Productivity Tipping Point

There are times I am extremely productive and other times I am just scatterbrained and all over the place (can be good too, but not when you mean to be productive). I believe there is a productivity tipping point; a point where you can bump yourself into an exceptional level of focus to get things done. Often times, I want to get into that point, but don't "feel" like it. Here I've listed hacks I use on myself to start the ball rolling.

1. Take a Shower - (Even if you are clean and don't need one) Taking a hot shower is known to assist in relaxation and relieve stress. A cold shower can help you to be alert and mentally sharp.

2. Something Physical - I've been known to do push-ups, chin-ups, and hand stands (great for getting blood to the head) all to get the blood moving. Simple stretches, or even taking a short walk helps circulate that blood, which aids in your ability to focus.

3. Accomplish a Small Task - One way to start tipping that scale in the right direction is by actually accomplishing something. Pick something small to do, once you are done you'll get a taste of the "I did something productive" feeling.

4. One hour Time Attack - Create a time based goal and challenge yourself to keep on task for one hour (great for that competitive nature). I have accomplished this by using a timer or playing a music album and staying on that task until the music stops.

5. Change of Venue - Coffee shop, conference room, empty cube, park bench... Pick yourself up and work somewhere else. The environmental change forces a mental shift (hopefully in the direction you want to go).

6. Back to Paper - One of the fastest ways to start being productive is to use your good old pen and paper. I often forget how easy it is to flow ideas by hand, especially when it comes to roughing out flows and diagrams. You can also take it anywhere (see #5)

Tips on Creating a Home Workspace

After leaving my office job of 6 years to work at home in my under-roos, I sometimes had trouble flipping the switch from personal / home mode to work mode. Here are some tips that helped me create a working space.

1. Get changed - Don't be in your pajamas (Yes, I know this conflicts with my blog description!) Providing a separation between your personal / home mental mode and your working mode is the first priority. Changing your clothes can help draw this separation.

2. Leave the house - Another way to draw a separation is to leave the house. Many people rely on that travel time to get their brain sorted into working mode. Create a reason to put it into your routine; pick up a fresh coffee, take the dog out, walk out to the corner to wave at all the people leaving their homes... (also recommended that you follow tip #1 before leaving the house)

3. Separate your work environment - You want to create a physical separation between your working and home environment by dedicating an area (Yes, this is one of the most obvious tips.) Ideally it should be a room you can make into an office, but not everyone has the space to do that. You can start with a room corner, desk, or even hanging a sheet from the ceiling. One of those asian (Don't worry I can generalize about it cause I'm asian) clothes changing movable walls works too.

4. Get rid of the distractions - Turn the TV off, put the game systems away, personal mail and magazines should not be in your work space. If music or the radio disturb you, then get rid of those too. (music actually helps me... at least that's my story and I'm sticking to it)

5. Get a good chair - I am just learning this one after about 6 months. My cheap "executive" leather $50 office depot chair is just not cutting it because in the past week it all of a sudden feels like a wooden bleacher. I have worn down the cushion because it was not built to be sat on for 8+ hours day in and day out. (Until I get over the mental hump of spending $200+ on a chair I'll be on my yoga ball)

In summary these tips aren't just for being more productive and getting into a work mode. It works both ways. Because of the separation you create, you will also find it easier to get out of work mode. (Which is important to other people in your life that enjoy spending time with you... given they exist.)

You can't learn about experience from a book (or post)

There are many things you can learn out of a book, math, history, programming languages, biology, how to write, accounting... This is the first post in a tag I am calling "not in a book" that I intend to keep adding to. No matter how book smart you are, there are lessons learned through time and experience. The first one I am going to cover is "experience" itself. (Disclaimer: By reading this you can't get any experience out of it)

Which came first the chicken or the egg? - My first run in with experience, was when I was searching for my first job. Like most people I was frustrated with the chicken or the egg scenario. "This job requires experience", says Mr. IHaveTheKeys. You're thinking "What the heck? So give me the job so I can have some..." (I was very bitter for a long time about this.)

Experience does not mean capability - After I made it over the hump and actually got a job, I was able to perform exceptionally in a short period (or so I thought) and in my mind that meant I should advance. I confused capability with experience, sure I could do things, but that did not aid me in managing people, or critical decision making. (I'm sure if I could go back and talk to myself about it, I wouldn't listen)

Experience means... - Experience means you have been there and seen things. It means you have cut your teeth on it, been burned or seen success. Hopefully you learn a lesson so that you are going to adjust your thinking based on it.

Experience is not a guarantee for success (Don't let it blind you) - Just the same, having experience does not mean you are automatically better off. Sometimes it takes being burned multiple times before you learn the lesson. Experience can also be blinding to where you don't see all the variables in the situation and are taking assumptions based on what you've seen before. So it should still be taken with a grain of salt.

What I have said in this post will not give you an appreciation for experience. It is one of those things you appreciate and understand once you have it. The best I could do here is point it out, in the hopes you could be aware. I know I have many more lessons to learn but have definitely made steps forward in appreciating and valuing experience. You can listened to people talk about how important it is, but until you apply it and have it... you're just echoing the words everyone says.

UberNote, Kmap Systems and Shameless Self Promotion

To be upfront about potential shameless self promotion, I want to be clear that I am one of the founders of UberNote and run a consulting business under the name Kmap Systems.

It is not something I am trying to hide (hence this post) and I will try to avoid obvious plugs and remain unbiased. This blog's purpose is about helping others and my general venting to the world on various topics.

My Vision

In today's world, with the Internet, VOIP, mobile phones, and crackberries, it has made it possible to work from practically anywhere. A lot of these technologies come with a bad rap (like people driving while texting or emailing on their crackberries... man that scares me), because it is more difficult to draw the lines between where the work stops and your personal life begins. These technologies bring a responsibility for you to drive them, not to let them drive you.

It is important to me to have a good work life balance. I find it is much easier to have that balance when you can work on your terms. My vision is that I can live and work, where and when I want with technology as an aid, not an accelerator.

I created this blog, to jot down my epiphanies, philosophies, ideas, tools, theories and everything along the way involved in fulfilling this vision.