Category: post

I want you to consider performing the occasional act of kindness on an regular and ongoing basis. Start today. Here are some ideas:
* The next time you see a car parked at an expired meter, if you have a quarter, stick it in.
* Have a full “buy some/get one free” punch card for your local coffee establishment? Give it to a random person in line.
* Hold the door or elevator for someone coming.
* On a toll road, pay for the car behind you.
* Buy flowers and give them to someone. Perhaps even someone random.
* Simply tell someone that they look good that day, or their dog is really cute, or their kid has good manners.
* Leave the book you just finished reading in a public place with a note to say it’s free for the taking.
* Write a thank you card or letter to someone “just because”.
What I aim to suggest you put in motion here is karma. Karma is the based on the idea of cause and effect and that ones actions have an effect on the past, present, and future. The positive and good actions you put out into the world will, in turn, make the world as a whole a better place, thus benefiting you. Karma is often thought of as good deeds one does for the benefit of others. But that is only half the story.
If you have any level of basic compassion, and a bit of natural human selfishness, you will do such things because they have the immediate effect of making you feel good as well. Do not be ashamed of this being part of the motivation. It’s OK. Really. It’s alright to do something for someone else because it makes you feel better. Because, in turn, your good feelings will reflect and spread to others who care about and encounter you as well. The karma is instant and is supposed to travel in both directions. That’s the whole point.

We would like to think that we get to choose times of action and times of rest. The truth is, most of us don’t.
When things are busy, it is usually due to external forces and commitments. That report we promised our boss. The deadline for the project. The kids needing a bath. During these times, we often long for quiet and rest.
When things are slow and quiet, once again usually due to no choice of our own, we often find ourselves searching for things to fill the time. A book to read. A place to go. Someone to talk to. Something, anything, to do. Anything to keep ourselves busy.
Lately, I have been trying to be more mindful of this natural ebb and flow of life over which I have little control. I have been trying to focus on enjoying both modes for what they are as opposed to longing for the other. Letting my rest prepare me for action and my action contain the promise of rest.

I have to wear a watch. I’m very old school this way. I feel naked without one. Time itself is so precious and fleeting, I need to feel aware of my place and connection to it at all times.
Perhaps it’s a mark of my age, but I don’t understand how one can get used to checking the time on their phone. Even if it’s right there when it’s turned on.
I also have rigid and specific preferences surrounding the type of watch I will wear. It must be analog. It must have real numbers. Not markers, not roman numerals. Numbers. It also must have a day and date. I can’t remember what happened five minutes ago, do you honestly expect me to remember the date?
My current watch is a Timex Perpetual Calendar. Great watch, simple, durable, fits my requirements, and I don’t have to remember which months have 30 days.

I have two favorite drummers of all time. They are radically different from each other. But what I love about them is the same.

Stewart Copeland is best known as drummer for The Police. As a drummer, he is best known for his precision and his ability to get a myriad of versatility using a relatively small drum kit.

Alex Van Halen is the drummer for Van Halen. As a drummer, he is best known for his big sound and for is ability to, in the space of a four minute song, make use of every piece of his very large drum kit.

You may look at these two and wonder how they could possibly have anything, outside of being drummers, in common. Here’s how: They both take the tools at hand and use them to their fullest extent. Big or small, they each squeeze every drop from their sets. In doing so, they each have carved out a place of their own in the history of modern rock music.

It is a reminder for me to try to do the same. No matter if I am using pen and paper, a smartphone, or a desktop computer. Command the tool at hand, squeeze every drop, carve out a place.

Hey. You. Yes, you! Come over here. I’m going to tell you a secret. OK, well, it’s not really a secret. It’s more of a question. A most important question. One that, when asked, can provide a wealth of productive power…

“Where does this belong?”

Want to know how to organize a messy desk? Take everything off, put it in a box, then take each item out, and ask that question. For some items, the answer is obvious. For other items, maybe they don’t have a place – find one. Maybe the answer is not “on the desk” or even “in the room”. Maybe the answer is not even “in the house” or “in my life”. Answering this question can not only make the clean up quick but also ensure quick work when things get out of control again. Because, everything belongs somewhere and now you know where that somewhere is.

The thing is, this question works with more than just clutter.

Want to make your task list more powerful? Ask that question of each task. Sometimes the answer is “as an immediate action”. Sometimes the answer is “on a context specific list” or “broken into smaller chunks”. Sometimes, the answer is “as part of a greater project or goal”. But, sometimes, the answer is “with someone else” or “done at some future date” or “not done at all”.

Want to get your email inbox under control? Never look at another message without asking the question. Does it belong in the inbox now that you have looked at it? No? Perhaps in a separate folder of things you need to take action on or respond to. Perhaps in a folder for reference on a project you are working on. Perhaps read and archived. Perhaps in the trash.
But, where the question becomes truly powerful, is when you apply the question to everything. Because if something does not have a place in your home, in your relationships, in your job, or or in your life, perhaps it should not be there.

