Unless you are harkening back to the good old days of following the stars, charts, and your innate sense of seamanship, you’ll likely rely on a wide array of technical assistance while out on the water. You have your chart plotter, Navionics, or another app for direction. The radio for communication. A depth sounder to avoid running aground. All this and more is housed in your navigation station.
Technology is amazing and seamlessly integrates complex processes. But here’s the catch—you need to be proficient not only with what you have now but also prepared to relearn everything when you upgrade one device and it changes everything. I’m thinking about this now due to my frustration with a new computer.
Years ago, we had one device where we stored all our information. You logged in, and everything was in one place. Now, we have phones, iPads, cameras, and Kindles. What we capture information on depends on what’s on hand at the moment. It’s like a scattered digital file cabinet, and gathering pieces to put a puzzle together can feel overwhelming.
Let me explain: I was preparing last week’s SG posts. The blog content was written on my iPad in the Notes app. The food photos were split between my phone and my husband’s phone. Various other bits and pieces were scattered across different devices. Pulling it all together felt like raking leaves in the wind—a lot of effort for a simple task. This chaos was on me. I never streamlined my process or invested in a personal “nav station” to keep everything organized. I solved this by getting a dedicated PC tablet to centralize everything.
But it made me think: When we have chaos in our lives, is it because of everything happening around us, or is it because we let valuable things—things that could help us successfully reach our destination—get scattered? We waste time, effort, and mental energy trying to piece everything together.
As we move into the new year, let’s take some time to reflect on what we need at our fingertips. If personal growth—like fitness, education, or spending time with family and friends—is important, put it on your calendar now. Seriously, block off the time on a recurring schedule. If you’re overwhelmed with a professional workload, prioritize what’s essential versus filler tasks to establish order amidst the chaos.
Most importantly, find a pocket of calm air in the howling wind to be kind to yourself. By fully equipping the “Nav Station” of your life, you’ll be prepared for smooth sailing—and, most importantly, enjoy the ride.
