I’m a big fan of various productivity tools, and Google Keep happens to be one of my favorites when it comes to capturing information…
I’m a big fan of various productivity tools, and Google Keep happens to be one of my favorites when it comes to capturing information quickly and getting to it from my phone. Today I discovered that, coupled with Android Wear, Google Keep can be smarter than I am.
While working on my wife’s car I decided it would be worthwhile to capture the list of materials I needed for my project as well as the steps in the process in a Google Keep note to keep track of it for when I was working. Anxious to get going, I headed out to the auto parts store to pick up my supplies. It was only after I arrived that I realized I had left my phone at home on the charger.
Thinking I was out of luck with my shopping list at home, it occurred to me I normally can access Google Keep on my Android Wear watch. Now this does require Bluetooth access to my phone for the data connection so I had my doubts as to this working for me. But because I had accessed the note on my watch BEFORE I left the house, sure enough it was there available on my watch.
So if you’re an Android Wear user, I highly recommend giving Google Keep a try. It’s not a perfect tool but it does have it’s uses especially if you’re invested in the Google ecosystem.
Weekends are supposed to be times for rest, relaxation, and recharging to prepare you for the return to work on Monday. More often than not…
Weekends are supposed to be times for rest, relaxation, and recharging to prepare you for the return to work on Monday. More often than not weekends become collections of chores, errands, and tasks you didn’t have time for during the week. Add in activities, events, and other commitments and the rest of the weekend quickly disappears. Here’s some tips on getting more out of your weekend without burning yourself out.
Schedule time in your weekend for “down time”.
Don’t count on finding that time in-between your planned activities. Allot time on your calendar specifically for yourself and consider relaxing as important as those other chores on your list.
2. Set realistic expectations.
Don’t try to accomplish every possible thing you could cram into your weekend. Be reasonable and set your goals for things you want and need to accomplish with the understanding that this is time you can run at a slower pace and completed tasks may be fewer but just as important.
3. Set a reward task.
We need to remind ourselves we’ve done good work and the weekend is the time to do that. Add a task to your weekend that is a reward to yourself for being productive and focused during the week. Maybe it’s a special coffee Sunday morning or a walk through the park Saturday afternoon, in any case it doesn’t have to b big and expensive, but it does have to make you feel good and encourage you to keep up your good work.
4. Take time to plan the next week.
If you take time to make sure you’re planned and ready for the next week, then stress levels are lower and you get to enjoy your time off. Set a specific time in your weekend to do your planning and any time your mind wanders back to the regular week, remind yourself that you have time to deal with that already set aside and return your mind to what you’re doing.
5. Keep a notebook with you.
I know this sounds a little counter-intuitive to rest and relaxation, but it actually is a huge benefit when it comes to being in the moment. Rather than having thoughts about work and the coming week rattling around in our heads, trying to remember them while we’re trying to relax, just jot the thoughts down and move on. When it comes to planning time you can walk back through the thoughts you’ve captured with confidence that nothing will slip through the cracks.
Taking time to recharge your batteries, physically, mentally, and emotionally when you have down time is critical to being productive during the rest of your activities. Now…enjoy your weekend!
It happens to all of us. We have days where we feel like we can’t be stopped, that the work is flying by, and the checkmarks on the to do…
It happens to all of us. We have days where we feel like we can’t be stopped, that the work is flying by, and the checkmarks on the to do list are just popping like popcorn. Then again, we also have days where we’re in the quagmire and can’t get moving. It’s not that there isn’t work to do, it’s that we either don’t know what direction to head, what’s most important, or just “aren’t feeling it.” How do you get over this?
When I find myself in this position, most often when a milestone has been completed on each of my active projects so I have more than one place I can resume working, I’ve found that adopting one of the strategies from David Allen’s Getting Things Done works well. (I don’t use many of his strategies, but this one’s a good one for me.) I keep a list of next actions for each project with next actions, or what I refer to as “on-ramps.” These are easy tasks that give me a quick (under 30 minute) successful completion and act as a natural bridge to more tasks on the project.
