Managing Wants, Needs and Time - can you do it ?

I've done it now. 
After being the owner of a variety of mobile phones over the years, which have met their demise by being stolen, lost, put in the washing machine, dropped in the bath and down the toilet, I was sure I was perfectly happy with the basic one that I've been using this past year. 
It has the basics - phone calls (why else would I need a phone ?) texts and even has a reasonable camera. But I've got a camera for taking photos, a camcorder for video, a notebook computer  which does everything I can think of that a computer does, and a laptop for when I need a bigger screen and keyboard.  Why would I need a Samsung Galaxy ? Aren't I just being too materialistic, something that I am quite averse to - usually ?


Well, I think this situation is a bit like when I had a twin tub washing machine years ago when my children were babies. I could do whole loads of washing (including towelling nappies !) in that twin tub, in a couple of hours. What was so good about an automatic one ? I didn't need one. Obviously I found out when I got one. It was the same with a dryer. And central heating. And electric and gas and so on ... and presumably with the wheel.


                                                                                                              
A year ago I blogged about Twitter on To - witter or not. Now I think about it differently and can see it's power and influence throughout society - 'Arab Spring', NOTW, last summer's riots and so on. Changes and progression in technology are constantly impacting on us as time-saving gadgets and machinery affect us all, even though  time can't be "saved" as such  (I think, unless someone has found out differently) 
We have to differentiate between 'wants' and 'needs', individually and globally and prioritise work and leisure with family and friends and ourselves. We may even find that we have extra time that we didn't know was there.  That's time management.

John Rowles sings "If I only had time"         

Comments

Anonymous said…
Yep.. The old want and need question.. I am a needer and my husband is a wanter... xx
RobCrompton said…
I can recall that even as a small kid, I thought the twin-tub was sheer luxury after what it replaced. And now, when I sometimes hanker after the simple and nearly self-sufficient life-style of my grandparents in the back of beyond, I don't think I'd want to include zinc tubs, dolly pegs and the wooden-rollered mangle. Mind you, a recording of the wonderful sound of a mangle turning would be nice.
Patsy said…
Yes, there are things we don't realise we 'need' until we start using them. I can remember thinking there'd be no point in my having a computer!

Not at all these gadgets save time (the computer certainly doesn't) but at least we have more variety in how we can waste it.
Haha, shows my age. My mum's first washing machine was a single tub and she wrung it out in a wringer attached to the sink! Big improvement on the scrubbing board though.
And mobile phones - my son can do everything on his but I like the old style steam driven variety. When they invent one that can make the tea I might be tempted.
jane said…
And at last she was converted lol x
Seaview said…
It takes me ages to agree to something new and with a husband in IT, I always seem to be forced into using new technology or updates of this and that. I keep saying that things take me longer because I have to learn all the new commands or which part of a laptop keyboard to click, or how to use the mobile, but once Ive quit grumbling and been forced to use it for a while, it soon becomes the 'old thing'. Anyway, the best thing I ever did in terms of time management was learning to type properly - I could never write this fast, and anyway, I can't read my own writing any more! :]
Lexia257 said…
Thanks Jane for the comment - glad we sorted out that you are a follower here ! x

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