Fully Utilizing Technology For Personal Development

In this day and age we are surrounded by miraculous technology. The way that technology has shaped our lives over the past 5 years, I would say, is nothing short of amazing. We can take breathtaking photos and we can speak to people across the globe with little or no cost, just as if they were standing next to us.

There are two very clear sides to the debate about whether technology is changing our lives for the better or for worse. I say, it’ll change your life in the way you choose it change. Like anything else, technology can become and addiction and it’s up to you to decide the impact it will have in your universe.

Aside from the obvious, social media apps, chat apps, games etc, we have plenty to make sure we are never to far from our loved ones. It also means we could all become superstars just by using our smart phones and devices with pretty much the click of a few buttons.

Personally, I believe there is so much more we can do with these devices that we fathom. The average person barely scratches the surface. There is so much more we could do and there are a few applications I’d like to mention today that will supplement your personal development.

My only caveat is naturally, you’ll start to use up your battery more quickly; and saying that of course, my only complaint about modern day technology is that batteries have not kept up with their counterparts! 😛

Here are some of my favorites that have shaped my day to day life:

1. Chillax

Chillax is one I discovered the other day. It’s relatively new and is made by a company called Wimbledon Sound. It’s so simple and is basically a timed meditation app with different choices of background sounds and music. It’s got beautifully frugal features to use with a very clean design.

I managed to contact the creator on twitter and told him I’d be writing about his app today. If you cherish your meditation time and would like to enrich it then this app is definitely for you!

2. Sleep Cycle

I’ve been using sleep cycle for a long time. My preferred method of waking up is naturally. However, the days when that isn’t an option, my preferred method, even over my Lumie clock, is sleep cycle.

In essence, the app measures your patterns of sleep and will wake you during your lightest phase of sleep, rather than being disturbed during a deep phase of sleep. While I’ll say it might not work for everyone, it’s been very good for me. When I use the app effectively, I’m less prone to the midday lull and I have much more energy for the important things.

3. Timetable apps

Remember those days where you’d get stressed out because you’d have to rush for a bus or a train or even arrive to find there were travel disruptions? Not anymore. There is no need as there are so many apps that will help you avoid any stress that goes along with travel woes. My most recent discovery is the bus app. It tells you exactly when the bus will be arriving at the stop you specify. It’s brilliant as it means no much rushing around and allows me to stay relaxed and stress free.(YAY) 🙂

4. Pedometer

The pedometer app will replace those old watch-like digital pedometers you used to have to attach to your belt. With the pedometer app it can be used for your health regime. You can use it to make sure you are getting enough NEAT exercise.

5. Penultimate

My favorite doodle app. Actually it’s more than that. If you like to still be able to write and scribble all your ideas down, then penultimate is the app for you. I use it all the time along with my stylus so that I still feel like I’m hand writing which I really enjoy.

6. WordPress

Where would any respectable blogger be without the WordPress app? Although I never publish any of the articles I write on there, it allows me to write the articles out before I do my final edit and then publish from my laptop. I allows me to write out my articles pretty much, anytime, anywhere!

7. Simplemind

I love this app! I’ve not used it much yet but Simplemind is a mind-mapping app and it is superb! Early editions of mind-mapping apps were poor at best; but this one blows them all out of the water! It’s easy to use and so flexible. If mind-mapping is your preferred method of learning then there’s no question, Simplemind is for you!

8. Scanner

Finally, another wonderful app concept for any health freaks, you can scan the barcode of the item you’re about to eat, and it will tell you all the health information. The kicker is that you can scan everything you’ve eaten and then know exactly how many calories you’ve had for the entire day/week or month.

There we have it. Even though I still feel this is still only scratching the surface, if you’re serious about your personal development, then technology can benefit you along the way. Smart phones are useful for more than games ya know! 😉