For example, “Review notes for action items” is a good on-ramp task. It provides you the rationale to go back through your notes and identify action items you may have missed. However for this to work you have to accept once you are done reviewing for action items, you are going to begin working on one of those found items. You may discover multiple items in your notes, but for now just capture them for later and pick one to get working.
Remember that productivity is as tied to energy as it is to planning. Be aware of your high energy and low energy times and plan your work accordingly to ride the highs and glide through the lows. As has been said with so many things, when it comes to feeling unproductive, “This too shall pass.”
Which method of journaling is better: minimalist or elaborate?
In defense of elaborate journals
Which method of journaling is better: minimalist or elaborate?
The battle between minimal and elaborate journaling is sometimes a quest for validation of one’s own efforts to be more productive and efficient. We want confirmation our systems and choices are “right” and we are operating at “peak efficiency.”
The need we have to be right is often achieved at the expense of others. There is no concrete proof, no overwhelming evidence, or academically cited work proclaiming the superiority of one method of journaling over another. There is no government sanctioned study showing the positive or negative value of Washi tape to productivity. In short, better or worse is an irrelevant argument.
Members of the minimalist camp often deride the elaborate journals found on Pinterest and Instagram. Journals where hours have been spent customizing and enhancing are downplayed or even outright criticized because they’re not “simplistic” and “refined”. The arguments are made the journal is inefficient, unfocused, and ultimately counter to the pure strategies of systems such as Bullet Journal or Getting Things Done.
While I don’t have an elaborate journal (not for lack of interest or trying) I can appreciate the benefits of this approach for many. Here’s some benefits of elaborate journaling. I’m sure there are dozens more but for now this is a good start to the conversation. This is not an endorsement of one approach over the other but rather an illustration of some of the possible benefits worth considering.
Focus through engagement
So many of our journaling tools can be transitioned in and out of use at a moment’s notice as we lose interest or the next shiny new tool comes across our messaging feed. Dedicating time and effort to customizing your journal to reflect not only your effort but your personality is an excellent way to maintain consistency in your capture mechanism as well as to reduce the amount of churn between new tools.
Freedom of creative thinking
Linear and form based systems can stifle creative thinking for many. When we are dealing with tasks and challenges requiring us to think outside the box, it’s sometimes helpful to have creative and inspiring imagery at hand to fire the creative instincts. Doodling, sketch-noting, etc. there are all kinds of names for it but when it comes down to brass tacks, having the flexibility to go where your mind needs you to go to solve problems and be in the moment is paramount.
Connection with your tools
When we invest effort in our tools they become important to us and part of our daily lives. Just as a professional tradesperson uses good tools to create, so we should be using the tools we like; the tools that inspire us and encourage us to achieve. For many, that means making the tools their own. Imbuing them with a sense of individuality that connects on a deep level.
Personalization and commitment
At the airport luggage carousel, there are rows and rows of plain black bags. What makes them stand out is not the bag, not the manufacturer, not the wheels or the handles, but what the owner has done to make them stand out from the crowd. The same goes for journaling. Everyone can carry a black covered A5 notebook, but what makes yours part of you? That effort of personalization puts some “skin in the game” to use that journal on a frequent basis rather than walking away from it on a whim.
Art of the possible
Some of the greatest consternation comes from minimalists looking at elaborate journals and with great gnashing of teeth crying out all the decoration is unnecessary and impractical. Yet time and time again looking at these artistic examples I’ve been able to cull diamonds of brilliance in ways to handle information for my own journaling. Remember that the art of the possible is not only about discovering how you want to do something, but also discovering how you don’t want to.
Choices help offset helplessness creating motivation
We can feel frustrated with a lack of control in our daily lives, forced to use structures and processes not of our own design. These systems don’t match how we think and operate, yet we are still compelled to use them, in many cases being told these are the “right” ways and our ways are “wrong”. Journals give you the chance to create and use your own systems. Define your own rules; making your world what you want it to be in some small way. Elaborate journals can been seen as wonderful examples of personal expression, freedom of choice, and liberation of spirit.
So which is the right way to journal?
If you’re looking for an answer to that question you either skipped the article or need to go back and reread it. There is no right choice. The only wrong choices are the ones that don’t work for you.
