Can SMART Home Technology Save You Time?

By Helene Segura | February 21, 2019 |

You’ve probably wandered into someone’s home and soon discovered that they have a so-called SMART home when you heard them mutter, “OK, Google,” or “Hey, Alexa!” Recently I was interviewed about SMART home technology and whether or not it could help with time management and productivity.

Here’s an excerpt of the Q&A I had with the writer:

How can SMART home tech help simplify your life or help you get organized?

Looking at the big picture, your brain is freed up because your basic needs are met. You don’t have to worry about your “shelter”. At a tactical level, you can have your appliances help you with daily routines – security, cooking, temperature monitoring and not have to take time to deal with those.

Are there some SMART home tools that are more trouble than they are worth?

They all are initially some trouble because there’s a learning curve. If you’re not prepared to spend at least a few hours setting up and learning, then you’ll lose time in the long run because you’ll have to continually fiddle with the device or system.

They’re all also a security risk and possible health risk, so you should consider those factors.

What is the best way to delve into SMART home tech?

Decide what your goal is. What functions do you want to be able to perform? You’ll want a system that’s scalable so that as you think of other functions you want, you can add them as needed. From there, decide on your assistant. What capabilities does your prospective assistant have? Not all devices are compatible with every assistant. If you know what functions you want, you can choose an assistant that will help you do that, and from there choose a device that brings your assistant to life. Once you have that set, you can choose your components and tools. 

How do you recommend using Alexa or Google Home to improve time management?

Determine your routines and automate those. Simply sitting down to plan these routines will improve your time management. Utilize reminders to help you and your household members stay on track. For example, you can set reminders for 1 hour, 30 minutes and 15 minutes before you need to leave so that you’ll get out the door on time. Or, if you have trouble staying on track, you can set a 10-minute reminder before it’s time to switch to the next task. Think about what your challenges are, then set up a system for your “assistant” to remind you about your next step.

About Helene Segura

As The Inefficiency Assassin™, Time Management Fixer Helene Segura empowers professionals on the go with the tools to slay lost time. Personal inefficiency at work leads to increased stress levels, lower morale, higher absenteeism, more turnover – and rising spending on employee health care and hiring. Why not improve productivity, decrease stress levels, and increase profits instead?The author of four books – two of which were Amazon best-sellers – Helene Segura has been the featured organization expert in more than 200 media interviews. She has coached hundreds of clients to productivity success and performance improvement by applying neuroscience and behavioral modification techniques to wipe out destructive, time-wasting habits.Helene turns time management on its head by sharing both client case studies and pop culture examples to teach her mind-bending framework for decreasing interruptions, distractions and procrastination so that companies can spend more time generating revenue.

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