By Raymond Wright, Managing Director of Network Alliance

Much has been written about how to maintain an effective balance between work and personal life. But if one looks back at the past decade, the integration of technology in our lives has already resulted in a more balanced lifestyle. After all, one can hardly compare the connected world of today to the one we lived in five or ten years ago.

The availability of technology means that people have better access to information than in the past. One only needs to look at the evolution around mobile phones to see the benefits of this. And because this makes us permanently connected, we have a more plugged-in mental process around life. I can travel anywhere and do virtually anything with my mobile phone. Whether it is accessing email, reading a book, taking a photo and sharing that with friends, logging in to the company servers to access vital data, or even just monitoring the fuel efficiency of my car using an app – all of this is possible from our trusty handsets.

Today, we have everything available to us at the tip of our fingers. Growing up, we did not have the likes of Google or could not instant message our friends to quickly arrange a braai. We had to travel to libraries and pass notes in class. With technology more integrated into all facets of our lifestyles, we are able to more effectively utilise it to our advantage. Of course, this is not without its risks. Just consider how many people you saw texting or using their mobile phones while driving on the way to work this morning.

So what does having a more balanced life mean today?

There will always be traditionalists who kick against the natural process of the world changing. But with technology, people have a better general knowledge and awareness of what is going on around them. Just look at how our children have embraced and accepted technology. It makes them stronger for it as it provides the means to become stronger as individuals. The connected generation is also hungrier to learn more and find out more about certain aspects of life.

But having a balanced life also means to know when you need to switch off your mobile device. It is like going to school. There is time to open your books and time to close it and relax. We need to learn how to use our vacation time and our down-time more effectively. It is about becoming disciplined in switching off and focusing on those personal matters and people that are important to you. There is the very real danger that if you do not do this, it becomes bad for your psyche as well as your workload. After all, your work will never stop irrespective of how hard you work. So you need to be more intelligence in how to take breaks.

Of course, this is easier said than done. Mobile devices can take up a lot of your time very quickly. Without even realising it, you can lose an hour doing nothing at all. My advice would be to plan on paper and work on your computer. Doing planning this way enables you to think more strategically around your work. It is more difficult to sit in front of a blank piece of paper than quickly typing a ‘to do’ list up on a computer.

You also get companies who actively embrace technology and those that do not see the necessity of having it play a role. For me, it is a case of having people who are always connected and available who have the ability to make quick decisions because of that. The alternative is having those employees who are simply clock watchers and do their eight hours with an hour lunch break in-between, go home, relax a bit, sleep, and repeat.

Those companies who still do the traditional approach have a slower rate of success than the ones who actively embrace the connected world. Just by being able to give your employees the ability to more effectively utilise the eight hours they spend working through technology will already change the balance. Companies and individuals can reach success through embracing technology and creating a more integrated lifestyle.