Medium continues the change to their attempts to remain viable.
I’ve long struggled with putting people first, putting relationships ahead of the projects that are taking up my time and focus. As soon as I started writing online and learning about personal productivity, this theme was playing itself out in my life. Almost 10 years ago [https://chrisbowler.com/journal/tasks-versus-relationships], I was pondering how things were to fit together. > I started thinking again about what it really means to follow the concepts that make up GTD. And how that fits w…
This is a bit of a repeat of late, but one I hope you’ll forgive me for. As I watch my goal for reading books week after week, I’ve been considering how to start a system similar to what Shane Parrish outlines in this article. Not to give myself something else to do, but simply to retain more and take what I’m reading and apply it to my every day life. Related: Shawn Blanc shares his own system for taking notes when reading [https://thefocuscourse.com/build-your-own-alternate-index-of-ideas-and…
Does Todoist's Karma feature turn your productivity into a game, or truly help you move forward?
Related to my focus [https://chrisbowler.com/journal/perfect-week] last week, Shawn Blanc and his team are experimenting with how they structure their work time in 2017. Taking cues from the Basecamp team, they’re trying an 8 week cycle, where focused work happens in weeks 1–6, followed by a buffer week, then finishes up with a week off. It’s an interesting concept with a couple of benefits. One, the team members will take time off. That sounds a bit pedantic, but in environments like Shawn’s,…
Tim Harford takes a good look at what makes for the best productive work environment. Surprise — pristine, design focused spaces are not the answer. He covers some history in this post, including the details of M.I.T.’s infamous Building 20 (also covered in detail in Deep Work) and the Pixar offices under Steve Jobs. Through the piece, Harford is making the case that so many great innovations come from spaces where the worker is in control of the environment. He refers to studies that prove jus…
With the increase of flexibility in our workplaces, how should we structure our time?
This is another marvellous truth. Although we cannot come into the presence of God’s glory without the redeeming work of Christ, God himself is not far off. He is not hidden in some secret place, only available once a person solves the right mystery. He is here, manifest in creation all around us.