5-Steps to Free Yourself from the Fear of Technology
Hello and welcome back to my Living Right with Bill Cortright Blog. It’s a Friday and in a one-week period we did what should have been technically impossible. We created a new business, new website, new podcast, that just published five episodes (shameless plug time…The Stress Mastery Podcast Podcast Website on iTunes, android, google play and where all great podcasts are found), outlined a new book, and finished the cover, wrote all new content, created a new course and most important I am finishing this my 5th blog. WTF?
I have sat in a high-level master mind for six years with my good friend JB Glossinger who is the master at podcasting among other high level internet business endeavors and he did his best to empower me to build my businesses. But, I would come back with stock answer, “I don’t do the technical stuff I partner and hire people to do that.” I am all about teaching and creating content. What was the TRUTH? I was scared…oh by the way I am coaching people on fear…crap there goes the business. Well I have the excuse that I am 55-years-old and grew up with three television stations, records, and telephones with cords, newspapers, paper money, etc. really you must understand.
Well to make a long story short it all changed in a moment. My current business platform blew up and I looked at my son David and told him we need to build a new platform in a week. We have an active coaching and speaking business that needs a site to function. David was as clueless as me but he had one thing going for him he is 23-years-old. So, we did the impossible and more important I got over my mid-fifties fear of technology in fact I love looking at all the analytics, campaigns and for the first time I can see my so-called tribe by name (I no longer use the word tribe sounds to 8-trackish I call them people now).
I was finally free from the so-called experts out there telling me I needed to pony up $10-20,000 for a website and management. Or spend thousands of dollars on courses to podcast. I am now going to tell you what we spent to complete the above work, #truth #open-book, ready…wait for it…we spent $300. Again, WTF? Because of my fear of technology, I have spent thousands of dollars, been tethered to people who basically held me hostage, and most important I was not true to myself. The fact that I can have a misspelled word on the site and all I have to do is log-in and change it and can do it from my phone. WTF? In the past, I would have to contact the website manger (they never answer the IT people are the new doctors of the world) then explain there was a word misspelled and then wait for another five-days before I would have to call again. WTF? (Last one I promise) Thank you JB it only took six-years to do a week’s worth of work.
So, here are my 5-steps to free yourself from the fear of technology.
Step One: Role Modeling Principle
Anthony Robbins taught me this in the 1980’s find someone who is doing what you want to do and simply ask them how they did it? JB literally gave us in the mastermind a step by step guide on how to build a podcast. My secret…I followed it!
Step Two: Google, YouTube, and Research
Oh, my God, did you know that anything you want to learn is on-line? Who knew? This is the best kept secret from us baby boomers. We figure we must hire a consultant or go back to school to learn this stuff. I was shocked when I could get step by step instructions on everything while sitting in my underwear sipping my coffee.
Step Three: Fail Fast
JB says the secret to handling technology is to fail as fast as you can. This means dig and screw it all up. I have had about a half dozen people contact me on the ending of the podcast didn’t sound right. Well the reason is we recorded in a closet (I know high tech) and the rest of the show we are recording in our new studio (the laundry room) and in there among the soap, dryer sheets and dirty towels the sound is much better, thus we recorded a new ending. We are just playing around and using all kinds of tools that I am sure will embarrass us sooner than later. You’re getting the point. Just do it (hmmm great tag)
Step Four: Fake it Until you Get It
I am a huge Amy Cuddy fan if you have not heard of her click the link below and watch her Ted Talk. Amy says it’s not about faking it until you make it, it’s about faking it until you become it. With technology, you just must have Volition (look it up). You must make up your mind that you will play with it, fight with it, swear at it, until you get it. The more technology we master the bigger our world becomes in both business and that damn Instagram (yes Darlene I am posting).
Step Five: Technophobia is A Thing? Step outside the cage
Who knew? Well I guess I did. So, if technophobia is real then it’s just a fear and we can deal with this like any other stress, right? OK I heard you all say ‘right’. This means stepping outside the cage and letting ourselves become uncomfortable with a few small things first. Each time we do this the fear dissipates. Here are a few suggestions…
TV Remote: Hey stop laughing at me. Seriously, have you seen all those damn buttons? Your task is to figure a few of them out. Work on recording a show. Changing the source. Going back to a previous channel.
Phone software update: Again, stop laughing. If you are like me you either delay the update as long as possible or you bitch a lot about how nothing works like it did an hour ago. For this one it’s all about becoming the watcher. Simply let yourself get uncomfortable, anxious and then sit with it and watch it. This is one of the Stress Mastery Steps of letting go. It weakens and eventually release the program that is causing the fear. No more program no more fear. (This works with all fears)
Do one thing. Attempt something technological that gives you anxiety. Make the commitment that you will complete it no matter what. I am actually handling a lot more technology and my wife said to me the other day, “babe you are really good at technology” so enough said!
Who is Bill Cortright? Bill is a best-selling author, keynote speaker, high-level coach, wellness specialist and a foremost expert in the field of stress and stress management. Bill’s purpose is to motivate, educate and inspire people to live their most authentic life. Host “The Stress Mastery Podcast”.
StayInspired
Bill
March 13, 2017