Extra Productive, Off-Work
Monday, March 1, 2004 at 07:19PM Ok, I have an admission to make. Instead of going to work today I let myself get stranded in a parkinglot with a Starbucks sitting right there in it, looking so inviting, beckoning me in for a drink, a hospitable refuge from the rain...
But keep reading, something good did come out of my irresponsible ways. An illumination in the storm.
It all suddenly made sense to me while sitting there, with pen in hand, gazing down at my too-expensive paper, my chicken scratch darting too-and fro like the selfsame bird on crack.
I'm an inveterate coffeehouse junkie. When I sit down inside a coffehouse, something magical happens to me, and it's not always the effect of the caffeine. My productivity blooms like hiroshima on a bad day in history. I see things with unheard of clarity. For just a brief moment in time, I metamorphosize into a brilliant proffessor of every-which-thing. I produce more work during these two to three hours sessions than I can in a whole day in front of the computer.
Inspiration occurs most reliably in these instants when my active awareness is supplanted by ritual.
Everyone has their personal ideosyncracies which enable them to proceed with unrivaled fervor in regions of interest to them. If you have to start every brainstorming session with Mozart, start it with Mozart. If you can't write after 5pm, structure your day so you can accomplish your writings beforehand. If your effectiveness depends on something silly, any little thing, embrace the fact, don't fight it.
So, while I'm not especially proud of the fact I was harvesting ideas instead of signatures today, I know at least I maximized my productivity with respect to the latter. And maybe in the end, after enough applications, my little productivity epiphany will pay dividends to me -- far in excess of my day-losses.
View Printer Friendly Version
Email Article to Friend
Reader Comments (6)
I guess that's a walrus ^.
I look forward to hearing about your recent super-productivity.
I suppose this doesn't quite count as ritual, and I also realize everyone gets this to some extent, but this REALLY drives me to inhuman productivity at times. It triggers some sort of strange neurosis--I use it consciously to finish large lists of Squarespace features that are more interesting than whatever item on my to do list I'm currently deeming evil.
Works really well when that evil item involves work I don't want to do for someone else (exams). A close second: Safari bugs :3=
Speaking of which--I bought a PowerBook G4 a few days ago. I love it.
Sigh.
Wow, everyone's selling their soul to apple but me. Don't shun me yet though, I wont straggle too far behind you guys.
Apple likes to appeal to designers and creative types. But that is basically it, appeal.
And for shits and giggles (does that expression exist in the crazy world of Cali?), check out this link. http://www.thehoucks.com/happynowhere/Apple_Switch_Parody_DivX.avi (you'll need the DiVX codec to play it)