[vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″ shape_divider_position=”bottom”][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” width=”1/1″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_column_text]Recently, through a partnership with TELUS, I had the opportunity to receive a new 5G enabled phone.
As a CEO in the technology space, an entrepreneur, and a parent, I use technology in almost every aspect of my day to day life. On any given day I use several devices like my phone, laptop, my reMarkable tablet, iPad, Apple Watch, connected home devices and a wide number of various mobile apps. Writing this post allowed me to take a moment to reflect on how technology allows me to seamlessly go through my days and how essential it is in all of my daily activities.
I am the CEO of TheAppLabb, a mobile app development company, and dependable internet and wi-fi services is essential in allowing my team to create exceptional mobile app experiences for our clients. When connectivity is an issue, it has huge implications for the functionality of these experiences. This is what makes the emergence of 5G technology so exciting. 5G has the ability to remove the barriers of connectivity and challenge my team to think outside of the confines of reliable internet connectivity.
As I was sharing the TELUS 5G pilot project with a peer, I found myself reflecting on how I use technology on a daily basis. Although the pandemic has forced my team, my family and myself into a new “normal,” in many ways it has created more dependency on reliable connectivity. As someone who has over 2000 apps on my phone, I would consider myself a heavy user of technology and find that apps are an essential part of pretty much every part of my day. My dependence on reliable connectivity is essential to what I do every day.
But what does this look like in practice? Here’s a look at a typical day in the life of your friendly neighbourhood tech CEO.
5:00am – My daily reset
A few years ago I started participating in Robin Sharma’s 5am Club. It’s an early start to the day but it also means that I start my day with a self-care practice that sets the tone for the rest of my day. The basics of the program are 20 minutes of exercise, 20 minutes of meditation and 20 minutes of learning.
Technology plays an integral part of this daily routine by allowing me to incorporate my strong belief in lifelong learning as part of this. Generally, the exercise portion of my morning is me on my bike heading down trails in my community. While I am biking, I am listening to audiobooks on Blinkist and GetAbstract apps, and dependable connectivity I get from 5G means that tech fades into the background so that I can find myself in the flow to exercise my body and mind. It also means that I don’t need to plan ahead and download music or books – I can just choose on the fly and I love having this as an option in the moment.
Following my ride, I log it in the MyFitness tracking app as part of a team-wide initiative to promote daily activity, then head to my meditation room (or outdoors during the summer months). This daily meditation has become one of the most important parts of my day. By using a meditation app, I take this dedicated time to reflect, relax and take a deep breath to start the day. Beginning each day with a clear head and a positive outlook means I can show up inspired, mindfully, meaningfully and with an open mind for my family, my team and my clients. It is a daily reset that I have come to rely on.
7:00am – My work day begins
Pre-pandemic, the start to my day would mean jumping in the car and heading to the office, but these days my commute is much shorter and generally involves heading downstairs to my home office. My morning starts with strategic tasks such as planning my day and week, exploring new and innovative initiatives, strategic business planning, and other tasks that require creativity and inspiration, before I get into meeting mode.
As part of my commitment to a balanced mindset, I start the workday with a company-wide mediation session to help everyone start the day off on the right foot and with an open mind. By using my 5G phone to connect to my tablet, I am able to host these sessions in my backyard surrounded by nature, which creates the perfect environment for this important daily ritual for my team.
These days, with my daughter learning from home and my wife and I both working from home, the WiFi load can be hefty and the ability to rely on my phone to pick up the slack and make sure I am fully connected is a huge advantage.
Once we return safely to work, my routine will likely go back to some sense of normality, which means that most of my morning routine happens on the fly since I depend on the convenience of mobile apps like Waze (a wayfinding app) to get me through my daily commute. By the time I get to the office, I usually will have participated in one or more (handsfree) Zoom calls and look forward to the seamlessness that my new 5G phone will allow. No more disconnected client calls in the elevator and no more parking garage dead zones.
The balance of my day is a jam-packed schedule of client zoom meetings, 1:1’s with my team and other industry and community commitments like peer technology councils, speaking engagements and attending industry events that are an integral part of my commitment to sharing knowledge with the wider tech community.
In my calls with clients and prospective clients throughout the day, I cannot help but get excited about what 5G capabilities will mean to them. My team creates app experiences and these experiences are critically dependent on reliable connectivity. Even as end-users, whether they are riding on the subway, working remotely at the cottage or travelling the world someday soon, this technology gives my team the flexibility to think bigger. They are now brainstorming best in class features rather than working within the framework of functionality limitations due to connectivity restraints. This is truly a game changer for a company like mine.
4:30pm Wrapping up
I am deeply committed to giving equal priority to every aspect of my life on a daily basis and I truly believe that it not only makes me a better leader in my organization but also a better partner and parent. I actively model this for my team by encouraging them to disconnect at the end of the day so they can refresh, recharge and come back in the morning with new ideas and a positive mindset.
Around 4:30 each day, I spend this time connecting one on one with members of my team. Having great tech means that I can do this anywhere. For example, I can participate in calls and Zoom meetings with my team from a nearby park. By removing myself from my office and screens, I am able to listen intently and give my team the undivided attention they need and deserve.
After some final wraps ups of emails, planning my schedule for tomorrow and answering some final chat questions, I head upstairs for the best part of my day – dinner with my family.
6:00pm – Back to school
One of the biggest impacts of the pandemic that I have seen has been on students and the way they are distance learning. Technology has been the single biggest factor for students who are distance learning and it has been interesting to watch my daughter navigate her way through learning in this new way. As a Montessori student, it has been challenging to replicate the hands on learning model she is used to, but I have found that committing to keeping this continuity for her has been beneficial for me as well.
One of the ways my wife and I do this for her is by getting outside and taking walks through the trails near our home. As we are walking on the trails or hanging out together at the local park, we often use her favourite brain teaser app to quiz each other, or we use a plant/insect recognition app to seek out and name the various trees, shrubs and insects we find along the way.
It used to be that we as parents were concerned about screen time for our children, but I have found that this kind of technology allows us to connect in new ways and sneak in some learning along the way – for both of us. My 5G-enabled phone means that whatever outdoor adventure we choose, we are able to leverage the incredible learning platforms that we both love.
8:00pm – Winding down
Evenings for me usually mean checking in with social media and connecting with friends or peers through live conversation apps, video chat apps or photo sharing apps as I unwind. I also have family overseas and regularly leverage group chat apps to stay connected to them. I love having this time in the evenings and it deepens my commitment to work-life balance and what this means for my mental health and the mental health of my team.
Weekday evenings also mean running a few errands or grocery shopping, and I am grateful for the dependable connectivity and the ability to be available for team or family emergencies. Finally, I end my day with a one-hour digital detox before bedtime to allow my brain to relax and unwind and set myself for a deep rejuvenating sleep.
Looking forward
While the last year has been a bit of an anomaly as it pertains to our daily routines, I also believe that the pandemic has escalated the adoption and dependence of technology across the board. I recognize that I am in fact a heavy user of technology, both professionally and personally, but in test-driving a new 5G-enabled phone, I can see how this is going to fundamentally change the game.
For my family, it means that I can continue to find new and exciting ways to share learning adventures and stay connected with people across the world. For me personally, it means that those precious moments of reflection and introspection become even more meaningful with technology creating a seamless way to guide me through my daily routine.
For my team, and ultimately for my clients, what was once an “imagine if we could” conversation that was limited by connectivity is now a real-time brainstorm of the incredible and innovative app experiences we can bring to our clients and their customers. I am excited to live and work in a 5G-enabled world and the opportunities it presents.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]