Archive for category Productivity
Laziness
Posted by ellistyle in Productivity on November 6, 2010
I think laziness has changed.
It used to be about avoiding physical labor. The lazy person could nap or have a cup of tea while others got hot and sweaty and exhausted. Part of the reason society frowns on the lazy is that this behavior means more work for the rest of us.
When it came time to carry the canoe over the portage, I was always hard to find. The effort and the pain gave me two good reasons to be lazy.
But the new laziness has nothing to do with physical labor and everything to do with fear. If you’re not going to make those sales calls or invent that innovation or push that insight, you’re not avoiding it because you need physical rest. You’re hiding out because you’re afraid of expending emotional labor.
This is great news, because it’s much easier to become brave about extending yourself than it is to become strong enough to haul an eighty pound canoe.
It is completely possible to be busy and completely occupied and fit Seth’s definition of lazy. That is the barrier that has to crossed in order to make things happen.
Speaking of learning from error…
Posted by ellistyle in Passion, Productivity, Self Improvement on July 29, 2010
If everything one tries worked the first time, the world would be significantly different (specifically, worse). I submit that more is learned from attempts n+1…n+∞.
Edison and his light bulb have become cliched examples of persistence through failure. Here is more reinforcement of the idea of “positive failure.”
After graduating high school, I didn’t really know what direction I wanted to take. Higher education was taken for granted in my home, so I knew generally where I would go. I definitely didn’t recognize the specific “where” or the specific “for what”. I see my dilemma from several years ago as an unfortunate epidemic. I certainly value education now and I am grateful for my continued opportunities to receive more education, but a university degree should not simply be considered the next step.
I went to Indiana University and I studied fine arts and graphic design before I transferred to a different school and began a different course of study. I recognized not quickly enough that my hobby couldn’t compete with those that pursued that course of study passionately. It wasn’t a technical failure, but it would have become one. There was a lot to learn from the experience. I had a professor that taught our drawing class a relevant lesson.
Don’t use an eraser; some line’s only function is to show you where the mark really should be.
Effort and Time Needed to Exert it
Posted by ellistyle in GTD, Productivity, Self Improvement on July 23, 2010
It takes more effort to use the available minutes and seconds than it does to effectively use the available hours and days.
That is the problem. Or at least that is my problem. The solution is better planning, maintaining better lists, having clearer goals and recognizing who you are en route to become.
I am re-re-starting this project and I have the stated problem in mind. I recognize that I need to plan for success. Success will be manifest in these self-realizations although, my hope is that someone else might get something out of it too. tbellis.org will update at least weekly.
Tools in my Productivity Flow
Posted by admin in General Interest, GTD, Productivity on January 10, 2010
As part of my (not quite regular) mindsweep, I thought about documenting and illustrating my personal workflow, showing all of the tools that I use. I recognize that such an exercise is moot, and impedes me from checking “real” things from my to do list. The important thing is that I recognize that fact. My intention is to see the flow, so I can address bottlenecks like a lean enterprise process map. Regardless, I created a project file, and my first next action was to list all of the software tools that I use and their interactions. The hardware tool list wasn’t quite as interesting, but I’ll share in another post. I plan to publish the map when I complete it.
Once I began listing the tools that I use, I realized that I have a lot of data resting throughout several clouds. Perhaps I am overly reliant on digital tools media. Here is the list:
Google Mail (INBOX)
Syncs with Mail.app (2 way)
Syncs with Outlook (2 way)
Syncs with iPhone mail.app (2 way)
Google Calendar
Syncs with Calendar.app (2 way)
Syncs with iPhone Calendar.app (2 way)
Syncs with PocketInformant (2 way)
Evernote (INBOX)
Local on MacBook
Portable on Cruzer
Web interface
Outlook (INBOX)
Dropbox
Toodledo
Syncs with with PocketInformant (2 way)
Web Interface
OneNote (INBOX)
Local on Windows 7 (Bootcamp & Parallels)
Local on Work Computer (shared)
Some Notebooks shared via Cruzer
Google Reader
Web Interface
Mobile Web Interface (on iPhone)
Reader Starred items (INBOX)
Shared items post to twitter (via Twitterfeed)
Mint
Syncs to iPhone app
Web Interface
Twitter
Web Interface
Tweetie 2 (on iPhone)
Posts received from Twitterfeed (via Google Starred items)
Twitter stars (INBOX)
Wordpress
Web Interface
iPhone app
Facebook (INBOX)
iPhone app
Linkedin (INBOX)
iPhone app
Ewallet
iPhone app
Syncs with Ewallet on Windows 7
Firefox (main on Mac)
Chrome (Only on Windows 7)
Safari (on Mac occasionally)
Pastefire (added 1/25) it’s nice
Other Services/Software that I use, but less so:
Bit.ly
Google Voice
Gist
Skype
Foursquare
Wave
Plaxo
Delicious
Stumbleupon
Lazyfeed
Feedly
I am a fairly recent mac convert (July of 2009–latest generation until next week when I’ll feel stupid about my investment). OneNote is incredible. I would love to be able to use it more easily without BootCamp or Parallels. I am going to give Winebottler a shot. If it works, my week will be great.
I wonder how this list would compare to yours?
Google Reader
Posted by admin in General Interest, Productivity on January 10, 2010
99% of the news that I consume is received via Google Reader. I love the medium and the features that the service has accumulated over the 3 or so years that I have used the service. I use Twitter and recognize that the buzz around news delivery is centered there by the masses. I guess I tend to use it differently (or more selfishly than most). I have tried to set it up such that similar stories are delivered to me, but I don’t seem to be able to make Twitter part of my work flow. RSS and specifically Google Reader are mainstays in my productivity regimen.
At the right, you can peruse news and other articles that I have found interesting. I hope to be more than an aggregator, but that is probably where the lion’s share of value will come from this site until I find my feet in this forum. I hope you find something of interest as well.
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