Tag: focus

Thinking Space

Where is your ‘thinking space’? The place where you order your thoughts; think things through; where the creative juices flow?

If you don’t have such a space, I recommend that you find one. Whatever it is that you do, it’s important to take the time to pause and reflect. This process can result in improved focus, increased productivity and greater creativity. Finding the space in which you do this best is therefore worth doing.

As well as becoming an early riser I have also learned to be more mindful. My interpretation of what this means is skewed, influenced by the interpretation of others, including: Patrick Rhone and Merlin Mann. However, what I have taken on board so far has really helped me to be a more focussed and creative person.

Being mindful (for me) is about removing distractions, whatever they may be, and taking the time to be at one with your thoughts; allowing ideas to percolate.

What has this got do with finding your ‘thinking space’? As I began to understand what it meant to be mindful, I began to realise that there were certain times and places in which I was able to better focus on the myriad of thoughts swirling around my mind. The first time and place where I realised this was in the shower. Free of distractions, completing a relatively mindless activity, I can sift through my tasks for the day; think through a lesson I’m going to deliver; even write (in my head) an entire blog post. The latter, resulting in a rather rushed drying of one’s body in order to get to my laptop and write it down.

Having found one space to be at one with my thoughts, I then started to actively look for others. As such I don’t have one ‘thinking space’ but rather a number of times and places where I choose to be mindful. These include:

  • Making a cup of tea: As demonstrated by Dave Caolo, the time it takes to brew and enjoy a good cup of tea is perfect for sitting and reflecting.
  • Doing the dishes: An activity I previously did not enjoy, I now actually value the thinking time that it offers.
  • Waiting in line: Rather than playing with my mobile phone I now observe my surroundings, taking in the place, the people…
  • Taking a walk: As many will attest to, taking a walk remains one of the best ways to clear your mind, clarifying things.

As with becoming an early riser, it took time for me to develop habits. Resisting the urge to check Twitter, Email, Google Reader while standing in lines or during a train journey was particularly hard. However, it has certainly been worth it, improving my focus, productivity and creativity.

Do you already have a ‘thinking space’? If so, please share it by commenting below.

Why I Became an Early Riser

During the past academic year I have become an early riser. No mean feat for someone who loves the warmth and comfort offered by a well-constructed frame, firm mattress, cotton-fresh sheets and a plush duvet.

I have trained my body to rise at 5:30 every morning. What have I gained from this you might ask? In short: Time.

Time is perhaps the most important commodity that exists. I call it a commodity because in 2011 it is just that. Something that we can choose to value and savour or as with many things something we can easily waste and fritter away. The thing is, you can’t replace time like you can replace wasted food or damaged goods. When time has passed it is gone for good. People, say I’ll make time but that’s a fallacy, you can’t make time. The truth? You need to make the most of the time you’ve got.

I try to savour every moment. The time that I get to spend with my wife is precious; the time I have with my students when they enter my classroom is so important – why would I want to waste it? The hour I have gained in the morning is as precious as any other time I can define. It is my time… a time when I find focus.

My routine is simple. I pick one thing to do and use the hour to do only that. I drink a glass of water, make a cup of tea and sit down at my MacBook Air. I then decide what I want to achieve that morning and set to it. It could be to write; it could be to catch up with RSS/Instapaper; it could be to achieve Inbox Zero (or get as close as I can); it could be to read from whichever book I am reading at that moment; it could be to update my Calendar and sort my ToDo List.

It does not matter which activity I choose, as long as I dedicate the time and energy to doing that one thing. I know that I will do the task and do it well because I have the time… free from distractions, free from noise (I love the early morning quiet), free to focus my mind.

Using that hour in the morning has not only improved my productivity but it has made me a happier and healthier person. I start the day with far more oomph; not sluggish from over-sleeping. Having had that quiet time in the morning, I am ready and raring to go… ready to get on with the rest of my day knowing that I have already accomplished something and it’s only 6:30.

What I felt was going to be a tremendous struggle has become the most important feature of my day. Occasionally, I slip… those days where I didn’t manage to get up and out of bed, those are the days where I get little accomplished, where the ills of procrastination take over. I’ve learned to not beat myself up about it though. Those days serve as a reminder of how much I gain from all the other days where I did get up, where I did make the most of my time.

Getting to this point did not happen over night though. It took effort and still does, particularly during the holidays. I found this advice from Leo Babauta helpful as I strove to become an early riser.

Writing: From idea to published post

For the second time in less than a month I find myself inspired to write a blog post after sharing a screen shot via Twitter. Last time, it focused on how I was using Evernote to organise my notes for my MA. This time is slightly less direct in that the item I’m going to write about had nothing to do with why I tweeted out the screen shot.

T4M and NV

The screen shots purpose was to document the fact that I was giving Twitter for Mac a try and was enjoying the small amount of screen real estate that it consumed; meaning I could have other apps open and visible at the same time. In this case Notational Velocity. Not giving a great deal of thought to this at the time I grabbed the shot not realising that the image also offers an insight into my writing process. What is revealed in the image is the earliest written draft of a blog post. I call this the earliest “written” draft as the first draft is the version in my head. Rarely the version that ends up on my blog though.

Ideas for blog posts come to me at all times of the day, from many different directions, but more often than not – after a day of work. At that time I’m not usually at my most productive so save writing posts for the morning or weekend. What I do though is write down the idea, usually as a series of points. This some times translates directly into the paragraphs that will make the post and other times the final post has no resemblance to the initial idea that was written down.

