📸 Day 3: Experiment
Today I tried something new: without looking I took a photo out of the train window. It turned out a lot better than I expected!
A videoconference provokes a narrow focus on the screen, which hinders divergent thinking
Videoconferences require participants to focus their attention on a small part of the screen. This limits their thinking processes, which can lead to less creativity and fewer new ideas. Research shows that videoconferences make it harder to come up with new ideas because people have to concentrate on the screen, which narrows their thinking ability.
The body’s response to the visual field plays a role in this. When people are relaxed, their pupils become smaller so they can see everything around them. But in stressful or exciting situations, the pupils become larger and they see less of their surroundings. This works both ways: when you are relaxed, your attention broadens, and with a wide attention, you become more relaxed.
The increased cognitive load during videoconferences, as shown by the increase in pupil size, makes it harder to think outside the box. The need to constantly stay focused on the screen and its interactions means that the brain has less room to wander and make new, creative connections. All of this leads to a reduction in divergent thinking, which is essential for innovation and problem-solving.
Related:
- Choose a workplace where you can see other people focused on their tasks. This will help you concentrate better.
- Give your mind time to wander
- Audio conversations promote a more equal distribution of speaking time and alignment of speaking patterns, which leads to better group performance than video meetings, despite the absence of visual cues
📸 Day 2: Photo
Last year I used my fancy pants camera to participate in the Micro.blog Photoblogging Challenge, but since I got a new phone last week I decided that this would be the perfect occasion for trying out mobile photography in different situations.
Sorting emails into folders wastes a lot of time; use one archive folder and search for emails when you need them instead
Sorting emails into different folders may seem like an efficient way to keep your inbox organized. However, research shows that creating complex folder structures does not necessarily lead to higher efficiency in retrieving emails. The process of manually sorting emails into specific folders takes a lot of time and effort (an average of 67 hours per year!), and these preparatory actions often turn out to be inefficient. Instead of spending time categorizing each email, this time can be better spent on other productive tasks.
An alternative approach is to use a single archive folder for all emails. This method utilizes the powerful search functions that are available in most email programs today. By simply searching for keywords, senders, or dates, users can quickly and effectively retrieve the necessary emails without the need for an extensive folder structure. This not only reduces the time spent organizing emails, but also increases the speed and efficiency of retrieving information.
Additionally, data supports the idea of opportunistic access, where people who rely on search and threading features have more success in finding emails than those who use complex folder structures. This suggests that using a single archive folder, combined with search functionality, is a more practical and efficient approach to email management. It not only simplifies the process, but also utilizes modern technology to increase productivity.
Related:
📸 Day 1: Switch
Today we finished the first part of the home entrance restyling.
Previously we had dark brown painted doors and brown tiles. We lightened things up by painting the tiles light gray and adding gray chalk paint to the doors for that vintage effect.
I never understood the appeal of the digital nomad lifestyle. Sure, it’s cool for about a week, but after that it gets really uncomfortable.
As Oliver Burkeman explained exquisitely in his book ‘Four thousand weeks’, it is a lifestyle fueled by egoism.
If you’re thinking about taking off for far-flung locations so you can keep your job while seeing the world, think of this as a checklist of things to prepare for—and a warning that it won’t be as glamorous as you may imagine.
My iPhone is not mobile anymore; it only works when I have it connected to a power supply. To make things worse, I just got the message that my new phone is delayed one more day. I am counting the hours, or better: minutes, until Thursday when it arrives.
Avui, per celebrar Sant Jordi, no m’he comprat cap llibre, sinó he decidit dedicar la tarda a llegir un dels llibres que ja tenia comprat fa temps i que m’estava esperant a la prestatgeria.
After several days with battery problems on my Phone 7, yesterday I did a full reinstall from backup. However, the issues are only getting worse, now with random crashes of the iPhone. I uninstalled all third-party apps and am now going to try a restore with DFU mode.
Ayer, después de terminar el taller de efectividad de @beKENSO que llevamos impartiendo desde hace más de 4 años, @EnriqueGonzalo me enseñó dos hojas con sus ideas para mejorar el taller. Así se consigue la excelencia…