Seek out excellence, but also make sure you exhibit it in everything you do. Don’t settle for second best. The quickest way to excellence? Intensity. 😀
You can purchase an inexpensive copy of The Art of Worldly Wisdom book from Amazon or read it online for free via Google Books. The whole set of Wednesday Wisdom images can be found in my Creative Commons-licensed Flickr set.
I’ve got 3 different systems of productivity, all of which overlap:
Two of these are pretty much unchanged since I moved from working in schools to working for JISC infoNet but, as with any new job, I’ve had to iterate a new system of work-related productivity. I’m planning to write a lot more in depth about the ins-and-outs of iterating such a system, but needed to share three tools that I’ve recently found particularly helpful. I didn’t use any of these in my previous roles. 🙂
At JISC infoNet we use PBworks for internal documentation and projects. I’ve tried Huddle, Basecamp and other specifically project management-focused webapps, but have come back to PBworks time after time in the last few weeks. It’s user interface is clean and simple, it’s wiki-based, and it sends email updates of changes.
I’ve been used to using Wikispaces before – mainly because it’s free for educators. PBworks, as far as I understand it, is free for one workspace. We’ve bought the Premium license to create unlimited workspaces which I’d definitely recommend if you or your institution is in a position to do so!
As with many things, NoteSync was brought to my attention by Lifehacker. It’s a very simple Adobe Air-powered (and therefore cross-platform) app that allows you to take notes. The clever thing is that it then will sync those notes with your Google Docs account.
NoteSync is very lightweight and it’s really easy and quick to search for previous notes. At the moment it’s in beta and therefore free. According to the website it will be $4.99 when it leaves the beta stage. Bargain! 🙂
I can remember using Netvibes back in the day (4-5 years ago) but, not usually being a big fan of start pages quickly abandoned it. Where it really comes into its own, however, is for gaining an overview of the projects in which you’re involved.
Above is my Netvibes dashboard. As you can see, the Web Page Plus widget is effectively a way to embed an iFrame in order to bring in websites and webapps from elsewhere online. As regular readers know, I’m a big fan of the simple interface sported by TeuxDeux, so have brought that in front-and-centre.
The other tabs I’ve decided to set up in a similar way. They feature a ‘To-Do’ list for that particular project, a notes section where I record details of who’s involved in the project and what role they have, as well as the Web Page Plus widget to bring in relevant pages from PBworks, SurveyMonkey and the like.
It’s still early days (I haven’t completed a month for JISC infoNet yet!) but I think it’s important to iterate systems of productivity quickly and keep tweaking. Effectively, I’m in a state of ‘perpetual beta’ when it comes to the tools I use to be productive.
At a recent conference I heard someone use the terms ‘sunrise’ and ‘sunset’ to explain how they understand the lifecycle of applications used by their institution. It’s similar with systems of productivity. I’ll ‘sunrise’ certain applications by testing them alongside existing solutions, whilst simultaneously ‘sunsetting’ others. This allows me to migrate data and continually search for the best tool for the job.
What have YOU come across recently that’s helped make you more productive? 😀
The Protestant Work Ethic (or the Puritan Work Ethic) is a concept in sociology, economics and history, attributable to the work of Max Weber. It is based upon the notion that the Calvinist emphasis on the necessity for hard work as a component of a person’s calling and worldly success and as a sign of personal salvation. It is argued that Protestants beginning with Martin Luther had reconceptualised worldly work as a duty which benefits both the individual and society as a whole. Thus, the Catholic idea of good works was transformed into an obligation to work diligently as a sign of grace.
It’s not just the Protestant interpretation of the Bible that is relevant to productivity. Whether you’re a believer or not there’s some absolute gems of productivity-related goodness in there I’d like to share with you (book/chapter in brackets). 🙂
1. Remain focused (Genesis 6)
The Bible doesn’t actually record the thoughts and attitudes of those who saw Noah building an ark in the middle of a desert. But you can kind of guess what might have been said (children’s books are good at filling in the details!) It’s a bit like when you’ve got a grand plan that no-one else gets. Keep on going despite what others say.
2. Make others more productive (Deuteronomy 34)
Moses didn’t make it into the Promised Land (due to a previous transgression) but he remained faithful and led others there before his death. It’s important to make other people more productive. Lead by example, even if it doesn’t pay off for your directly!
3. Expect setbacks (Job)
Job had a lot to put up with. He experienced many more setbacks than the average person: Satan took his health, children and wealth in order to tempt him to curse God. But he didn’t. Job’s a great example of putting the hours in and remaining true to your calling. Expect setbacks – they’re inevitable. Plan for them. Don’t moan about them when they arrive.
4. Practise integrity (Psalm 101)
It actually makes for a smoother and more enjoyable life to display and uphold integrity. As the saying goes, “the lier has to have a good memory.” Spend more time being productive by being straightforward and honest in your dealings.
5. Focus on the task in hand (Proverbs 6)
“A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and want like an armed man.” You don’t know what tomorrow will bring. By all means plan ahead, but don’t procrastinate. If you can get it done now, then get it done!
6. Focus on the fruit (Matthew 7)
“Every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit.” Seth Godin might rephrase this in terms of ‘shipping’ often and on time. If what you’re shipping isn’t of sufficient quality, look inside to fix the problem.
7. Run the race (Hebrews 12)
St Paul puts it very succinctly: “It is for discipline that you have to endure.” Productivity isn’t about spending all weekend catching up on a project. It’s training yourself and organising your life so you don’t have to do that in the first place. Those who want to win the (personal) race need to put in the hours training.
I’ll have missed lots of application and relevance? What are your favourite productivity-related parts of the Bible? :-p
Image CC BY-NC simpologist
