Productivity

Operating System? Help Me Operate

August 28, 2017 Leave a Comment

I want my computing platforms to help me reach goals and get things done. At this point, I have hacked and slashed my current “system” which involved manual process and automated scripts, to try to help me progress.

However, I often feel like I am fighting my environment, and long for an update to my devices that say “ok, let’s really help you be super human”.

Beyond using Google tools (Gmail, Google Docs, Google Drive, Google Calendar, etc), I also use Asana, Coach.me, and Anki to store, track, and learn. I trick out my Gmail, somewhat akin to how Greg Wilson does, and after reading Algorithms to Live By I stopped trying to build the perfect system and embraced things like caching. My hacks make sure that important data gets into multiple systems, allowing me to search from any of them and get to what I need.

When I saw that Thomas and Amy were working on a new task system: Sweep it reminded me of the friction that I face with driving habits. I have found that I can become reliable at doing something when I do it daily. The difference between doing something twice a week vs. daily is huge for me, so I try hard to find a way to make the unit of work a daily thing, even though for many things this isn’t possible.

How do I handle daily habits via my phone?

I have a folder called “👊” that houses the apps that represent a habit. In there lives a tracker app, such as Coach.me (there are others such as HabitHub (Android, soon iOS) or Productive (on iOS)) to make sure I am tracking the work. In here I track the daily status for things like: Exercise, Study, Ate Healthy, etc. I have alerts in the morning and evening to make sure to check in and check off. Some of the apps have that built in, else you need to just use the Calendar.

The rest of the folder contains the specific apps that map to the activities. E.g. 100 push ups for a quick exercise, Duolingo for language learning, Headspace for meditation, Metabolic for food tracking, etc.

This manual tracking is far from ideal and what I really need are the following features:

Smart notifications

You want to be reminded and nudged to do the work, but in a smart way. Elevate has a smart notification system that will only bother you at a certain time if you haven’t done the work (duh).

Some of the trackers have decent features here, but still often go a lil off. I don’t need to be told “there are 4 items to be done today”, I got that.

Google Calendar has a feature specifically for habits, based on the acquisition of Timeful. You need to block time to get things done. Sure, you can block off a set time, and that can work, but the habit feature is smarter than that. If an emergency meeting is placed right over your time slot it will find another time for you, to make sure you don’t miss it.

Smart badges

Show me how many I have left as a badge. Productive even has a nice option where you can tag a habit to a time of the day, and not show you a count if it isn’t time yet.

Usage detection

For habits that have an app associated with them, they know when you are actually complete (vs. the app just being launched say). It would be nice to have an API so the app could give that information to the system. Then you would get tasks auto checked off, and could even show badge colors (yellow for started but not complete?).

Some activities that aren’t simply about app usage could still track. Were you at the gym for an hour? Did you run or bike? There is a lot of context that can be used.

Magic Folder

I want to go beyond a folder. On Android you can create a much deeper experience, which I hope to see. I would love to have a rich widget that shows me information and auto hides apps when they are done for the day.

I haven’t even gotten to the tracking of actual outcomes yet. In a world where so many of the brightest minds are fighting for attention, I am hoping that we can pivot the zero sum game of 24 hours a day to start helping us become productive.

What do you find useful in the daily slog?

A Better Launcher For A Better You

November 25, 2015 Leave a Comment

I have been thinking about a special launcher. It is something I very much want to exist, and ideally it would be baked into the core platforms, but I wonder if I am strange for wanting it.

I am on a constant quest to be more productive and use my time wisely. This manifests with processes and tools to help implement them. I build habits with checklists to follow through and track items I want to make progress on with the calendar to tie it to my day.

There is a lot of friction with the myriad of tools (e.g. Asana, Coach.me, Inbox, Calendar, Anki, Pocket) and it is easy to fall out of the process. This is where the Better Launcher comes in.

