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Simple Text Message

November 16, 2017 By Tom Mungavan Leave a Comment

Maybe I’m the only one confused.  With the update to IOS 10, I have been confused when hitting the SEND arrow at times. Sometimes the “Send with effects” window comes up (screen on right) allowing me to add balloons, fireworks, confetti and other “enhancements” to my message.  You can swipe through a variety of effects.

It is handy if you want to spice up your messages with a splash of graphics.  Most of the time, I am not looking to send such enhancements, even though I like balloons.  Because the “Send with effects” window only pops up occasionally, I was confused as to why it would come up unexpectedly.

It turns out that it matters how you touch the SEND arrow. If the phone thinks you are pressing and holding the arrow (or 3D Touch), it opens the “Send with effects” window.  It is a little like the difference between clicking and double-clicking with your mouse on a computer screen.

I now know how to send a simple text message without being distracted by the “Send with effects” window. One more simple distraction is gone.

How Old Are You?

March 10, 2017 By Tom Mungavan Leave a Comment

When my father was 60, he referred to himself as being “middle-aged”. His friend asked him, “How many people do you know who are 120?”

A Life Well Lived

conductor-stanislaw-skrowaczewskiMinnesota Orchestra Conductor Laureate Stanislaw Skrowaczewski was born in Poland 93 years ago. He started playing piano at age 4. He loved playing music until he was injured by a bomb during World War II. He became a conductor in Warsaw and Cleveland before he took over the Minneapolis Symphony in 1960.  A few months ago we heard him conduct the Minnesota Orchestra with such gusto that it was hard to believe he was 93 years-old.  His love for the music was clear. One non-stop performance was 80 minutes long without using the written score. Last year he conducted in over a dozen countries.  So how old was Skrowaczewski? Sadly, he died last month. He fully lived all of his 93 years.

Being Engaged in Life

There are numerous studies that all point to being engaged in something you find worthwhile (for pay or not) significantly improves our happiness and our health. I feel blessed to feel that way about what I do. Most of my “work” gives me energy, even though I am well past what many think is retirement age.  See my blog Build your Return on Life (ROL) from 2014 about Mitch Anthony’s book “The New Retirementality” that challenges the concept of a retirement age as a leftover concept from the Industrial Revolution.

How Old Should I Feel?

I do not advocate that people should not retire because I have not done so. There are many people who have sacrificed enormously to build their career and feed their families. They have traveled extensively, or in other ways, sacrificed family time to do work that is not all that satisfying any more.  Finding a way to remove from your life what is draining and add things that are nourishing is a wonderful endeavor. I know many who have focused on their grandchildren to recapture what they lost with their own children’s growing years. That is a fabulous opportunity to recover. Others have found the artist inside them during their retirement, like President George W. Bush.

young man looking at an older himself in the mirrorMy misconception of how a grandfather should feel is very apparent to me.  Looking at the photo of the man looking in the mirror pretty well captures the gap. I feel like the younger man, and the mirror reflects an older man. I expected to feel like the older man in my 70’s, but I don’t… most of the time.

I know many who think their 60’s and 70’s are the best years of their lives. Maybe the 80’s too …. I just have not asked enough people in their 80’s.  That was not my expectation when I was in my 30’s. That was not how I saw my grandfather in his 70’s.

Should We Allow More People to Work Longer?

Many would say, “Not on your life!” and others would find community, contribution and maybe purpose, if they were able to continue to work.  Warren Buffet continues to make good investments in his 80’s. The Supreme Court is filled with senior citizens.  Many cultures honor the wisdom of age more than the US culture.

There are definitely limitations brought on by aging.  There are also strengths that build with continued age.  I was blessed with a grandmother who was young at heart and willing to share honest wisdom such as, “Those who talk about the ‘good old days’ have bad memories. It was not all good.”

The companies who can overcome unfounded age discrimination and also make adjustments, where appropriate, to work rules will have a competitive advantage in many industries.

 

 

Your Phone is Like a Slot Machine

February 17, 2017 By Tom Mungavan Leave a Comment

Social Meida
Social Meida

It just happened again. I was going to do something productive on my computer and I saw a compelling headline. I checked it out … and maybe a related one as well. Oh, what was it I was going to do?   OK – now I will do what I need to do …. if I don’t get off track again.  I get a text message alert and automatically look at my phone. Oh, isn’t that cute! A quick response and I’ll forward it to the family.  Now where was I? Who’s calling me from New York? Another robo call. OK, back to what I was doing. It’s a good thing I didn’t look at Facebook this time.

The Wall Street article “Take Back Your Brain From Social Media” looks behind our obsession and lost time with social media. They do not suggest stopping entirely. They do suggest adding choice back into our life.  Our brains are wired to to “voraciously feed on information”, says University of California, San Francisco neuroscientist Adam Gazzaley, co-author of the 2016 book “The Distracted Mind.”  Interruptions are a serious problem.  Studies have found that interruptions can cost 23 minutes out of an hour.

Recommendations:

  • Turn off app notifications on your phone and computer.
  • Make your main work devices completely off-limits to social media.
  • Hide your phone when you’re working, driving or doing important socializing.
  • Do not use social media as a “break”. There are many better options.
  • Teach your kids to manage social media also.

Social media has the same psychological pull as a slot machine.  We keep hoping every pull/click will give a big reward. It seldom comes. The “house” always wins. Just as we are wise to not place a slot machine in our office, kitchen, or car … the same is true of our mobile phones.

Remember That Webpage

December 1, 2016 By Tom Mungavan Leave a Comment

When you find a webpage you want to remember, or even make a note on… there’s now an easy option with your iPhone as of IOS version 9.
ios-note-webpage-thumb
From the webpage you are interested in, you are able to SEND the webpage to the Notes App that comes with the iPhone. Create a new note. Add your own notes. Save.
Once you have a saved a note, you can look up that information in the Notes App, see your notes, and click on the link to access your saved webpage.

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