Internet native throughout your life. Even better, encourage others around you in business to do the same.
Disruption is the new normal. The businesses that are able to shed the outdated vestiges of the past will be in the best position to succeed.
This begins with you. Fight the urge to let old habits - even digital ones - settle in.
I am in my early 40s. Therefore, in many other areas of my life I lose this battle. Again, gravity sometimes wins and willpower is a limited resource.
However, when it comes to my adoption of new digital habits, I am, if anything aggressive in my own life. My job requires that I stay ahead of the curve and encourage 4,600 people in our firm and our clients to do the same.
I would encourage you to adopt a similar mindset no matter what industry you are in. The more comfortable you are with disruption, the more you will be able to roll into it, rather than run away from it.
Here are some of the simple changes I am making right now ...
I am disrupting how I consume news...
The forthcoming demise of Google Reader is encouraging me to shake up my news workflow - even though there are other RSS readers out there. While the service is not being shut down until July I have already nuked the habit by moving most of my consumption to Pulse and Flipboard, which I use as a front-end to LinkedIn and Twitter
I am weaning myself off physical keyboards...
At home, on the go and in meetings, I am trying to kick the habit of using physical keyboards in favor of using touch-screen and voice inputs. While I am still nowhere near as proficient as I am with a physical keyboard, I am slowly building muscle memory over time. Once I am adept, I may adopt the same at my office as well.
I no longer consume physical media and soon I will stop creating it ...
After several years, I have successfully migrated all the physical media I own - books, magazines, newspapers, movies, etc - into their digital equivalents. Yes, this cost money but now I have them everywhere I go. I am in the process of doing the same with my notes as well, though I still find that culture can get in the way. (A lot of my meetings are over meals so taking notes on a phone is difficult and sometimes rude. I scan these notes.)
I am living a more quantified life...
Adhering to the old Peter Drucker adage “What gets measured gets done,” I am now constantly seeking out ways to get data-driven feedback. Thanks to the real-time data my Fitbit provides, I have finally lost those pesky last 10 pounds by walking more in good weather and taking the stairs when it's not. The next step is for me to make similar data part of my work streams.
I am communicating more visually...
People don't have as much time to read anymore. Distractions are everywhere. You have to find a way to break through the noise if you hope to have your ideas heard. Visual storytelling is a good way to align your message with the way the digital brain works. I have started experimenting with apps on my tablet and computer that allow me to surprise and (hopefully) delight to get my message across. I haven't done so yet here yet, but stay tuned.
How are you staying native? Leave your thoughts in the comments. More minds are better than few and I am always looking for good ideas.
Photo: Tanya Little/Flickr/Getty Images
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