Some years ago, I was walking from my office in Victoria Island. It was 6 PM and I was on a call with my younger sister. A scrawny looking teenager walked up to me. He gesticulated that he had not eaten. Out of pity, I reached out to my pocket and before I could say “Jack Sparrow,” three other young men appeared behind me with guns. To cut the long story, I was robbed. The thieves took my personal phone, my official phone, my laptop, cash, my ATM pin, and my ATM card.
Luckily for me, I just helped rent out a two-bedroom apartment in Lekki Phase 2, so I cashed out 50,000 naira two days after the incident and got another phone. As for a new laptop, I was not so lucky. I had to wait another 6 months to gather the money needed to buy a Core I7 PC. Those 6 months were terrible for me. I am a full-time content developer, so you know what it means to be without a gadget in 6 months.
To the main topic: I lost my phone and laptop and in 6 months, I could not get another laptop. After the incident, I realized I was a gadget dummy. If I was wise, I won’t be in a position where an unforeseeable incident completely rids me of a laptop for a long time.
ARE YOU A GADGET DUMMY?
Most of us are, but below are indications that will point out to your gadget dumbness.
1. YOU DO NOT BACK UP NECESSARY FILES
Backing up your files to the cloud or any other remote storage is simple and will only take 5 minutes of your time; yet, people almost always forget to do this. Then they start to regret after their gadget (phone, laptop, or tab) unexpectedly crashes. Your gadget is never as airtight as you think. It is imperative you back up content within your phone and PC regularly. The great thing is, you do not have to back up manually, you can set your PC or phone to back up to the cloud every one week. This way, if it crashes or gets stolen, you do not lose years of hard work.
2. YOU DO NOT TAKE NECESSARY SECURITY MEASURES
How long will it take for you to install anti-virus in your system and phone? 10 minutes max—and you can be doing other things as the program installs. Then why are you being a dummy? Security is more important than any program, work, or gig, you have going. Imagine gathering a pot of gold and leaving it outside your house: this is exactly what you do when you do not get the right anti-virus for your system/phone. Also, for creatives who run blogs or Instagram and YouTube Channel, take security seriously. For example, always set your Instagram, Whatsapp, and Twitter, log in to Two-Factor Authentication, and you will be relatively secured from hackers.
3. YOU DO NOT SET ASIDE (GADGET EMERGENCY FUNDS)
I was once this foolish but after I got robbed and lost quite a number of clients because I did not have a laptop to work with, I learned the hard lesson. As a creative, your equipment and gadgets are more important than food. When you make some money, always set aside cash for emergency gadget issues. Your phone can get stolen anytime. Your child can slam your laptop on the ground for no reason. Little money saved over time will become meaningful funds that can be used to repair and replace gadgets when they get spoilt. Don’t eat all your earnings. Be wise.
4. YOU DO NOT UPGRADE YOUR GADGETS
What people do not understand is that your gadget speaks a lot about your work. Even if your work is good, people who pay top money will not hire you if you do not have good gadgets. I once went to a friend’s studio hoping to pay him for a song for my younger brother and I ended up not paying. His gadgets were disappointing. If you are just starting out, use what you have. Do not let a lack of gadgets stop you, but as you grow, move from Core I3 to Core I5 and then to Core I7; buy better camera lenses; if you are a Vlogger, get a phone with better camera quality; buy a good generator so that you won’t have to rely on NEPA all the time. Upgrade your gadgets. When you are just starting out, cut costs of food, women, clothing to a bare minimum so you can save up for good gadgets that will not only make your work faster but will also make your clients more willing to hire you.
Let me stop here. If you are guilty of the aforementioned crimes, you are a gadget dummy and you need to change. Growth is a process and you can speed it up by always having the right tools.
If anyone wants to learn how to get a blog started, I am building a Whatsapp group where I post regularly on creating and earning with one’s own blog. It is absolutely free. Chat me up on WhatsApp. Please, I do not entertain calls. Chat only Zero Nine Zero 61 Five Zero 29 Three 2.
Cheers.
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