Stay Ahead and Embrace Change. Technology is the New Reality

Stay Ahead and Embrace Change. Technology is the New Reality

You either willingly accept or adapt to our changing technology environment or you’ll be forced to adapt. Humans are creatures of habit. We tend hesitate and resist when faced with something “new.” This is exactly what happened to me recently.

Here in Seattle, Washington, three or four new bike companies offer bikes to the public for a dollar a ride. Depending on which company (green, yellow, or orange), your choices are an electric bike (e-bike) or a regular bike. Having seen these bikes parked on streets, I didn’t really think I’d ever need them, but that was soon to change.

I thought my life was interesting enough, but Mother Nature had other plans for me. On Monday, July 2nd a day after a 19-mile hike, as I was about to walk out the door of our house heading to work, I realized I’d forgotten my car keys in Mr. Right’s car. I needed to think fast because I was supposed to be at work in 45 minutes.

Uber came to mind. I typed in all the details but the Uber app claimed “no cars available.” Not the couple option or an SUV, nothing was available. Now I had to think of Option B, which would be riding my bike to work. I quickly went to grab my bike which I hadn’t used all year. No excuse, but it rains a ton here in Seattle, so I typically ride my bike beginning mid-July. To be expected, my bike tires were low on air, good thing we have a pump! Well not really, as it turns out. I don’t know how to work our pump. I tried a couple times and because time was running out, I had to move to option C.

Immediately, I thought of walking my bike until I found a bike shop close by or better yet, because this route has lots of bikers, I would ask one of the riders to kindly pump my tires. I don’t know about you, but it seems to me that the one time you really need something, is the one time you can’t find it. Unluckily for me, I saw no one. I stopped at a nearby shop and of course they didn’t carry bike pumps. Now I had to adjust my plan and adapt to change. . I ended up downloading one of the bikes app, unlocked one of the e-bikes and rode to work.

Technology is here to stay. You have a choice: either stick to what you have always known and cling to old habits that have always worked or you can adapt to the new reality. If you don’t adapt and stay ahead, you’ll painfully have to catch up and it’s not going to be pretty. Don’t let it cost you, your job, networking opportunity, valuable time, and friendships.

Lesson learned: Be future ready, receptive to change and stay up to date with the ever evolving technology.

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