Saturday, November 01, 2008
10 Ways to Ungeek for Productivity
Stepcase Lifehack: "We have to have the latest and greatest gadgets. We have to be on the newest and coolest web apps. We have to be cutting-edge. But does all this technology really help with our productivity? I’ve found that there are days when I just have to back away from the bleeding edge if I want to get anything done, and despite how cool some of these toys are, I’ve found that ungeeking can up my productivity. There are a few specific ways to ungeek that I’ve found particularly useful, and I’m not talking about turning off your internet connection or cutting back on your time on Twitter."
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9 comments:
Agree with this article completely. Sometimes its easy to get a pencil, a scale ruler, and take the 5 mins to sketch something out quick. Or the obvious print out anything critical that needs revision because if you've been staring at the same document on your screen for hours, you need a change to catch everything in any form of productive manner.
I really agreed with printing out a big calendar and just using the out of date pencil/pen to add to it.
This article points out several things that I think are very important. Printing out work when you're having trouble is something that has always worked for me. Even when I'm not having problems, I tend to start things on pen and paper because there's less distraction for me and I can actually see what I'm doing, especially if it's something that may require several attempts like a schedule. The other point I think is really worth thinking about is actually getting away from your computer, and the rest of your electronics, and doing something. Sometimes it makes such a huge difference to just get out of the house and do something like go to the movies rather than staying in to do the same thing.
Aside from the technology blocking our thought process... it can also stop the whole process. I have caught myself many times trying to fix technological issues that do not specifically relate to the project at hand. Then I am just wasting time.
Pulling away from the technological tools and using the pen and paper will help us remember how to operate with out it... cause there will be the day it fails and the deadline looms overhead.
I agree that pulling away also give your brain a different approach... I need to try that more.
Most of these I agree with, but is going to a concert really a great way to ungeek your productivity? I feel like the author was just trying to provide examples of things better done in person or not using a computer, and though they are true, they have little to do with being productive.
Its refreshing to see a list that covers the value of tactile and face to face work. Every time I forget something, I am told about some device that could make my life easier, and how I could sync nine devices to make me more productive. I love to see someone who agrees, a paper calendar can't crash.
I'm glad to see that even in the age of computers people still feel the need to "ungeek for productivity." I know that when I'm working on a paper, I absolutely have to print out a rough draft to edit before I can retype it on the computer. It's a way to get my mind to think in a new direction. Also, I love paper calendars, simply because you can cross things out and add things so much easier to them before going back later and typing them up.
Very very true. There are so many distractions on my computer, I usually work faster when I'm just using a pencil and paper. When I don't have the option of checking my email and facebook or playing solitaire, I focus on what i should be doing instead.
Up until very recently, I could not keep a schedule and to-do list without a pen and paper. That was up until I got the new iPhone. Now I can only speak about the iPhone, but I am sure this is true of other PDAs. With the growing ability of technology, the NEED for a pen and paper is greatly decreasing. I now keep my schedule and to do list electronically. However, I still carry a pen and paper because there are just some things that will always need to be worked out by hand!
This article makes some interesting points. With all the wonders technology has brought to us, sometimes it's the simple, non-technical things that are the most effective!
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