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Listen to the podcast: The Attitude That
Helps. 
Transcript
This is Leo Notenboom for askleo.info.
A few weeks ago I discussed the The one skill you should hone. That skill is web searching, and I remain convinced that it's perhaps the number one skill to help you use your computer more effectively.
But it dawned on me the other day that it's not always about skills. It's often about attitude.
What attitude am I talking about? Well, I'll put it this way. If you desperately wished that computers, software, and other technologies would quit changing then you're not going to be happy with what I'm going to say:
Embrace change.
In my experience the people that are the most comfortable with technology, the people that use it the most effectively and are the least hindered by it are the folks that not only accept change as inevitable, but even look forward to it as it comes along. These are the folks who are curious, who are interested in learning what the technology can do for them, and how they can best leverage the latest and greatest to make their lives more effective, efficient and fun.
I'll contrast this with the many, many people out there who, for example, learn one way of doing something and steadfastly refuse to explore other or newer ways of performing that task more effectively or perhaps in new ways altogether.
The former group understands that technology is a tool to be used and exploited.
The later group? They may not realize it, but they're slaves to the very technology that they refuse to let go of.
The later group will often argue that time spent learning new things, which will also eventually be rendered obsolete, is time wasted and time diverted from actually accomplishing the tasks at hand. And I'll even agree that to a degree. It is possible to waste a lot of time picking up new tools and technologies that you'll never use. However that's no excuse not to focus on areas that will benefit you.
Now, I'll absolutely concede that change can be painful, change can be wasteful, and that not all change is for the good. But I absolutely believe that the pain of progress is worth it, that there is more positive progress than there is negative, and that the results of accepting change are more beneficial than hiding your virtual head in the virtual sand.
Let's face it, Windows 98, Word 2000, parts and support for your 10 year old computer, heck, even parts and support for your 40 year old classic car aren't going to be readily available forever. They may live on as specialty items, antiques or collectibles, but after a time they're just no longer viable as actual, useful, day-to-day tools.
Prepare for it.
Change is inevitable.
I'd love to hear what you think. Visit askleo.info and enter 11533 in the go to article number box to access the show notes and to leave me a comment. While you're there, browse over 1,100 technical questions and answers on the site.
Till next time, I'm Leo Notenboom, for askleo.info.
Article C3036 - May 27, 2007
I'm amazed how many young people (high school age) are as technologically sedentary as their forefathers. My daughter is 16. I recently rebuilt her computer, installing a new processor, more RAM, Windows Vista, and Office 2007. She is grousing like an old hen about the new OS and Office. “It’s not what I’m used to!” she’s wails. Don’t be surprised when a young person, who you deem as technically advanced, bristles at the suggestion of changing their routine to adopt new technology.
Posted by: Dave B at May 27, 2007 3:48 PMHello Leo!
Man, your article is the key to life. Either today or 65 years ago when I was born. If you hate change, you'll live a miserable life. The only thing constant in this world is change! Embrace it and live or fight it and die every day!
Thanks for all your good tips. I was a 'computer guru' in another life, but 90% of my technical knowledge is obsolete - my attitude isn't!
Posted by: Russ Horton at June 1, 2007 6:49 PMAMEN! Right on! I am always telling people who ask for my assistance that they own their computer hardware and their software and the way to learn it is to EXPLORE it and make it really their own.
I have often see people who say they did not have time for changing hardware or software. Yes, what we have not works, but there may be something just around the corner which will work BETTER/FASTER.
I could not agree with you more. I wish everyone could see this tip. Be open and learn.
Somewhere in my travels, probably some college class, I heard that the people who are the happiest in life are the folks who are always learning. We, the ones who keep up with the changes, should be ONE HAPPY LOT.
Thanks, Leo, for all the great tips.
Zen Peterson
Posted by: Zen Peterson at June 2, 2007 12:11 AMIn the DOS days I felt very secure with the commandline, and had every thing under control. Come Windows and most everything was pre-defined, but hidden under many menu/windows, so now I've learned to search more to find the commands I want. Changes? At 73 years I find VISTA a great challenge, with all that so far is missing, but am enjoying it. Thanks Leo, learning every week.
