I think a lot about tools. Sometimes I think about tools to a fault. Choosing the right tools for the task, however, is very important as choosing the wrong tools (or even just less capable tools) can be a very bad thing in the long run. The problem with choosing the “right” tool upfront is having the knowledge to know why it is the right tool. Often, since you lack knowledge at the beginning of a project, you are incapable of knowing even the right questions to ask concerning choosing the right tool. Sometimes, if the task isn’t going to … Continue reading →

Last time I talked about the blessing and curse of multitasking. The core takeaway is that multitasking is often a very valuable skill that many of us have put considerable time cultivating in our daily lives. But (and this is a big but) multitasking is not always valuable for every task. And (and this is a big and) it is often very difficult to turn multitasking off to effectively get something done without being distracted by the “joy” (scourge?) of multitasking. So, the question we were left with was: how do I turn it off? How do you take the … Continue reading →

Singular focus. Clearly something of value. While I (along with many of you, I suspect) fancy myself as a multitasker (and few would argue with this self-distinction), I also find that while some tasks truly do require and benefit from multitasking, many do not. The key, it seems, is figuring out when to turn off the multitasking behaviour you’ve gotten so very proficient employing. Multitasking started for me in college. It really wasn’t something I wanted to do, but really something I had to. It turned out that college is a busy place. Not only is it a place where … Continue reading →

One of my side interests is technology. I’m specifically interested in software. I’ve explained before why this came about. The quick recap is that my best guess is that my interest in software (specifically free/libre software) stemmed from not being able to spend money on the proprietary counterparts (in addition to an affinity with the ideals of the movement). This turned out to be a fortunate circumstance to be in because I was able to learn (at essentially no cost) a great deal about programming and computers. Enough that I’m now a confident user, experimenter, and all around handyman when … Continue reading →

There is a dangerous obsession with notebooks I’ve encountered recently. Not the digital kind that gets thinner and thinner and thinner (while losing vital functions in both hardware and software), but another kind of notebook. A more paper-based form of the term. The internet tells me it’s been going on for a long time (and who am I to argue?), but it seems that I can remember forms of this even when I was a little kid. Remember those branded folders? The really cool 3D designs and other weirdness that accompanied complex three-ring binders that also held folders and other … Continue reading →

I often get lost when I’m trying to do something. Whether it is as simple as taking out the garage or as involved as writing a lengthy research paper, sometimes I just lose track of what I’m doing. Losing track is discouraging. It stops me in my tracks, makes me lose my concentration, and then I’m left feeling like I can’t do anything. And that’s the worst feeling of all. It’s hard to recover from being stopped, lost, and then discouraged. It’s a dangerous combination, and avoiding it essential for me to not waste valuable time. The list is how … Continue reading →

One of the things I wrote about last time was accepting failure. I wrote that you should be willing to accept risk and fall flat on your face in a very public way (if necessary) in order to get you to not only do some of the great work you’re capable of, but also to get you to start working in the first place. If you follow that advice (as I’ve painfully taught myself to) you’ll find that you still don’t get amazing drafts right out of the gate. Sure, you put in the hard work and fail your face … Continue reading →

So last time I talked about my failure to use outlines for the majority of my time as a student. Even now that I’ve just discovered at least one way to use them that is productive for me, it still seems I’m missing the bigger picture concerning outlines. At any rate, as I now have the most massive document I’ve ever had to write to date staring me in the face (my dissertation), I find myself needing more guidance than I’ve ever needed before. I need some form of direction with individual parts before I can begin writing even something … Continue reading →