7 Habits of Smart ICT Users

Article by Mr Rudie Asmara (mr.rudieasmara@gmail.com)

All Rights Reserved.

The 7 Habits embodies timeless principles that continue to remain very relevant in the 21st Century that we live in today. With the world (and devices) becoming more connected, popularity determined by how many followers one has on instagram, our lives becoming more distracted by pop-up notifications, our sleeping hours getting later by the day, endless Youtube video options - how can we be smart and stay on top of things?

We take a look at how the 7 Habits can be used to effectively to deal with the ever increasing influence of Information Technology to benefit ourselves and those around us.

Habit 1. Be Proactive

Being proactive means that you take to take ownership of your own learning.

Information Communications Technology (ICT) continues to evolve every passing moment. There are more devices today than there were ever before in the history of mankind. These advances bring about plenty of opportunities for you to learn and innovate on the technologies around us.

With the Internet, information is at your fingertips. Do a Google search. Do a Youtube search for skills you want to learn. The future belongs to those who are always prepared and adaptable. And especially those who ask themselves how get things done better.

"Luck is When Preparation Meets Opportunity." - Anonymous

So Stay Curious, Stay Happy and Continue Learning.

Habit 2. Begin With The End In Mind

Google was built by Larry Page and Sergei Brin on a vision to to organise all the information on the planet in order to be the best search engine in the world.

Facebook was built by Marc Zuckerberg on a vision to connect everyone in the world.

Apple was built by Steve Jobs on a vision that technology can fuse with design to create awesome products. With this vision, touchcreen technology was invented, the iPod, iPhone, iPad and many more products followed suit.

Alibaba.com was built by Jack Ma on a vision to bring e-commerce to China and the world.

Everything starts with a vision. Everything starts with the end in mind.

"He Who Fails to Plan, Plans to Fail." - Benjamin Franklin

Set your targets. Pursue them with courage.

Habit 3. First Things First

If you think that you are getting smarter by "multi-tasking" on several tasks at one time - think again.

Our every day distractions with our mobile devices, chats, social media have greatly weakened our ability to focus or even to accomplish tasks.

1. Put aside all your gadgets.
2. List down all the task that need to be done.
3. Prioritise what is number one task on the list.
4. Pursue that task and complete it with laser focus.

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"Your Thoughts, Your Emotions, Your Life, Your Accomplishments Begin with Your Focus." - Japanese Haiku

Habit 4. Think WIN-WIN!

Collaborate and Achieve.

Collaborate Online and Achieve Big.

Make others Collaborate Online and Achieve Even Bigger.

Habit 5. Seek First to Understand, Then Be Understood.

Many great things can be achieved if people took the time to listen and understand the situation.

Similarly many catastrophes (disasters) could have been avoided if someone took the time to listen and understand.

Have the patience to understand a situation first without reacting to it.

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With all the unending posts on social media, people tend to react immediately to news or even "fake news" to gain fame without first ascertaining if the news is real or not and more importantly analysing the consequences of their posts online.

Remember, "What You Post Online, Stays Online."

Habit 6. Synergise

Working together gets the job done better, faster and in more creative ways.

The future workplace is a place where everyone comes together and collaborate to produce an excellent product or service.

The team that works well together or synergise will be the winning team .

In organisations, individuals who are good team players and who can work together well with others are valuable assets.

Focus on the strengths and talents of every individual in your team and be amazed at what you are able to accomplish.

...

"None of Us, Is As Smart as All of Us."

- Keith Blanchard, Author, One Minute Manager

Habit 7. Sharpen the Saw

We live in a world that doesn't sleep. A world in which devices beep at us demanding our constant attention. Find the time to rest your mind, to recuperate, to recharge, away from the distractions of our mobile devices.

Make real human contact with other individuals and not just on social media.

Find the right balance in everything.

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Be disciplined with your rest time. Drink lots of water. Sleep early.

"Rest & Return Stronger." - Rudie Asmara