2018 Summer September 22 Saturday

59 degrees this morning, no walk (weatherI), 84% humidity 

Obviously not sitting on the patio this morning, the last day of the Summer of 18.  Very heavy rains yesterday, rained most of the day.  Flash flood warnings all day.

Not looking forward to the start of cold weather, it tends to get into your bones. Hopefully we can have a “winter break” and go someplace “hot”!  

I am realizing again I need to continue working on a “Personal Strategic Plan”, especially a way to handle personal matters, like learning more about how I can use technology to organize etc.  

I am finding that time passes and I haven’t followed up on some projects, such as learning to get more productively on the computers, and electronic devices as well as the software programs, especially productivity programs. 

I kind of feel like I am missing out on getting even a minimum productivity from many of my electronic devices and programs.  

However, I have also found that many times I simply don’t learn something until I need to accomplish something.  

I realized this years (many years) ago when I needed to prepare a budget and suddenly I was able to learn Excel.  I had been trying to learn Excel, but in the abstract it was difficult for me to learn, when I had something I needed to use it for, i was able to learn what I needed without any problem.  

Perhaps the problem with that is that if I don’t know the capabilities of a program, I won’t know to learn it, if that makes any sense!

I am looking at detailing what I want to accomplish and than look at the resources available to reach those objectives.  

In a lot of ways technology can actually waste time as you try to learn a device operation that you don’t need.  For example, I am well aware that I probably only use a small percentage of the total capacity of of my computer devices and programs.  However, perhaps that is ok if that is all I need!  

I am considering changing my perspective to weigh more on what I want to accomplish and then study the means I can use available resources to accomplish rather than attempting to learn a device or program without any real plan on what I intend to accomplish with it.  Of course, I need to know enough about a device or program or app to know what I can accomplish with it also!

The biggest problem I have on accomplishing many things is simply the amount of time it takes.  For example, calling about the “Nest” products has been an exercise in futility. 

I think much of the problem goes back to either not training people well or choosing the wrong people.  

I have learned that Apple Computer (and phone companies, cable, other computer companies etc.!)  has some of the best support staff, but also some that simply aren’t competent.  I won’t detail the circumstances now (maybe in the future), but I decided I’m not going to hesitate to hang up on someone who appears to be incompetent or not care and just call back to get someone else.  

That’s it for now, Saturday, September 22, 2018, the last and first day of Summer of 2018!