Most of the posts on this blog have gone through either 3 or 4 drafts. After making my notes (draft 1) I will leave the idea to simmer a little. I then return and flesh it out (draft 2). This is all done in Notational Velocity. At this stage I may have collated some links but certainly have not thought about visuals if I choose to use them at all. I have simply focussed on the writing – the most important part IMO.

If I am happy with this draft I will copy and paste it into WordPress, add all of the links and any images/media that is to be included; check the code; add categories and tags; and voila a post (draft 3) ready to be published. From time to time however I will get this far, read back over the post and decide that something is not quite right. If that is the case I will leave the post as a draft for 24 hours and return to it with fresh eyes. Nine times out ten I will realise what was niggling me, correct it and then hit publish (draft 4).

There are times that I’d like to be one of those prolific bloggers who posts daily, pushing out first draft after first draft but I just can’t do it. Partly because I’m a perfectionist and partly because many of the things that I choose to write about need a little gestation time. That said, I have found using Posterous for a more personal / non #edtech blog has given me a bit more freedom to post with a little less need for polish, but then that blog is not as widely read as this one.

Writing is a very personal process – it deserves focus, time and more than a little TLC. F,or anyone who is thinking about starting a blog the most important things you must do early on are: 1. Find a writing methodology that works for you and: 2. Find the right writing tools that will help you focus on the writing, whether that be pen and paper, direct into your blogs editor or on a dedicated writing app. Making your blog/posts colourful; embedding media; adding buttons and feeds are not as important as the writing. All of the bells and whistles can be built up over time but for people to return to your blog regularly the writing must be good.

Notational Velocity – Freedom To Write!

Very recently, Leo Babauta (he of zenhabits.net and mnmlist.com) published a post about his use of the free Mac application Notational Velocity. In the post he discusses how the app has become his number one writing tool. I also mentioned NV in a recent blog post and even though I have only been using it for a few weeks, I find myself using it far more than I expected to. I began by using the app to make notes and simple lists but have found myself drafting blog posts, letters and recording ideas that I can return to later. Therefore, I felt that I would offer some further refelections and explanation of why I like the application so much.

Notational Velocity is one of the most uncomplicated and yet most powerful tools I have made use of.

Simplicity

First and foremost it was the simplicity of NV’s design that grabbed my attention. The user interface boasts a clean writing space, free of the clutter you find in so many desktop text editors. There are no buttons as the app relies on simple search operators and a series of built in shortcuts (not an extensive list) to operate. At the top of the app is the location bar (which you can return to at any time by clicking cmd-L) – here you add new notes (type a title and hit return) and/or search for and within notes. ‘Search’ functions much like Google instant, sifting through your notes, revealing the results as you type. Below the location bar is your list of notes, sortable by ‘title’ or ‘date added’. And below this is the note body, an open space, ready to be filled with text and nothing else. I, like Leo, have expanded this area to make it more useful for writing.

Beneath the simplicity of the UI are some very straight forward but useful inner workings. By entering your Simplenote username and password, notes are synced to your Simplenote account. It’s free and updates regularly. Also, built into the app is an auto-save function meaning you never have to worry about losing what you have written – I have mine set to sync every minute as I write at quite a rapid pace. Finally, you can (if you wish) tweak features like the typeface and font size. However, I was more than happy to stick with the defaults when after starting up the app for the first time I was overjoyed to be greeted by Helvetica, size 12.

Power

Woven within the simple exterior and inner workings of the app, NV holds immense power: the power to free you from distractions, allowing you to focus on your writing. As I’ve already mentioned my original intentions were to simply use NV to keep lists and notes that I could mail to myself or expand upon in Google docs. However, the app has become far more than a simple note making tool. I am using it to write almost everything – at least in the early draft stages. Why? Becuase the simplicity of the UI allows me to focus on the content of my writing. Having resized the app from its default setting I have created a focussed space for me and my thoughts. It is lovely to get my ideas down, free of the tools and buttons used to tinker with font size or to insert images. My time and attention remain firmly focussed on the task at hand: writing.

After just three weeks I am now using Notational Velocity for the following:

Notes

  • Mentor meetings – with my line manager and those that I take during meetings with my own mentees
  • Subject Leader meetings
  • Department meetings – my prepared notes plus those I add during the meeting
  • HTML code snippets – that I use in my blog posts

Lists

  • Work To Do – a constantly updated list of day-to-day tasks
  • To Read – a list of books I wish to eventually buy/download and read

Thoughts and ideas

  • Blog ideas – a continually changing list of potential posts that increases and decreases as I have new ideas and publish posts
  • Educational ideas – possible activities, uses for tech etc, that are not yet fully formed but have potential for development

Blog posts and other writing

  • Blog posts – currently, I have 4 blog posts (not counting this one) roughly drafted
  • Letters – I drafted a recent news letter and am currently recording notes for a second installment to be sent out at the end of term
  • Resources – I am also part way through drafting an exemplar response to an an activity I plan to assign my Year 10 English class

And that’s the thing, I really have started using NV for everything. I feel liberated, free of distraction, free to focus on my writing. Added to which I have become even more productive, writing everything from within one space – no switching between apps for different tasks. I do it all here, only moving to Word or Google docs when there is a need for formatting or the addition of other media. Those (for me at least) are the after thoughts; the window dressing – it’s the words that do the talking!

In a world dominated by tools and products that allow you to do multiple things at once, Notational Velocity is a reminder that sometimes simple is best.

Why what and not where?

Don’t miss out because you are always focussed on where you are going.

Focus on what instead. What were you doing last year and how were you doing it? What are you doing now? And most importantly what could you be doing to improve and make yourself better?

By focussing on what you do and how you are doing it, the where will take care of itself.

Or, in other words: don’t spend your time dreaming, spend your time doing and you will get to where you are supposed to be.