Motive
When capturing information, give context by specifying why this note is important.
When was the last time you took an hour just to be with your thoughts?
When was the last time you took an hour just to be with your thoughts?
When capturing information, give context by specifying why this note is important.
Currently reading: The Happiness Trap by Russ Harris 📚
Finished reading: Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport 📚
In current times, this is a very necessary book (with could have been a lot shorter).
My main takeaway: I am already quite a digital minimalist, but could focus on having more conversations.
After listening to the Micro Monday interview with @sod, I added the Conversation on Micro.blog plugin to my site.
Now, if you have a Micro.blog account (you have one, don’t you?) and you want to comment on a post you found on my site, you have an easy link to take you to the conversation.
I made it! Mythic level in MTGA.
This resonated with me:
The difference between things and events is that things persist in time; events have a limited duration. A stone is a prototypical “thing”: we can ask ourselves where it will be tomorrow. Conversely, a kiss is an “event.” It makes no sense to ask where the kiss will be tomorrow. The world is made up of networks of kisses, not of stones.
Most ‘things’ in life — this blog, our house, yes, even my life itself, are actually events. Like kisses.
I wish MTGA had an option to quickly copy my opponent’s deck after a game.
Currently reading: Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport 📚
Finished reading: Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams by Matthew Walker PhD 📚
This book made it clear to me how my (bad) sleeping habbits are affecting my quality of life. I really should sleep more hours!
(Reseña en español para los miembros de KENSO Círculo)
I love this idea to schedule your “Uh Oh” moments:
Have you ever had a moment where you look at the state of your work and feel, "uh oh, I'm already halfway through my timeline, and I haven't made as much progress as I should have"?
These are your "uh oh" moments.
The workdays of so many professionals are dictated by urgencies and emergencies.
But there is another way to work, which I call ‘Calm productivity’. This is a major paradigm shift, which not many organisations are willing or able to make.
We can build slack into our lives. We can create cycles so that we don’t need to dance with a crisis around time on a regular basis.
How is it possible that I have to pay 90€ for a digital license key for Microsoft 365 Family, while for only 70€ they will send me a physical box containing the license key at home?
I am thinking about buying a Kindle to use instead of the iPad for reading at night to avoid light exposure before going to bed. What’s kept me away until now is that I trust Apple more than Amazon with my data, but maybe in this case my health should get priority over my principles.
Waiting on a sunny day…
This is because environmental noise has a significant and negative impact on cognitive tasks that require concentration. Noise pollution leads to increased mental load, making it more difficult for employees to concentrate and causing errors to occur more quickly. This effect is particularly noticeable in tasks that require a longer duration and a high level of accuracy, such as problem solving or complex calculations.
Additionally, research shows that noise pollution does not directly affect the effort of employees, but it does affect their ability to think clearly. This means that employees may not be aware of the negative impact of noise on their performance, as they are still putting in the same amount of effort. However, the quality of their work suffers, resulting in lower productivity.
Research shows that a little background noise can help you think more creatively. This is because a moderate noise level, such as 70 decibels, stimulates your brain to think in a different way. This allows you to be more creative, as you look beyond the obvious solutions and discover new ideas. It’s similar to the effect of a café or a busy street, where the constant noise distracts your thoughts just enough to flow freely without becoming overwhelming.
On the other hand, too much noise, such as 85 decibels or more, can actually be detrimental to your creativity. At this high noise level, it becomes harder to think clearly, which can reduce your creativity. It’s like trying to solve a difficult problem in a concert hall; the loud noise makes it difficult to concentrate and think clearly. Therefore, it’s important to find a balance in the noise level of your environment if you want to be creative. A little background noise can be helpful, but too much can be counterproductive.
By setting aside time for tasks that are not urgent but important, you create space to think strategically and work on long-term goals. This prevents you from constantly being in a reactive mode, where you’re only focused on putting out fires. It gives you the chance to be proactive and concentrate on what truly matters, ultimately leading to greater satisfaction and less stress.