Being a journaling enabler
If you are spending your time trying to validate your approach by invalidating someone else’s you’re wasting everyone’s time and interest. To paraphrase the song Uptown Funk, “If your journal is sexy then flaunt it, if it’s freaky then own it.”
What do you think?
Agree? Disagree? Out in left field? Tell us in the comments what’s on your mind. The most engaging comments will be highlighted in a future follow up post.
In the common wisdom of productivity circles there is a mantra the best way to get control of your activities and workload is to start…
In the common wisdom of productivity circles there is a mantra the best way to get control of your activities and workload is to start saying no. Sounds easy right? Just say no and then whatever that item is isn’t on your list. Just say no and you’ve avoided all that work. Just say no and you take control of your life. Just say no and unicorns show up with boxes of Krispy Kreme donuts that help you lose weight. (Ok, maybe not the last one, but you see where I’m going with this.)
Unfortunately, as is with most things in this world, it’s never that easy. There are costs for saying no and those costs often prevents it from being said. But why is saying no such a big deal? Let’s take a look at three of the most common reasons people have a hard time saying no.
I don’t want to be the bad guy
Humans are social creatures by design, regardless what your introverted friends say, and the last thing we want to do is anything that would put our standing in the groups we favor in jeopardy. Saying no is a resistance to the structure and needs of the group and can push you away from the perceived common interest. It’s this risk of becoming an outsider even if only for a moment that compels many to say yes to work they should rightfully be resisting.
If I don’t do it, no one else will
If you’re in a survival situation where unless someone goes and gathers food you’ll all starve when the zombie horde comes then that job is a “must-do”. There aren’t many real must-do jobs in the world. Most often the urgency is a created one, not reality based, and it creates a sense of pressure and influence on people to do “what must be done.” Evaluation of these items critically especially with an eye towards the actual impact if they are not done is key in deciding what the cost of saying no will be.
It makes me look like a team player
That it might but the question then becomes how do you look to the rest of the team. If you’re a soccer fan having the goalie playing striker and defense, while possible, is not a good idea. There are specific skills and talents needed, ones not everyone has. Just because they’re available doesn’t mean they’re the right person for the job. Be aware of your strengths and your weakness and know when to accept work you can be highly successful at or that helps you grow as an individual. Also know when to resist work that you have a low chance of success or does not help you continue to grow.
But I don’t have a choice
That’s not one of the three but rather an assessment of the cost outright. You have decided that the perceived cost of saying no is too high for you to suffer for whatever reason. Perhaps it places your career at risk. Perhaps you have seen others suffer negative effects from saying no to work. Perhaps even you are compelled internally to always do what people ask of you to be a “good person.” In all of these cases I stress pragmatism and analysis. The only thing worse than saying no is saying yes and failing miserably when you knew better.
Saying no always has a cost. How you handle that cost and how it balances against the good will you develop from saying yes to the right work and succeeding can make all the difference in your decision making processes.
Getting into the habit of frequent writing is harder than it sounded at first. I thought, “Hey I can just sit down and crank something out…
Getting into the habit of frequent writing is harder than it sounded at first. I thought, “Hey I can just sit down and crank something out, schedule it to post, and I’ll be well on my way.” After all, if I can write as easily as I can talk about things, this should be a breeze. Reality came up, slapped me in the back of the head and looked at me with a proper facepalm. It’s not that easy…it never was.
Being an idea guy I wasn’t going to let well enough alone. There has to be a way to make something to help me get through this process. I’ll be honest there’s times I feel less like Tesla and more like Frankenstein, but that’s for another post. For now, I needed a way to start articles, keep multiple ones in flight, and get them finished in a timely manner without missing any steps.
Following the ideas of kanban and stage gate processing, I created a Writing Workflow in my tool de jour…OneNote. It’s not a hard setup (it took longer to think through than to create) but it does need some steps.
First I created a notebook called Writing Workflow. In that notebook I added sections for Draft, Editing, Published, and Metrics Listing. The premise is fairly simple. As soon as I have an idea for an article I create a page in the Drafts section. Here I don’t need even more than a title, I just need the initial idea. As I flesh out the idea I continue to go back to the Draft and keep updating it until I think it’s finished. This can live here as long as it needs to until it’s “fully baked”. Once ready, the elegance of the workflow kicks in.
