There are thousands of articles out there that claim people don’t think enough. People are lazy. People rely on technology too much. People now can’t remember as much as they used to because of technology.

Hey, if you think that’s true now, then imagine how bad it was when reading and writing first became the norm ;)

When the written word became more accessible to people (i.e. affordable and not restricted by religious conventions), it was found that people’s memories got worse. They no longer had to remember things for themselves because they could stick it on a bit of paper. Even traditions like rhyming verses became less popular, because people no longer needed tricks to remind them of things.

No one in their right mind would say that they wish they could go back to the days before reading and writing, so why do many people wish they could take a break from today’s equivalent: the electronics, apps and devices that make our lives easier every day?

Fatigue. Everything is just a bit too much. Even downloading an app feels too much like a commitment sometimes. I read an article recently that said human beings process five times as much information now compared to the late 80s. That’s not even a generation ago.

There are many, many works of fiction out there in various forms that address the ‘What if something happened to the technology we’re so dependent on and how would the human race cope?’ scenario (Revolution is one of my favourites). Interestingly, they mostly all seem to have the idea that society would collapse and we’d all go completely feral and kill each other until only small factions remain. Considering there are many indigious groups of people who get on perfectly well without technology, it seems pretty unlikely. But then reality is always more boring, isn’t it?

I am not one of those people who needs to think more. I’m a chronic overthinker; before breakfast I’ve usually thought of at least eighteen impossible things.

Constant mental gymnastics gets exhausting pretty quickly. And, maybe ironically, the best way to deal with it is by introducing more technology (vicious cycle or problem and cure?). It’s a popular therapy/psychological trick to empty your head when it gets full of stuff in order to be able to cope with more the important things.

My current huge huge project – more like a life overhaul really – is to cut out all the rubbish. Reduce the thinking. Automate, delegate and streamline all the boring stuff so I have more time to concentrate on the things I enjoy.

So far this has been a two steps forward, one step back kind of thing. I’m the kind of person who likes to put everything in the world on a to do list, be happy for five seconds, and then get completely overwhelmed. I’ve been experimenting with different ways of breaking tasks up; Todoist, Trello, and good old fashioned lists.

Trello I use for work along with an in-depth To Do list pad and a general notebook. Recurring tasks, long term ideas, blog posts and shared stuff go on Trello. I also colour-code some weekly tasks and move everything to a ‘This week’ list which makes it easier to block irrelevant stuff out.

The To Do list pad is used for writing down immediate tasks for the day or week. I love physically checking things off a list.

Real life is organised through Todoist and some other physical list pads. I’ve found that having these specific list pads has made a huge difference. Not only am I more focused on the overall goal and bigger picture, but I’m limited to how many things I can actually have on a list. My rule is to never go over one page, which forces me to prioritise and stops me taking on too much at once.

The meal planning thing is still happening, and it reduces the need for thought a lot, particularly combined with my new shopping routine. It’s not perfect, but we know where to fix the gaps and it’s getting there.

Being super-organised has also cut out most of the ‘Where’s ____?’ that happened a lot. It’s proved fairly easy to keep things in their own compartments, although there are still some areas of the house that need sorting and still some where we have too much stuff.

I feel like I’ve learned a lot already. The most important takeaways so far?

1. Use the right tools for the job is vital, whether that’s a drawer organiser or an app. If you’re using something that’s not quite good enough, you’ll have to actively compensate for its shortfalls. I used to use Wunderlist instead of Todoist, and Project Pier instead of Slack, but I found they didn’t meet my needs and I just stopped using them or didn’t use them effectively.

2. Be committed enough to follow through with whatever you’re doing. Even when you just feel too tired to put something away or reply to another email, do it. It’s when you think ‘Oh, it won’t hurt to put another plate on the side instead of washing it up’ several times that systems start to fall apart. (I tested this at work a few months ago by washing up everything in the sink and on the side. Magically, it stayed clear. Once I put something in the sink or on the side, suddenly everyone followed suit. Social proof, office edition).

3. Just because you’re organised and think less about the boring stuff doesn’t magically mean you’ll have more time. But it will be time better spent ;)

The TL;DR: Most people use technology as a replacement for things without actually making a conscious decision to replace it (where ‘it’ is communication, thinking, etc.) or what they want to achieve by using the technology. Any extreme is dangerous. Pretty much any tool is dangerous when used incorrectly or thoughtlessly, whether deliberately or accidentally; people blame technology rather than their own shortfalls (see also politics).

A knife can be used to prepare food or stab a person. It all depends on the holder.

Do you think too much or too little? Is technology a good thing or bad thing for you?