It is never too late to liberate yourself from an assistant and take things into your hands. It is the best thing you can do to keep your brain healthy.
Executives are spoiled in that they do not even need to think of bills, cut off dates, and other routine must-do or must-pay tasks. We always turn to an Executive Assistant, or these days a Virtual Assistant, to do the work for us.
I met a former bank executive who took these things into his own hands. Every month, he would open his laptop and pay the bills on their due dates, do the payments online, and this started six years ago. He was 81 years old. He was living life in retirement and just had a few dogs, a cook, and a driver to answer his daily needs. It is never too late to learn how to do these tasks even if you are just 60 or 70 years of age. All it takes is to sit down and tell yourself you can do it.
This retiree also played the stock market online. Every day he would devote a few hours to checking on his portfolio and make orders to buy, sell, or hold. As a former banker, he was organized and was a fastidiously neat worker who had a place for everything and everything in its place.
Having spent a few Sundays with him as he would invite us over for lunch or coffee, I observed his habits and hope that someday I could be as orderly with my bank details, my bills and credit cards. I thought that even in retirement or semi-retirement, one must have control over bills and confidential matters, and not just turn them over to our staff or even relatives.
My brother who is 82 still is on Viber, text, and e-mail and this keeps his mind busy and active. So, for me, being the youngest of the retirees, I challenged myself to learn a few more techie things.
Here are some ideas you can start with:
1. Pay bills online. It is now so easy to use an online bank account to pay Meralco, PLDT, mobile company bills.
2. Listen to audiobooks. The eyes get strained when we read the written word all the time. Download apps like Audible.com and find your favorite books to listen to, rather than read them or keep books that will get dusty on your shelves.
3. Bank online. New apps now allow you to deposit checks without having to visit your bank or sending someone to the bank physically. It has been a breeze depositing a check virtually.
4. Download Spotify to listen to the music of your era or to listen to podcasts of speeches, or other interesting topics discussed by experts. You have no need for Compact Discs (CDs) or USB sticks to put in your laptop.
5. Learn how everything works through Bluetooth. Get Bluetooth speakers which are so portable you can take them literally everywhere and just connect to your mobile phone (with wifi of course).
6. Play games on your mobile phone. You can pass the time and keep your brain active by doing puzzles, word games, and even Solitaire on your phone. They say it’s good for the brain to work different parts of it, not just the analytical side.
It is never too late to start. You may ask a very patient middle-aged person to teach you as the young seem to be impatient when it comes to teaching the old. They do not know why we do not get it right away. They forget we are digital immigrants while they are digital natives, being able to intuit everything without an operating manual.
But, do start. It is a liberating experience to know how to manage our affairs even without virtual or real assistants. You can start with making lists of what you ask others to do for you. Then start crossing them out as you learn to do it yourself. Even the act of crossing out an item off in your “things to do” is liberating.
Before you lose your memory, train your brain. Train it to think not only on problem-solving but on routine tasks as well. Paying bills, checking bank accounts, transferring money — these will become routine once you get the hang of it.
Challenge yourself to do the unthinkable — like letting go of your assistant. They have been half our brains and we are held hostage because we become too dependent on others.
Challenge yourself while helping your brain stay healthy. It may be the best gift you can give yourself this Christmas.
This article reflects the personal opinion of the author and does not reflect the official stand of the Management Association of the Philippines or MAP.)
Chit U. Juan is a member of the MAP Diversity & Inclusion Committee and the MAP Agribusiness Committee. She is the Chair of the Philippine Coffee Board, and a Councilor of Slow Food for Southeast Asia.