I want to setup rules for my time:

I can’t do X until I do Y
Every hour take ten minutes to knock something off of the check list (this can be Spanish, spaced repetition, push ups, hunting vs. reading of info, etc)
I can do X for Y minutes per day / week.

I want pressure to stay on course, so these rules need to show up throughout the system. For example, if I launch Facebook and the critical items for the day aren’t complete yet, put that right in my face. Tell me how long I have spent and live with the caps. It is OK to have that square of dark chocolate as a reward for a good eating day, but don’t scoff the whole bar. This is the same for the digital areas of life. Enjoy one game of VainGlory with your friends, just don’t make it 5! 🙂

I think that this friction and virtual guide would help me. It would surface what I am trying to do without having to remember to keep going into my daily checklist.

Modern Family

I have harped on about the need for platforms to consider family contexts. Imagine a parent being able to setup these rules for their children! By setting up the rules, the kids are still empowered to make their choices on the when and how, which helps teach them vital organizational skills that they will need in life.

Humans love control and knowing their constraints. As a parent I see a huge difference when I can frame a conversation as “Ok, the 10 minute alarm went off so I guess it’s time to move on to the next thing” vs. “I am the boss of you. You will now stop doing what you are doing because I saw so”.

Having the system be able to track progress and time, and be able to redirect you:

“You said you wanted to do Facebook but how about we direct your attention to something more productive. There will be time for Facebook later though…. just not right now.”

Yup, I would love Peter the Productivity Guide. I think it could turn the tables on the prison that is the distraction in your pocket, but since it is a little like helping you take your vitamins, would you appreciate it? If you think you would appreciate it, would you actually use it? Or would you turn it off after a week?

Letdown

August 7, 2015 Leave a Comment

I was enjoying some brussels sprouts and charcuterie with Tobias Peggs right after my last day of work. School was finishing up and the summer break was ahead of me. I could sense many feelings over the change. What do I do next? I will have so much mental energy to channel without the old burdens!

“Mate, you need a real break. Trust me, your body is going to go into a real letdown as the adrenalin that was powering you along disapates.”

Tobias is a serial entrepreneur, who I have known for some time, even before he joined my old team at Walmart through the acquisition of OneRiot. Since then he went on to run Aviary, sell that to Adobe, and now he is back to another venture (where brussels sprouts are involved!)

A letdown?

I had worked hard to keep my energy high, and I was coming out of an intense situation. Surely I will be bouncing off the walls with all of the space I will have?

But Tobias was right. For one, your mind doesn’t forget work that quickly. Weening off of it felt like practicing meditation for me. I would catch myself thinking about some work problem and remind myself:

“You aren’t responsible for that any more. The team will be able to work it out just fine. They are awesome.”

Over time longer periods would go by between these thoughts. There are still some triggers now: someone reaching out, or morning work outs where I used to plan my day and think about my direct reports. But even these are fading.

And then there were the naps

I was tired. Partly it turns out that running after kids is more physical work than a desk job (even with walking 1:1’s and a standing desk :), but mentally I do think my body was taking the opportunity to regroup.

About a month later I felt it. An intense joy and feeling of top energy. My mind was clear and I was ready to take on new challenges.

I started to reflect on how rare it is to have the opportunity for a real break from a day job. Companies should mandate a break! Employees tend to be excited to join, and companies needed the role filled last month… So you give two weeks notice and get cracking.

The excitement for the new job kicks in and you don’t even realize that you really did need a real transition period.

I was fortunate enough to get this opportunity once before. John Lilly and Mozilla explicitly said “hey, take a month before joining so you are fully charged”. Wise words indeed. I am still very grateful.

I am partly writing this to help me to remember this the next time I transition, or the next time someone joins my team. It is never so important that someone has to join today. I will give myself and others the gift of time. Now I need to use this energy to dive in.

Have you ever experienced this? Do you have other transition advice?

Ps. There are always exceptions. For example, The folk who joined Google the day before the IPO were smart to make that happen.

Pps. Maybe it is OK to take that sabatical at work to get a recharge without a job change? 🙂