Time blocking is an effective technique that can help with this. By reserving specific time blocks in your schedule for these important tasks, you protect this time from daily distractions and urgent requests that often come your way. This ensures that you consistently make progress on important projects without feeling overwhelmed by the pressure to do everything at once. Additionally, planning these blocks can help you structure your workday better and use your energy more efficiently.
Whenever I show the new iPhone 13 Mini I bought a few weeks ago to friends or family, often I get the same reaction: “Nice! But it’s really small…”.
Yes, it is small, but that is exactly what I want from my mobile phone.
I know that the general consensus about phone sizes is to get the biggest screen possible in the smallest device possible, but my phone use is atypical.
For many people, and especially the younger generations, the phone is their main communication device. It is their most used ‘screen’, on which they communicate with friends, watch videos, write their notes, read information and many things more.
If I look at the ‘screens’ in my life, my phone comes at the fourth place.
My main ‘screen’ is my computer. I not only use it for my work, but also for watching videos, playing games, writing, messaging and reading in my free time.
My second most used ‘screen’ is my iPad, which I use mainly in our living room and at the patio. This device is mainly for information consumption: books, feeds, saved articles, videos, messaging and social networks. I also use it a lot for looking up information.
At the third position, we have our television. I don’t watch a lot of TV, but still use it more than my phone.
That leaves my phone on the fourth position. I hardly ever use it when I am at home, as I usually have a way bigger screen available. For me, the most important function is to be mobile and easy to carry with me. That is why I chose the smallest possible device.
I’m not so sure about this.
This hit me at just the right moment as this morning I was thinking I should keep more in touch with my friends. I already texted one of them to get together for lunch next week. Thanks @Patrickrhone!
So that has me thinking a lot about friendships – especially amongst guys. We tend not to prioritize them. We tend to think that to get together there has to be a reason involved. We have to have an event or some purpose to it. A run or a round of golf. Making a batch of beer or building a deck. Or we need to get the families together, let our partners talk and kids play. Dinner or a barbecue. Often, we guys never seem to think of getting together “just because”. For no reason at all other than to connect. Have a chit chat about anything under the sun. Or, sit in silence together and just be.
Writing is often seen as the best medium for deep thinking because it offers you a structured way to organize and explore your thoughts. When you write, you force yourself to formulate your ideas clearly and coherently. This process of turning vague thoughts into concrete words helps you better understand and analyze difficult concepts. Additionally, writing allows you to look back on what you have written, so you can revise and improve your thoughts. This reflective aspect makes writing a powerful tool for deep thinking and self-discovery.
Moreover, writing is a way to acquire and process new knowledge. As some writers say, they write not only about what they already know but also to learn about what they do not yet understand. This learning process during writing stimulates critical thinking and creativity, as it challenges you to make new connections and consider different perspectives. By writing, you are essentially having a conversation with yourself, in which you ask questions, seek answers, and deepen your understanding.
Finally, writing offers a lasting and tangible way to capture thoughts. This allows you to revisit and evaluate ideas later, which is important for building knowledge and insight. Unlike fleeting thoughts or conversations, writing provides you with a permanent record that you can review and expand upon. Thus, writing becomes not only a means for deep thinking but also a valuable instrument for personal and intellectual growth.
The statement “Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you’re right” highlights the importance of your beliefs in what you can achieve. This phrase, often attributed to Henry Ford, suggests that your mindset greatly influences your success. If you believe you can do something, you are more likely to work hard and overcome challenges. This idea is similar to a growth mindset, where you believe that your abilities and intelligence can be developed through effort and hard work.
If you think you can’t do something, it can lead to actual failure. This negative way of thinking can cause you to put in less effort, give up more easily when faced with difficulties, and be less creative in finding solutions. Research shows that how we think about things, like stress, can sometimes have more impact on our health than the stress itself.
In short, the statement emphasizes the importance of having a positive and flexible attitude. Talent and intelligence are important, but often it is our beliefs and the willingness to learn and grow that truly make the difference. By believing in ourselves, we increase the chances of success and personal growth.
Most marketing techniques only work when selling marketing techniques.
📸 Day 16: Time
Seconds and minutes don’t matter.
