Tech Resolutions for 2013

I am not a stickler for resolutions, but I do believe setting technology based goals are very important in my life. With all of the vast advances and improvements in technology, it is one of my biggest fears to fall behind. And let’s be honest, new tech is so incredibly fun I don’t want to miss out!

So here are some of my personal tech goals for this year:

–Organize and archive my family photos

We have two terabyte drives that we use for backing up our photos. The content is each identical. I have not updated the drives for several months, and I honestly have nightmares I am going to lose my photos!

–Get acquainted with Adobe Illustrator

I use Photoshop religiously, but I have never taken the time to become familiar with Illustrator. We purchased it along with several other fabulous Adobe programs, but I just haven’t taken the time to play with them. I would love to be able to do more creative things with typography.

What about you? Did you purchase a photo editing program that you haven’t become familiar with yet? Set a goal this year to take time to learn how to post process your photos!

–Take more photos with my DSLR

I have been terrible at taking pictures of my kids lately with my nice camera! I think Instagram has ruined me. 🙂

This is my sweet niece. When my sister asked me to take some pictures of her I totally groveled and whined, then of course had a wonderful time taking her photos and loved how they turned out.

I am definitely going to get back into shooting more with my DSLR this year! (But just so we are clear, I will not stop using Instagram. Ever.)

–Teach my Children

My kids are a whiz on our iMac, so why not take advantage of their love of computers and teach them a few things they don’t know? There is no reason my teenager shouldn’t know some Photoshop basics. My second grader could definitely use some help with her typing skills and my son asks me to clean his iPod screen about every five minutes. Yeah, he’s totally old enough to know how to take care of his own tech toys.

So this year we will be setting aside some Family Tech Time. And here’s the best part… with all the great tutorials on YouTube, I think this will be my easiest goal yet!

–Shop More Online. Shop Online Less.

I feel like I spend so much time running around picking up little things here and there, that I could find much quicker online. For example, I swear at least once a week I run to the nearest book store to grab a book my daughter needs or wants to purchase with her babysitting money. Hello Amazon! She can definitely wait a few extra days if it means me saving time and gas.

On the other side of the spectrum, sometimes I purchase things for our home online and realize I miss shopping in stores. Especially when it comes for items for our home, I really love the sensory input I get from touching and feeling products in a store. Plus, my local Target has a really great soda fountain. 🙂

So with that said, I am going to prioritize my online shopping better, but also make sure I am enjoying a little retail therapy now and then outside of my house.

All, right it’s your turn! Have you thought about what technology goals you need to set this year? Whether it’s becoming a better photographer, or putting down your cell phone more often for family time, keep us posted on your progress! And remember, you can always email Sarah and I with your tech questions and tech topics you are eager to learn about.

Here’s wishing you a tech happy 2013!

P.S. Be sure and follow Sarah and I this week as we travel to the Consumer Electronic Show is Las Vegas! Stay tuned for lots of great new tech toys and tips!

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