Does It Earn Its Spot?
Marie Kondo famously asks whether something sparks joy.
I’m not sure if that’s quite the right question for technology. My bookkeeping software definitely does not spark joy in me. 😂 But I need it. It works. And I do think our technology needs to earn its spot in our lives.
Think about the app you keep meaning to learn. The subscription you’re paying for but barely use. The device sitting there making you think, I really should figure that out. The complicated system somebody told you was the “right” way to do something.
Every time you encounter it, there can be a tiny guilt tax. Because technology, among other things, can have a cost even when we’re not using it. Sometimes that cost is money. But it can also be time, attention, maintenance, passwords, updates, learning, troubleshooting – or just that little stab of ugh, I still haven’t dealt with that.
And we tend to justify all of that because of its potential future usefulness.
But someday I might need it. Once I learn it, it’ll save me time. Everybody says this is the best tool.
Maybe it will be useful someday. But how many months or years of low-level irritation are we willing to pay for that hypothetical future payoff? I think a better question might be: Does this technology make my life easier enough to justify what it asks from me? And sometimes the answer is no.
Which means you are allowed to use the less sophisticated solution.
If the fancy project-management platform makes you miserable but a Google Sheet works? Use the Google Sheet.
If the automation takes longer to maintain than doing the thing manually? Do it manually.
If everybody says you “need” an app but a piece of paper on your desk actually gets the job done? Use. The. Paper.
That’s not failing at technology. That’s choosing technology based on the job it’s supposed to do rather than letting the technology become the job.
So maybe “does it spark joy?” isn’t the test.
Does it work? Does it help? Is it worth what it asks from you?
If so, it’s earned its spot.
