Insights

The Little Numbers

You can find them everywhere. On Facebook, Twitter, Google Reader, your mail client and even your phone. I'm talking about the number that shows how many unread messages, notifications, email, articles or what ever that are waiting for your attention. These little buggers are productivity biggest enemies.

Every time one of these pops up, I'll get the urge to stop what I'm doing and  go check it out. They are designed to catch your attention and they are darn good at it.

So if you are looking to improve your productivity and reduce interruptions, get these little numbers out of your sight. I promise you'll get more things done.

Making time

All the talk about doing things you love and stuff that matters is pointless if you don't have the time to do them. If you feel that you are too busy or 24 hours seems too short, try some of these strategies. You might be able to free up some time to pursue your dream.

  1. Automate - Reduce the tasks you need to do by automating or delegating it. Look for tools or techniques that let's you spend less time on certain tasks.
  2. Prioritize -  All of us have so many things to do that we end up doing what ever that comes next. Sort your tasks and choose what you must absolutely do. Try to either delay the others or automate them.
  3. Less hobbies, 1 passion - Previously, I've talked about differentiating hobby from passion. Both of them requires significant time investment, so try to reduce the number of hobbies you have. Ideally, what you want to do is your passion so that automatically you will make time for it.
  4. Do less stuff - This might sound a little lame but by choosing to do less is the easiest way to free up your time. It's similar to how saving money is the sure-fire to accumulate wealth. Try applying some minimalism in your life.
  5. Set deadlines - You could also set a deadline for your task to prevent it from taking too much time. Only allocate a certain amount of time for each tasks and stand by it.
  6. Disconnect yourself -  The average Facebook user spends one hour on the site daily. Nowadays, you've got Twitter, Youtube, Friendster and millions of other site to procrastinate on. Shut off your smartphone and get away from the computer if you want to get something done.

I hope some of these methods will help you gain that extra hours to put into your dream. We are all given the same 24 hours to work with. The successful ones are those that use it best.

Understanding the problem

It took me a while to start blogging because I was trying to solve a problem that didn't matter. At first, I was under the impression that it's hard to blog because I simply can't have that many things to talk about. So naturally, my solution was to write shorter posts like those who uses Tumblr. To make matter worse, since I'm a web developer, I decided to code my own blogging platform. Together with John, we got it up in a month or so and started blogging.

It was only a few months into blogging (occasionally) that I realized the problem wasn't the platform. The actual problem was that I didn't understand how and what I wanted to blog about. Only then I realized, what I needed from a blogging platform and switched over to Wordpress.

The lesson to be learned here is that when faced with a problem, try to find out more about it. Don't try to solve a problem without understanding it because you will be just wasting time and effort.

If you can't figure out the problem, face it directly. In my case, I should have just started blogging with any of the blogging platform out there to get a feel on what's keeping me from it. Understanding the problem is the first and most crucial step to solving it.

Progress is addictive

​Every time I get something done, I feel good and it gives me the momentum to keep going. Maybe it's the sense of accomplishment or the satisfaction you get when you finally complete something.

What ever it is, it's definitely something you want to feel over and over again. The taste of success creates a desire to keep you coming back for more. If there's one drug you want to get hook on, this is it.

You can make a list, attempt the easier task first or break them into easier ones. The point is to reach the finish line. Once you do that, the other lines will look a lot closer than before.

Change is certain

The first social networking site, Friendster was launched back in 2002. The year after that, Myspace came along, took the lead and was eventually sold for half a billion US dollars to the News Corporation. Then a bunch of college students decided to join them and founded Facebook. It is now the largest social networking site on the planet and both Friendster and Myspace revamped their sites to stay in the game. Things can move very rapidly and this isn't only the case for the online world. Telephones went mobile and transmit not just audio but now deliver the full multimedia experience. Computers morphed from a gigantic room-sized contraption into something you carry around and put on your lap.

Yet most of us live our lives assuming that when we wake up the next day, everything will remain the same.  The industry you work in will still be thriving. The status quo will remain and doing the same thing everyday is the safest strategy.

To matter make worse, some of us will start forecasting the future. We expect our pay will continue to rise and plan our budget on it. We believe that recession is something that only happen once every decade or so. All these expectations blind us from reality.

The reality is that things will and always change. It is not a matter of if but when. The safest strategy is to know that there is no such thing as a safe strategy. Just because you don't want things to change doesn't mean they won't.

Luckily for us, we humans are quite good at dealing with change. Our ability to adapt is our secret weapon to cope with the rapidly changing environment we live in. There's a reason why we are the largest species on the planet.

So if you really want a strategy to live your life, the best one would be to learn to adapt to change and read this manifesto. It explains why adaptability is so crucial to us. Since everything changes, so must you.

The best thing—perhaps the only thing—we can do to prepare ourselves for life in the future is to learn how to change. - Excerpt from Change Master

Hobby vs Passion

Hobby is something you do in your spare time for pleasure and relaxation. People look forward to it because it's the time they can finally get away from their hectic schedules to do something they enjoy.

Passion on the other hand, is something you love and would gladly lose sleep over to do it. It is the fuel that keeps you awake 3 o'clock in the morning, the drive that keeps you going even when everyone else thinks you're crazy.

It is inspiring when you see someone strive for their passion. They quit their job, lose friends and money all for their love and belief. But it's devastating when you mistakenly believe your hobby is your passion.

Passion is something you are willing to give up the chance to earn more money in order to do it, while hobby is something you are spending money on to feel better.