Posted by: Bjorn Holberg at June 2, 2007 12:59 AMBjorn
Try explaining the 'embrace change' attitude to those blinkered religious zealots who believe that everything of any importance or significance in life was written down, never to be altered, a couple of millennia or so ago...
Posted by: John Ellerington at June 4, 2007 1:28 AMHi Leo,
Love your great tips and articles.
"The Attitude That Helps", really strikes home, I embrace learning new things, my husband on the other hand, HATES changes and always complains about new and improved techniques and ways that weren't around when he was a kid. He always says..."Maybe I was brought up wrong." I always reply, "No, you weren't brought up wrong, but you have to go with the flow and accept new things and accept Life, cause things are always gonna be new and improved. If you don't accept new things, you might as well be dead, cause if I die first, you're gonna be totally lost and have no clue what to do.
P.S. We're only in our early 50's, I'm a tad Old Fashioned, cause of my upbringing, but he's really lost in the Old Ways. If he had his way, I wouldn't have a phone in my house, and we'd only have 1 vehicle. Times change, and so does Life...Always Enjoy Life...It's a Privledge Denied to Many.
Donna McKee
Posted by: Donna McKee at June 5, 2007 3:32 AMI don't see "change" as something to be embraced or rejected, but rather evaluated. Changes for the better are good, but not all changes are for the better. The computer industry is just that -- an industry. In order to keep us spending money on computers, the companies that produce software and hardware have to produce a steady stream of new versions, without regard to whether they are improving their technologies or not.
For me, broadband represents an improvement over dialup internet, because it allows me more easily to do what I want to do with computers. The technology has changed for the better. Flash drives are an improvement over Zip disks, which were an improvement over floppy diskettes. I am indifferent to inventions such as the wireless mouse; they neither help nor hinder nor significantly change in any way my computing experience.
Word 2000, however, is no worse than tomorrow's Microsoft Word. In fact, I think it's no better than Word 97. Word processing on computers has not really improved in ages and ages. New versions only serve to induce consumers into spending considerable amounts of money on products that are no more effective at fulfilling their functions than what they already had Incidentally, I am no partisan of any MS Word version and use OpenOffice personally (a matter of value for money). I could just as easily use Word 6.0 to produce the .RTF files into which I save the papers, drama, fiction, letters, and other writings that I produce.
Embracing change just because it is change can lead to wasted time and wasted money. I evaluate change, ignore or work around those changes that I find to be for the worse, and embrace genuine improvement.
Posted by: Charles Berman at June 8, 2007 10:12 PMMy husband has always worked with computers while I have been an at-home mom. I wonder how much computers have added to my life? An e-mail account that maybe 1 in 100 e-mails are worthy of reading, and your friends never writing back (anymore than they did in the days of snail-mail). Fear of doing anything on-line because of identity theft (1 in 5 now is the last statistic I have read, and I certainly would not take those odds if I were to board a plane!) but basically almost being forced to pay bills on-line. Of course, they say that their website is "secure" - until it gets hacked. Googling anything and getting the worst kind of abusive language because I guess people have to show off, etc, etc, etc. Not finding what you need (for example, going to a store's website to find a store in my area, and it not coming up as being in the area, then having to call a neighbor and finding out that she, indeed, visited that store just last week, and no, it hasn't closed!) When the kids are gone I am considering getting rid of it. The computer to me is just work, work, work and not much pay-off. It has added very, very little to my life. Now, before you tell me that my attidude is bad, I have subscribed to Leo's newsletter religiously; each newsletter has had me walk away with a pot of gold in advice regarding all aspects of computing, and he has saved my gluteus maximus more than once. The computer just hasn't done much in enriching or enhancing my life. And now, with having a computer at home, my husband just sits in front of it every night with the headphones on. We don't see faces anymore, we see computer screens and someone's picture. How is that being social? We don't have friends anymore, we just have computer screens. Brave New World!
Posted by: Lee Nelson Guptill at November 25, 2009 9:01 AM