Not too far from my home, is an Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) meeting house. They have several meetings a day. I would guess ten to twelve (the house is large enough to accommodate). I regularly observe the people coming, going, mingling outside on the porch between meetings. They’re from all walks of life. They are all at ious steps of dealing with their addiction to alcohol. No matter who you are, step one is always the hardest and most important. Believe me, I get that and have a lot of respect for it.

That said, I often wonder as I see them – almost as a rule – chain smoking, downing cup after cup of coffee, chatting endlessly on their mobile phone, if they are merely confronting the one addiction that was causing the most problem, and ignoring the others that are not. Have they really confronted the real problem? The problem of addiction itself? And by confronting and applying the steps to that core problem would it be successful in not only the battle with alcohol but in countless other ways? Have they really done “step one”?

I’m starting to wonder about the numerous applications one can now buy to help with “focus”. There are many of these I have covered here before. Heck, there are many that I use myself. I’m using one right now. That said, am I really curing the root of the problem? Am I simply replacing it with new ones? Would working on the root of the issue eradicate my need for an application like Writeroom when I find even my Desktop too much to handle? Have I really done “step one”?

Don’t get me wrong, I know that these root problems are much harder to tackle. I know that, on the surface, throwing down a fiver on something that will help seems like the right thing to do. But pretending that will cure the real problem, and in many cases not simply replace it with others, is the same as the chain smoking, coffee swilling alcoholic who claims he has dealt with his addiction because of the color of coin in his pocket.

“Hi. My name is Patrick. I have no self control.”

See? Step one. Where’s my medallion?

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See also: On distraction and virtual crutches « The Quillink Observer – A similarly themed and introspective post that was brought to my attention in the middle of writing this one.

This past weekend, I was invited to participate in an opening keynote panel of the Minnesota Bloggers Conference. The thrust of the panel discussion was “Minnesota’s pioneering bloggers and [the] lessons learned, best practices and stories behind their success.” Knowing this and a bit of the questions in discussion beforehand, I was able to think a bit about what some of my answers might be and what message I wanted to put across to those who call themselves “bloggers”. Here it is…
You are writers.
I have become increasingly uncomfortable with the title “blogger”. I think this term cuts wrong in several directions.
First, I think it reduces the respect and credibility of those who write and publish online. Especially those who perform this craft well and are deserving of the same recognition and respect society has long bestowed upon writers in other mediums. In fact, take any of your best journalists, authors, etc. and I could show you an equal number of “bloggers” that write just as well if not better.
Secondly, I think it helps to absolve many of becoming better at a craft that they choose to participate in by giving it a label that divorces it from the very thing it is. Writing, editing, publishing – These things that have been happening for thousands of years. The methods and medium may be different but the craft is exactly the same. It does not need a new noun. The fact that technology has progressed to the point where we can do it ourselves does not make the means of the labor different. What technology has done is allow anyone who wishes to write and publish the ability to do so no matter if they have the talent to write or not.
As with any art, part is talent but I would argue that an even larger part is also learning how to write. Once learned, practice (lots and lots of it) is what will help you eventually find, what we writers like to call, your “voice”. That little something in your writing that is uniquely you. Once you find that (and only when you find it), you will be able to cast off any other term that the collective may chose to bestow upon you. You are a writer.
Towards that end, and no matter where you are on your journey, I would like to point you to some of the resources that have helped me over time. This is hardly a complete list. Just a bit of what jumps to mind when I think about such things. I can guarantee that, if you care at all about being a better writer, any of these will help you too.
Books
Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life – Anne Lamott – If you were to read any one book on writing, it should be this one.
On Writing – Steven King – I’m not the biggest King fan (just not my cup of tea), that said, he knocked it out of the park with this one.
The Creative Habit: Learn It and Use It for Life – Twyla Tharp – Practical advice and inspiration for all artists and creatives.
The Elements of Style – Strunk & White – The Old Testament.
On Writing Well – William Zinsser – The New Testament.
Posts
Intellectual Masturbation on Writing Well – Rodney O. Lain – My late friend Rodney not only offers advice on writing but the very existence of this post proves that your words, if properly cared for, will live long after you are gone.
Making the Clackity Noise – Merlin Mann – Ultimately, it is about sitting your butt in the chair and doing this.
NaNoWriMo: A Pep Talk and a Warning | 43 Folders – Also by Merlin. It contains the number one top secret of amazing and successful writers (Spoiler: They write.).
Why I Write – George Orwell – Some excellent thoughts on writing with purpose.
Writing Tips for Non-Writers Who Don’t Want to Work at Writing – John Scalzi – Also good for writers that do want to work at it.
Janet Fitch’s 10 rules for writers – Los Angeles Times – Smart tips from a pro.
Randy Murray’s Writing Assignments – My good friend Randy posts regular writing assignments to his site for fun and practice. The “50 words” one is a particular favorite of mine.
Podcasts
Obsession Times Voice: John Gruber & Merlin Mann’s Blogging Panel at SxSW | 43 Folders – I listen to this, in part or whole, at least once every other month. It’s that good.
Final note: While all of the above are helpful, the only way one can ultimately become a better writer is to write. Reading and listening to things about writing will only help if you apply them while you are writing. So write!

