-
The Magic of Too Much
Some days it’s all a bit much, isn’t it? The inbox is a treadmill set one notch too fast. The kids all want, no, neeeeeed, something right now. Before you can put the phone down, it rings with another request. Information overload, work overload, you know the feeling, right? Catch the Ball When I think…
-
My Top Reads of 2014
What did you read last year? I started 2014 with a hope of focusing more on long reading, rather than merely snacking on blogs and social media. While there’s so much great information available online, focusing on a single book or idea for a longer period is a valuable practice. A more deliberate pace and…
-
Hip Hop and the Feedback Loop
My favourite way to joke about hip hop (years ago, when I was just a white boy who didn’t understand), was how often rappers would rap about rap. “Listen to words that I create. Watch my lips arti-cu-late.” (My you can tell that my favourite rapper is the hiphopopotamus). But now I get it. I…
-
Flow
I just finished reading Dan Pink’s Drive, in which Pink explains why traditional carrot-and-stick motivators are out-dated and need to be replaced by the intrinsic motivators of Autonomy, Mastery and Purpose. (For the abbreviated version of the book, watch Pink’s TED talk, which I’ve mentioned before). One thing I learned was the importance of experiencing…
-
Creativity Takes Time
How long does creativity take? If you’re like me, you probably find it hard to set aside long amounts of time to develop creative ideas for your projects. When I’m doing a design project, I usually find myself running after the first idea I have just to meet a deadline or save time. But occasionally…
-
From the Whiteboard: The Surprising Science of Motivation
Recently a co-worker showed me this fun “whiteboard animation” of a talk by Dan Pink. Watch it and you might be surprised by (and be able to relate to) what motivates us to do our work. I’ve referenced a similar talk that Dan Pink did at TED before (you can also watch it below). What…
-
Lego and Obsessive On-Tasking
Dave exposed the myth of multi-tasking (thanks Chris). I used to be proud of having 10 windows open on my computer, moving swiftly between them giving the illusion of getting a lot accomplished. Lately I’ve been trying to focus my energies, removing distractions whenever possible. Nathan’s post last week made me re-visit the importance of…