So if you planning to quit your day job and focus on your passion, make sure it isn't actually your hobby. The good thing is, if it's really your passion, you'll figure out how to make a living out of it.

Mastery

Maybe it's the way Roger Federer swings his racquet or the concentration of Michael Schumacher while he's driving on the track. When you look at them doing what they do best, you can tell they are the masters of their art.

It resists definition, yet can be instantly recognized. - George Leonard on Mastery

Mastery isn't reserved to the talented few but to anyone who is willing to devote their life and have the determination to stick to it. It is not a destination or a goal but rather a journey of self-improvement.

Only one who devotes himself to a cause with his whole strength and soul can be a true master. For this reason mastery demands all of a person. - Albert Einstein

Before we start the journey to master our art, we must first know how mastery works. The 3 Laws of Mastery from Drive that might help us understand the true nature of mastery.

  1. Mastery is a Mindset - You need to tell yourself that anyone can do it. You should subscribe to the notion that intelligence is something malleable. The goal is to get better at something, not proving that you can do something. Learning should be your mindset in pursuing mastery.
  2. Mastery is Pain - The journey of mastery is a tough one. You need to have the determination to make it through. Mastery is a grind and a very tough one at that.
  3. Mastery is an Asymptote - Asymptote is a line that a curve approaches but never quite reaches. Mastery is something that you can get really close to but never be able to fully achieve. It is elusive and also the reason why many pursue it.

If you are still up for it, try applying the 5 keys to Mastery from George Leonard's Mastery.

  1. Surrender - You need to surrender to your passion. The journey is long and tough so why not make it more enjoyable. Follow your heart and be true to yourself.
  2. Practice - It is not about talent. It's about your determination, your devotion, your willingness to do the things you love on days that you don't feel like doing it. Don't give up.
  3. Instruction - Get a mentor or guide. Someone to teach you so you are doing the right things and not repeating the wrong things.
  4. Intentionality - Visualize the outcome you desire. Once you have the vision in your mind, it's easier to bring it to life. Every master is a master of vision.
  5. The Edge - Always challenge to out-do yourself. You have to keep pushing the edge of the box and believe that everything is possible.

This journey is not for the faint-hearted or the undetermined but definitely open to anyone who are willing to give their all to it. You may never achieve true mastery but the process itself is rewarding enough. After all, if it is easily attainable, why bother at all.

Work is not just work

The thing that we spend most of our time on besides eating, sleeping and breathing, is probably working. To some, work is a means to an end while for others it's their life-long passion. We often relate money with work. In fact, one of the definition for working is actively engaged in paid work. We do work to earn money but that shouldn't be the only thing we are working for.

In Drive, Daniel argues that money isn't the best motivator for work and in some cases can affect performance negatively. A lot of people get up for work every morning not because of the money. They are there to get into the flow, to accomplish something that matters, to solve difficult problems and to master their art.

If work is boring to you, maybe you should consider getting another job. It is something that you have to do for most of your life. Why not do something that you love and something that matters?

Working isn't just something you do in your life. It is the way for you to show the world what your life is all about.

Set a deadline

If you have trouble getting things done, consider setting yourself a deadline to complete it. Done right, this can motivate and focus your mind on things that matters. When you have a deadline, it narrows your focus. You are now focused on getting that one thing done. It makes it easier to start and easier to achieve. Software companies like Atlassian organize 24-hour code fest (named Fedex day) to get new product ideas.

The time constraint you imposed on yourself can also help you keep things in check. Because there is limited time available, you are forced to do things that are really needed. 37signals used constraints to prevent their software from having too many unnecessary features.

The deadline itself should also be seen as a motivator. Sales and deals have a deadline for a reason. It gets people to act and over time, meeting deadlines itself can be a reward. But try avoid those deals if you can.

Obviously, none of this will work if you don't enforce the deadline. You could try set up some punishment for missing it or reward yourself for meeting it. Either way, tell yourself that you need to meet the deadline one way or another.

Start setting deadlines and maybe you can get more done.

Freelancer mentality

In recent years, there's a rise in freelancers for fields like photography, design and programming. Falling equipment prices and powerful online tools made it extremely easy for anyone to start their own freelance operation. Like with everything else, your approach and mentality towards freelancing is very important and will greatly affect its outcome. Here are some thoughts on how you should freelance.

  1. Price - This is the number 1 reason why companies hire freelancers. Since your costs and expenses are lower than a normal business, you can afford to charge lower. But this is a trap. If you charge too low, you'll end up de-motivating yourself when it take longer than usual to complete. Try to charge a reasonable price that you are comfortable with even when things don't go according to plan.
  2. Specifications - You need to have the specifications of the gig written down in black and white. It is hard to cover everything but at least there is a reference for you and your client when an agreement can not be reached.
  3. Quality - I think this is the most important factor that determines if your freelancing endeavor will be successful or not. Due to pricing and specifications issues, a lot of freelancers ignore the quality of their work. They adopt the get it done and move on mentality. The quality of your work will be remembered long after your pricing is forgotten. Read this piece from Seth on how freelancers can make a difference.
  4. Proper documentation - This is an extension of the 2nd point. Try to provide all the necessary documentation to your clients. It will make you look professional and protect you from troubles later on in the project.
  5. Run it like a business - If you could only adopt 1 of the points here, let it be this one. You have to consider yourself as a business owner. Show that you are doing this for the long haul. Form a company if you can and start building your brand.

Obviously this isn't an exhaustive list. There are many other things you could do to make your freelancing better and more fun. As long as you have the right mentality towards it, you'll be alright.