To proceed an article through the workflow I just move it from the Drafts section to the Editing section. The assumption here is the article is complete and being edited (fixed.) Again this can take as long as necessary to get the level of quality I want. The important aspect of each stage of this workflow is, if I get interrupted (which is frequently the case) I can immediately pick up where I left off, from whatever device I have on hand at the time, and keep moving forward.
Once editing is complete, it’s on to the Published folder. This move only happens when the article is actually available to be read on my blog as well as the social media links are scheduled. This is a reward step. The more items I can put in Published, the more content I’ve created to help people.
The final section is the Metrics Listing. This is less a section and more of an index page pointing to the metrics (Google Analytics, Buffer, Medium, etc.) for each Published post. In this way I only have to go to one spot to see how well received my article is.
This is a new workflow, relatively unproven for me but based on proven and tested techniques from others so I have confidence it should work IF I stick with it. Then again, that’s the downfall of all workflows isn’t it?
I’m going to try a similar exercise but I’m going to use Trello for the capture and organization to see if that helps my thinking. A…
As a hiker, the idea of using a map to get your bearings is near and dear to my heart. When hiking there are marks along established trails called “blazes” to help you keep on path, but even with those milestones you need to pull out the map occasionally and make sure you’re still on the right trail.
I’m going to try a similar exercise but I’m going to use Trello for the capture and organization to see if that helps my thinking. A mindmap would also be extremely useful in developing an overview of what is in motion and what should (and shouldn’t) be part of the future.
Zach Stafford over at The Guardian wrote an opinion piece about how manhood is an outdated idea and the cause of most of the world’s…
Zach Stafford over at The Guardian wrote an opinion piece about how manhood is an outdated idea and the cause of most of the world’s problems. He claims that lack of understanding about women is the root cause of violence and misogynistic attitudes in today’s society.
Let’s clear up a couple of things right now. Bad behavior towards women is a choice made by men who do not deserve the right to use the noun. It does not originate from a lack of historical reference (quit looking for excuses.) Proper men don’t treat women poorly. They are not trying to shore up their pathetic excuse for self-confidence and value by belittling or abusing women. It simple, they don’t do it because it’s wrong.
As for having their manhood impugned and threatened, any man who’s manhood can be threatened should go out and just admit to the world they’re compensating for their inadequacies. To those “men” who feel the need to defend their manhood through overt action I say grow the hell up. You’re not impressing anyone, least of all any women.
Our society spends too much time looking for external causes and excuses for behavior so we don’t have to take responsibility for our own actions. A man takes responsibility for his choices. He teaches his sons and other young men to do the same. He does not declare the fraternity of men at fault as a way to water down responsibility.
Men and women are different. Neither better nor worse…just different. Respecting that difference without negatively impacting the other is a challenge, but that’s part of growing up. Unfortunately far too many men have failed to recognize the value and impact being a “good man” can have. I’m not referring to the “don’t be a wuss” mindset, no rather the “being a gentleman has nothing to do with you and everything to do with me.”
Hold doors. Shake hands. Introduce yourself. Show respect to your elders (even if you’re 46 like me). Do the right thing and don’t do the wrong. Common sense and common courtesy should be the rule rather than the exception. Be the man you would be proud to know and want to associate with. Accept responsibility and exercise introspection to learn more about your own failings and deal with them.
A young man impresses in small but important ways. A hotshot athlete may impress on the sports field, but if that young man also holds the door for someone without being asked or assists someone when they need assistance without a complaint…that’s a young man on the road to being a good man.
So to Mr. Stafford I say this: if your definition of manhood is as narrow as what you outline in your article then yes, your definition needs to go. However if you’re willing to adopt the classic meaning of manhood, then you may want to rethink your position.
Unfortunately for so many young men, journaling has been equated with the term Diary which in modern vernacular has a much more feminine connotation. The value of capturing one’s insights and thoughts as a man is rarely shared and extolled in current society.
Doing the right things in the right ways at the right times
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