Introduction
Humans have always been searching for ways to stay motivated and inspired to accomplish the things important to them. In today’s world, getting motivated has become simpler and more convenient. Technology has created various devices and tools that allow people to find motivation in different fields. Technology helps people by encouraging them to create habits that are beneficial and productive.
Some main areas where motivational technology has an impact are:
1. Fitness
As it’s deployed to simplify our lives, the technology is usually here so people would do less. But with fitness technology, it encourages us to go beyond our limits and do more. We all know moving more benefits health in various ways. People who exercise regularly report being happier and are less likely to develop various illnesses, such as diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.
Fitness tech comes in various forms. The rise in popularity of wearable tech has led to the development of fitness trackers you can take with you when exercising. There are also plenty of fitness apps you can load onto your smartphone.
In exercising, many people say the biggest challenge is getting started. Fitness tech can help with that. There are dozens of apps that include pre-made workout plans, complete with warm-ups and cool down sessions. Take Endomondo app for example. When you sign up for a free premium trial, you get pre-made interval training for jogging, where running and walking take turns so you can build up your physical condition. Then, you can continue to jog at your own pace.
Many of these apps allow you to customize the workout based on the time you have to exercise and the workout you want to do.
Once you’ve gotten started, staying motivated and not quitting is very important. Fitness tech is there to motivate you to stay on track. As you have a way to monitor your progress, you can see how you’re doing in real time and can challenge yourself to do just a little better than yesterday. Technology can track the time you’ve spent exercising, the distance you’ve run, the number of calories burned, etc.
The fitness tech industry has grown a lot in the last couple of years. There are now hundreds of software apps and physical devices on the market. Be sure to take the time to choose the right tool for yourself as some will fit better into your routine and overall fitness style.
2. Health
With health, motivational technologies can only boost our intrinsic motivation, but they also help us develop good habits that lead to a healthier lifestyle. The Internet of Things (IoT) has the potential to disrupt and change many of our habits, even those that we’ve learned at a young age. This includes brushing our teeth. Every one of us has learned to brush their teeth in a certain way, but we don’t have a way of knowing whether the techniques we use are optimal.
Thanks to smart toothbrushes, this is changing. These devices have sensors that collect data and analyze how we’re doing. They can also advise and help us improve our technique. The results are more thorough brushing and less dental and oral health problems.
Another way that technology can make us take care of our health is by reminding us to relax and unwind when needed. When we’re stressed and need to take a break, few of us remember that it’s time to sit down and meditate. Tailored wearables and apps change that. Whether you opt for an all arounder like FitBit wearable or a specific app like Headspace, daily reminders and progress tracking encourages users to continue their good habits day after day.
There are plenty of other ways that technology helps people improve their health. You can now find apps that remind you to take your medications or supplements at various times throughout the day. There are also hundreds of apps allowing you to track everything you eat. With technology, you can change your overall perspective by developing and maintaining habits that lead to a healthier life.
3. Learning
Technology has been part of the classroom environment for several decades already. TVs and projectors are two common examples of tech being deployed for learning. However, the latest technological developments are a lot more powerful and bring a wide range of benefits for professors and students, especially those at the college and university levels.
Just like with health, technology has the power to boost your motivation for learning. One new development in the world of educational technology is the rise of social learning networks like GoConqr. They give you a unique opportunity to learn collaboratively, as well as share resources, mind maps and a variety of other information with students and teachers from all over the world.
There are plenty of mobile apps that give you a simple way to organize your learning materials. You can use them to create mind maps and flashcards, which are very useful when studying. By using these apps to stay more organized, studying will seem like less of a chore, which helps boost your overall motivation.
Other types of tech let you organize your studying time. The simplest involves Google Calendar as a cloud-based scheduling tool to plan what you’ll be studying and for how long. If the focus is an issue, think about blocking time with Pomodoro app or using a SelfControl app on Mac that prevents you from drifting into social accounts during study time and keeps your eyes on the task at hand.
When it comes to learning, teachers can also use technology. Taking advantage of anti-plagiarism tools is one example. That way, they can teach students what plagiarism is, how to avoid it and in the end turn in essays that are more original and better written.
4. Working
Remote jobs and agencies relying solely on telecommuters are common in today’s world, which is why good collaboration between workers is paramount. Technology now allows team members to collaborate effectively, no matter where they’re working from. Cloud-based tools like Google Sheets let everyone work together and monitor each other’s progress. If employees see they’re falling behind, it will motivate them to catch up.
Managers working in the cloud see changes in as they happen, so they can give feedback in a timely manner. If there’s something that needs to be corrected, employees can do it immediately. Even if they work alone from home, remote workers won’t feel isolated if they work together in the cloud. Feeling surrounded by teammates, even virtually, can be a great motivator to make good efforts at work.
Technology can help workers stay on top of all their tasks. Google Calendar is a popular tool for that purpose as well. You can use it to schedule tasks or events to keep your workday organized. It also keeps you from skipping tasks, as it can automatically reschedule canceled tasks.
Conclusion
We’re always on the lookout for ways to get and stay motivated. Technology has changed the way we do things, both in our personal lives and at work. Thanks to the latest innovations, you can use technology to stay motivated when exercising, taking care of your health, studying, working or anywhere else where you can use a little push.
Lisa Michaels is a freelance writer, editor and a striving content marketing consultant from Portland. Being self-employed, she does her best to stay on top of the current trends in business and tech. Feel free to connect with her on Twitter @LisaBMichaels.
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