This afternoon my laptop nearly hit the pavement. Living in an age where technology is in every aspect of our lives, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed —especially if you remember a time when the most advanced tech in your home was a remote control for 20 TV channels. I grew up in that era, and I still recall the excitement of having colour TV for the first time at 10 years old. Fast forward to my university years, where I wrote essays by hand with pen and paper, and eventually upgraded to an electronic typewriter that displayed a single line of text at a time. My coursework was saved on floppy disks to be printed in the library on the university printer, a far cry from today’s cloud storage. Nobody had a printer in their home, a mobile phone or a computer.

Now, as a  business owner, I’m proficient with the Microsoft suite and can navigate  a spreadsheet or a Word document without breaking a sweat. I have loved using Publisher for anything remotely creative. For years, I have been an Apple consumer of iPhones, MacBook Pro and iMac comfortable using iOS. Yet, when it comes to integrating newer tools like Google Workspace, Tidycal, ConvertKit, and Canva, I find myself facing a steep learning curve. The pressure to stay up-to-date and seamlessly integrate these tools into my workflow can be daunting.

The Reality of Tech Overwhelm

The challenges of modern technology are real. I’ve spent more time than I care to admit trying to sync my iMac to my MacBook Pro, each task presents its own set of complications. Am I from the wrong century? Cue: call in the teenager! And don’t even get me started on flipping between Safari and Google Chrome. Every time I switch browsers, I feel like I’m entering a new dimension where all the rules I’ve learned suddenly no longer apply.

When I first ventured into using tools like Google Workspace and ConvertKit, I envisioned them making my life easier. Yet, I quickly realised that mastering these platforms requires significant time and effort. And I’m not alone—many professionals face similar challenges as they navigate today’s digital landscape.

The Social Media Struggle

Posting on social media is a whole other beast. It’s not that I don’t have content to share—I have plenty of that. But how do you create a post that looks professional, has text that moves, includes fabulous music, and is cool enough to make people stop scrolling? And let’s be honest: I’m not about to start posting reels of myself doing silly dances. I won’t even go into the whole putting yourself ‘out there’. The whole visibility thing is another other long journal post.

What’s the secret sauce? How do those Instagram influencers make it look so easy? The answer is simple: practice, a lot of trial and error, and probably more apps than I’m willing to download. And watching tons of YouTube ‘how to’ videos. But here’s what I’ve learned—nobody expects perfection. Your audience wants to connect with you, not a perfectly curated digital version of you. So, if your text doesn’t move exactly right or your music isn’t perfectly synced, it’s okay. What matters is that you’re showing up.

Striking a Balance

Accepting that technology can be overwhelming is the first step toward finding balance. It’s unrealistic to expect mastery of every new tool or platform overnight. Instead, I approach each new challenge methodically, learning one tool at a time and allowing myself the grace to make mistakes along the way.

It’s no longer enough to be brilliant at what you do, but you must also spend equal time  making content to market and promote your business so that your ideal customers can find you. Social media isn’t going anywhere soon and it’s an amazing way to make connections on a wider global audience. It’s face paced and exciting. By breaking down these tech tasks into manageable steps, it’s possible to gradually build proficiency without succumbing to the stress of trying to do it all at once.

For those who, like me, feel flustered by the demands of modern technology, it’s essential to remember that you’re not alone. Lots of business owners are navigating the same digital maze, and with persistence and a willingness to learn, we can all find our way through it. The key is to remain focused on what truly matters: delivering value to your audience and maintaining the professionalism that defines your brand.

In the end, it’s not about mastering every tool but about using them effectively to enhance your work. And that’s a goal we can all achieve, one step at a time, without throwing the laptop out the window.