Don't press your luck with tech

Treat work tools well so they work well for you

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:03):
Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio.
Good Morning. This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast.
Today's tip is not to press your luck when it
comes to technology. Don't wait for things to fail before

(00:24):
repairing or replacing them, and make sure that if something
were to fail, you've got a backup plan in place
so you can keep moving forward. Long time listeners know
that I am a pretty frugal person. I finally threw
away some socks that had holes in them. My car

(00:45):
is older than three of my kids. I put water
into the soap dispensers to use up the last little bit.
I want my stuff to last, and I like to
use stuff as long as I can. This is good
for the pocketbook, good for the environment, and well satisfying
to avoid waste. So I'm always tempted to just keep

(01:08):
using my work equipment as long as I can. And
in general, I have been able to keep using my
laptops for many years, but I have had some close
calls and I have begun to suspect that my current
laptop might be entering the twilight phase of its useful life.
So I am reminding myself that it is important to

(01:28):
prepare for and budget for this possibility. That's because having
holes in your socks is one thing, but having an
important work tool fail is something completely different. I use
my laptop every day to do my job, to write,
to record podcasts like this one, to get virtual speaking engagements.

(01:50):
If my laptop fails, I'm not working. If I do
the math, I can figure out that I don't need
to miss much work. Before it would have been pennywise
and pound foolish not to figure something else out. Waiting
for failure is not a wise choice. Of course. That

(02:10):
doesn't mean you have to immediately go out and buy
a new laptop or a new phone at the first
hint of a problem, but it does mean you should
figure out ways to keep offering your services reliably whatever
does happen, and to make sure that you don't tempt
fate by saying, hey, the computer usually does come back
on after I restarted a few times, so it's all good.

(02:32):
Right for starters, be sure you can depend on your
system for backing up your files. If your computer fails unexpectedly,
at least you'll still have your data. You can replace technology,
but your data might be irreplaceable. Once you know your
information is safe. Think through what equipment you need to

(02:53):
do your job. Your specific needs may vary, but for
most of us, the computer is the most essential tool.
If you are self employed and work primarily on your laptop,
consider what you would do if it were out of
commission for a half day or a week, Or what
if it took several weeks for a new computer or

(03:14):
computer part to be delivered. I mean, you might be
able to just go to the Apple store and get
a new one, but maybe not. So what else have
you got? In my case, when I did have a
week long repair in the summer of twenty nineteen, I
used my family's desktop, the one the kids used for gaming,
to keep writing and sending those word files to people.

(03:36):
It was definitely not my favorite option, but it worked.
We also have an iPad that the kids have as
a backup for virtual learning. I could use that for
speaking or zoom calls in general. How about you. Do
you have an old computer you could use? Could you
borrow a family member's computer? Could you use a tablet

(03:59):
for some functions? If so, maybe try a test run
sometime to make sure you're good. Figure out how you'd
get all your files if your laptop automatically remembers all
your passwords, and you've forgotten them and don't have them anywhere, Well,
maybe figure out some way you can access at least
the major stuff. You can also plan ahead when it

(04:19):
comes to device life cycle and cost. Figure out how
long the devices you rely on typically last. For instance,
I just googled how long does a MacBook Pro last?
And I learned that seven years is a reasonable expectation.
I'm just at five now, but that's closer to seven
than say, two years. If you see that you are

(04:41):
starting to get close, you can start setting aside money
now for a replacement, and, just like you would with
a car, monitor how things seem to be running. If
your laptop and other devices are starting to act buggy,
don't just shrug it off it. Maybe find you something
like your hair dryer until it gives out before even

(05:02):
considering getting a new one. Because leaving home with wet
hair on one day is not a big deal, but
having your technology fail when you're on deadline for an
important project kind of is a big deal. So don't
press your luck. Your clients count on you, and you
want to be able to count on your tools. So

(05:26):
back things up, make a backup plan, and take care
of maintenance. That way, you're more likely to keep emergencies
at bay. In the meantime, this is Laura. Thanks for listening,
and here's to making the most of our time. Hey, everybody,

(05:51):
I'd love to hear from you. You can send me
your tips, your questions, or anything else. Just connect with
me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at Before Breakfast pod.
That's B the number four, then Breakfast p o D.
You can also shoot me an email at Before Breakfast
podcast at iHeart media dot com. That Before Breakfast is

(06:14):
spelled out with all the letters. Thanks so much, I
look forward to staying in touch. Before Breakfast is a
production of I heart Radio. For more podcasts from I
heart Radio, visit the i heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts,
or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.