You may have heard already but, along with some new iMacs (Win), Mac Pros (Big Win), 27inch Cinema Display (Lickable), Apple released a brand new product – The Magic Trackpad.

Now, there are those who are trackpad people, those who can’t stand them, and a few in-betweeners who are comfortable with either. I’m one of the later. I even have a use case for one – My media center is an iMac and, due to its station on a shelf, there is just not enough travel room for a mouse. I currently have a Kensington Orbit Trackball attached to it and, while it does the job, it sure is not as sexy or, well, magic. But these details are not the story from my perspective.

Let’s do some theorizing on that magic for a bit. You may see a revolutionary mouse and trackpad. I see something far larger and more subversive…

Apple is rewiring our brains for touch.

Just like with the iPhone and iPad, Apple is steadfastly reinforcing the idea that touch is the way we interact with our computers. The Magic Mouse and Magic Trackpad are just one more step in that direction. In fact, I would not be surprised if, before we ever see a touch based iMac, we see a keyboard without keys. A completely touch aware input experience in order to prepare the masses for the “next big thing”. That big thing is input devices as we have come to know them going away for good. 

So, this begs the question, “Why not just make a giant desk sized iPad type iMac now?” Here is the answer: It is a minor adjustment to behavior and learning to make such moves with a brand new device, because the general public will see it as “new device, new input”. It is much more difficult to take something that has followed only one input method (keyboard and mouse) for twenty years and suddenly thrust something this new upon them. Revolutions generally start with a few new ideas that pick up steam and grow larger as they roll down the hill. The Magic Trackpad is the visual representation of the revolution to come.

During the daytime work hours my daughter, Beatrix, is taken care of at the home of a young lady (whom I will call “CJ” for the reasons of safety and privacy) and her son, who is about a year and a half older than Beatrix. We think the world of her (of both of them actually). She treats Beatrix with the same love, kindness and compassion she displays for her own child. She is extremely active and loves to take them to museums, parks, zoos, play dates – basically anything to keep them the happiest of children. It’s perfect.

CJ is from England and still has a very proper accent. Being an unabashed Anglophile myself, this only helps solidify her position as a permanent addition to our extended family. It has also been a fascinating experiment in the nature of language learning and linguistics with the test subject being Beatrix.

You see, when Beatrix is around CJ or, in conversation discussing anything related to CJ or her son, she uses British terms in place of American ones where a difference exists. For instance…

• Shopping Cart = Trolley
• Trash Can = Rubbish Bin (Bin for short)
• Diaper = Nappy
• Trunk = Boot

When she is with us or speaking to us, she uses the American phrase. In other words, she has become bilingual in two versions of the English language and, at age two and a half, knows which of these two “languages” to speak based upon the others in conversation with her.

For those of you who are in bilingual homes or have immersion school/daycare experience, this may be just the way it works. That said, to see it happen within the confines of a language that is largely shared is a fascinating peek into the way the brain works and how important it is that we expose our children to such experiences at the earliest age possible.

As you may have noticed from the trickle of posts the past few weeks, my work life has me very busy right now. In the over ten years I have been running my computer consulting business, this has been the busiest summer ever. I’m certainly not going to complain because, when one works for themselves, busy is a good thing. It’s just very unusual because summer is usually my slowest time so I find myself wholly unprepared for it.

That said, when I find myself overwhelmed, I find that the most beneficial thing I can do to stay on top of things is to reduce my normal task system to one that has low barrier to action, less items, and tremendous focus. It also has to be portable without adding to my existing daily arsenal of items. Lately, three iPhone applications have been fitting that bill and helping me to achieve modest goals.

One Thing Today — This is the recently released iPhone version of a daily goal manager, the desktop version of which I have featured here before. Here, for each day, I put the one goal or project that has my attention. This is for more of a high level thing like “Writing” or “Capture and Clear”. Just something to boot my brain into the proper mode for the day ahead. It’s simple but I find it very effective.

Now Do This (iTunes Link) — This is where I put the three to five things I wish to accomplish for the day. Once listed, the app will display them in large type on the screen in the order listed one task at a time. Swipe a checkmark on the screen to mark the task complete or a circle to send it to the bottom of the list. This really helps me to stay on task and I find it best to just launch this app and keep it launched so I see what I should be doing next whenever I unlock the phone.

Tenplustwo — This is a simple timer built around the (10+2)*5 procrastination hack invented my Merlin Mann. The idea is to alternate 10 minutes of work with 2 minutes of play thus gaming yourself into getting 50 minutes of work done. When I need a little help getting through that list, this is how I do it.