A grocery store of technology!
- Jay Dunkle
- Oct 19
- 3 min read
“Only buy single ingredient foods and make your own meals!” - Steve
Many years ago a good friend and colleague of mine, let’s call him Steve, remarked one day as we were installing a sound system that he wanted to run a marathon. I laughed and called BS on him as he was a smoker, wasn’t exactly fit, and didn’t seem to be the ‘running-type’. Anyone who knows me has probably figured out that I don’t mind being wrong. Well, was I ever! Not only did Steve quit smoking but he started working out, jogging, and not long after ran a marathon! I am proud of him to this day and his turn-around dedication has stuck with me.
During his “Default Life” transformation Steve also became an amateur health/nutrition guru and commented to me about how many unnecessary ingredients were in canned and boxed food and cautioned me to only buy single ingredient foods and make my own meals. I may not have taken it seriously back then but again, his advice stuck with me, and my wonderful wife now indeed buys (mostly) single ingredient and organic foods with which she makes the best meals I have ever had! Fresh, healthy and filling! (Yes, I know I tend to be biased in her favor.)
Now, handheld technology gets a bad rep by many people, including myself. That could be due to the 1.8 BILLION apps available to download in the Apple store, many with the intent to keep your attention focused on your phone as long as possible. The company I co-founded, My Default Life, encourages all people to adopt a tech-minimal approach to life. People’s phones, much like a grocery store, aren’t by themselves bad for you. There actually are many wonderful hobbies and even professions born from these tech-marvels in our pocket! The problem is that just like canned and boxed food, apps also have unnecessary “ingredients” that make them unhealthy. The ‘like’ button, auto-play, and ‘suggestion’ algorithms are just a sampling of the “ingredients” that have been “baked” into Apps for the purpose of capturing and keeping your focus. The Attention Economy is one of the terms to describe this strategy. (Yes, I am enjoying the use of air quotes!)
So Jay, what might these ‘single ingredient’ apps be that are healthy for us to use? Camera for photos and videos, Phone and Message for communication, Notes and Voice Memos for capturing thoughts and lists, Podcast for listening to entertaining and educational programs, etc. (Side note, the great part about Podcasts is since they are mainly audio, you can simultaneously be productive while listing!) There are also purpose-built apps like Wix that I use to keep an eye on our website and update it as needed. I’m sure you can also think of many truly useful ways in which to use your smartphone to learn and grow both professionally and as an individual. This is just a small list of ways I utilize my own and try to consciously limit my usage.
My challenge to you is much like Steves challenge to me…be selective about what you buy. Maybe use those single ingredient apps to capture this wonderful world we live in and those amazing thoughts, ideas, and poems you have in your mind. Enrich your life with new knowledge from experts in their fields. Use messages and the phone to share and catch-up with loved ones! Be very guarded with your time because tomorrow is never promised, but we can make the most of today! Carpe Diem! Thank you for taking the time to read this and go, live your Default Life!
Comments