Mental Stimulation Addiction (MSA)
The Connected Customer – In an article titled “Brian Solis’ Vision of the Future: Connected Customers,” he discusses how businesses need to acquire the “connected Customer.” You probably know some connected Customers. They are ones who just had the amazing social event, right after they got back from a wonderful vacation. And how do you know about all of this? Because they tell practically everybody about it – before, during and after the experience, by capturing the moment and putting it on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Solis points out that today we are living in a connected lifestyle – one that’s digital and increasingly mobile. The connected Customer has changed people’s behaviors and expectations; the more connected, the more informed and empowered a person becomes. Have you targeted connected Customers?
Perseverance outweighs IQ as a predictor of success – What’s the best predictor of success in a person’s life, including when it comes to goals in education? “Grit,” says psychologist Dr. Angela Lee Duckworth, an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Pennsylvania. What is grit? Find out in her TED Talk, in which Duckworth explains that grit is a better indicator of personal success than IQ, family income and other factors.
Do you suffer from MSA? There is a new emerging disease called Mental Stimulation Addiction (MSA), don’t bother to Google it, I just made it up. However, see where I am going with this: today, millions of people are smart phone junkies, needing to constantly be texting, checking Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instragram, Vine, or a multitude of other social media habits. I am guilty of this. If I have a few minutes of down time, i.e. sitting in a doctor’s office or riding on an elevator, I am checking all of my social media accounts, as well as other website forums l belong to. And after I have exhausted all of those resources, I find myself immediately going through them again, only minutes after I just checked them. Like I can’t just sit and relax. Not to mention the impact these distractions have on our personal and professional productivity.
Is technology killing creativity? We have all heard how technology is hurting our social skills, but something just as bad is that it is killing our creativity. Down time and a relaxed mental state are the best environments for our mind to veer off from the stressful mainstream thought patterns and venture into the unknown. Think about it. When have you gotten your best ideas? When you daydream. When did you use to daydream? Early mornings with your coffee on the patio, in the shower, some say in the bathroom (just repeating what I heard), on vacation, and other idle times that come few and far between. Technology has just gobbled up the majority of the idle times, other than the shower. A decrease in creativity is dangerous in our lives, professionally and personally. Limit your time on your smart phones, tablets, and social media outlets. Make a commitment. Actually schedule down time on your calendar at least three times a day; early morning, middle of the afternoon, and before bed. If you find yourself stale lately, you may be suffering from MSA. We need to protect our peaceful idle time, to let our minds rest, reset, be reinvigorated, rejuvenated, and just daydream. You will be surprised at how stimulated you may become.
