New Work Set-up

I spent several hours setting up a new monitor; adding to the one I already had; placing the new one above the existing monitor to follow a recent model from LG called dual-up. I wanted to buy this monitor for about $ 700 but the package got lost in the mail.  It was a fortuitous loss as I built up my own by buying another cheaper monitor and fixing it in the wall. I used this new formation last week and I think more clearly. It's like moving up to a bigger desk after working in a much smaller space. 

This weekend I cleaned up the mess of cables with cable boxes and cord covers in both my PC laptop and Apple mini. I also have bought cable switches and HDMI splitters so I could use the same 2 monitors, keyboard, and mouse with both my work laptop and PC tower of my son. I even found a way to use the same wired LAN cable for both computers and improve my connectivity during my work where I had incidents of misconnections. The new physical formation complements my new way of working with building a second brain.

I should have done this improvement long ago though I only discovered that a larger computer screen improves productivity from the book 'The Extended Mind'. I am trying many new techniques like using Planner with external dashboards and using more One Note and Teams features which I learn from watching youtube. There is a new world of creator class who use youtube to start their own business and achieve their dreams. This is also my goal once I figure out what to share and express. Essentially figuring out who I want to be and what I stand for.

I listened to lectures about Carl Jung (how to realize your potential) and Cal Newport (on deep work) and wonder why I have not read these works before. Why I did not construct a good working environment at home with multiple monitors though many were already doing so. The pandemic led to work from home and isolation wherein solitude does help one be more introspective. Now that we are emerging from isolation and heading back to work one realizes what one has been missing for some time.

Reducing Clutter

I donated my Total Gym equipment to Goodwill after failing to sell it in the Facebook marketplace. I had a few queries but failed to close. I donated also my ergonomic desk for the same reason. My garage is looking much better now but a lot of work is still needed. I still need to get rid of my Ironman inversion table and inflatable sea kayak. I never used this equipment more than a few times and wonder why I bought them in the first place. I think it was the fear of missing out (FOMO) and the desire to start s new life by buying stuff.

The other day I entered all the online courses I purchased in a spreadsheet and recorded about 98. There are still a few that are not on the list. Buying these courses is an attempt to improve myself though I have completed a handful, not including the courses I took in Coursera that I paid for: on writing and on investment. I also took several online courses on writing at the Gotham Writer school based in New York and Writer's lab based in Canada. The courses listed range from writing, investment, literature, history travel, and internet entrepreneurship based on Amazon and Google.

The plan is to be organized learning by using a calendar to create a curriculum of regular study. I had envisioned attending these courses at some future date, but time is running out as I approach my retirement and realize the time is now. Daily meditation helps me focus on the moment and not dwell on the past or daydream about the future. Looking at all the stuff that I have accumulated is a lack of mindfulness as the object was to achieve a future state of well-being instead of working on it now.

It is like the character in 'The Mercy' where one dreams about achieving an ambitious goal (sailing solo around the world) and when he is in the ocean alone realizes that he has overreached which leads to his mental breakdown and suicide. I have more modest goals of being a novelist and intranet entrepreneur as a way to keep busy in my retirement and earn income. This goal is not farfetched looking at the highly successful youtube creators.

Leaving the Tunnel

Crossed a major milestone this week with the completion of several PRTs or problem reports in test. A hotshot young business leader helped pushed the team over the finish line with 2 weeks left before the end of the month. Daily meetings back to back with teams in India, France, and USA with management well represented. Initially I said that daily meetings are not required considering the many daily meetings already scheduled and the stress it would cause. I was wrong considering the success of the team before Thanksgiving holidays.

Nevertheless, some squad members experienced stress with body aches and flu symptoms, lack of sleep, emotional stress with one team member sobbing over the phone. A few resources are relatively new , young and fresh from college and I spent a few one on one meetings to get them over perceived slights. There were some complaints from the business which I tried to smooth over to keep these fragile souls to keep moving to the next day's challenge. All have proven to be resilient and capable.

Frankly, I have reached my own limit, losing interest and control; allowing the young hot shot to lead after I spent many months leading my squad. In fact, the deadline was an artificial goal since the whole project is delayed for 6 months with go live moved to mid 2023. The world wide project team has also seen good members leave the project due to unnecessary stress. I think these artificial goals is an attempt by the global leader to compensate for the delay.

Under this backdrop of stress, I lead several small projects with their own inidividual challenges. The squad is undergoing it's own growing pains and adjustment as our new members merge into the squad. I have 10 members that I lead into a cohesive team. My co leader (in the business) and I underwent a retrospective with our Agile coach to exchange ideas and plan the next steps. It is a period of soul searching and humbleness in my part.

The situation is really not as bad as it seems and I have started some intiatives such as leading dedicated work groups to solve certain problems. I have a role to play that is not flashy and showy as I would think. I see the boredom and humdrum days ahead and I try different tools to make the work interesting. Nevertheless, there are major challenges with the overflow of problems and information that new tehcniques like building a better brain will help. There is light at the end of the tunnel after all.   

Notion

I used Notion for the first time this morning by creating notes of websites I bookmarked on my phone. The bookmarks were building up as I do not have time to read these articles. My bookmarks have steadily increased causing me pressure to start reading. I got caught up in reading articles on the recent election result instead of these tabs on psychology, meditation, writing tips, and travel. I started to offload some of these URLs to Google Collections.

I used Notion for the psychology articles where I  noted the key ideas for me to practice. All of the articles come from Psychology Today which delves into mindfulness meditation and rumination. This website is a good resource for me especially since I stopped meeting with my therapist after she left the in-network list of my medical plan. I want to continue these sessions with another therapist next year. My therapist was very helpful to me during the periods of stress with the cancer scare, the death of my parents, and the change in my work situation.

Self-therapy helped me before working with an actual therapist when I explored CBT and journal writing on my own. I started exploring these subjects in detail when I moved to Singapore with the challenges of adapting to a new environment. However, reading self-help articles on the web and other challenges I face require knowledge management tools and techniques. 

I like Notion for its functionality and ease of use and generous fee-use option. Most of the content creators on youtube either use Notion or EverNote. I have used EverNote before but stopped using it after I exceeded my storage limit. I have started to clean up my old files and plan to return to being a user. These tools I now see these as indispensable in today's world with too much information overload.

'The Shallows: What the Internet is Doing to Our Brains' - mentions that the web has made our mind seek more information; like a user searching for drugs; for constant new information or mental stimulation. This has caused distraction and information overload and tools that manage knowledge like Notion or One Note become more important to daily life. The medium has become the message as well, especially the type that flows thru the web.

This challenge occurs every time a new technology is created. In the review of Nicholas Carr's book, the writer noted the experience of TS Eliot when he started to use the typewriter to create his poems. Eliot said the typewriter promotes lucidity but not nuance or subtle thinking. His poem ' The Wasteland' was typed partly on a typewriter when presented to Ezra Pound. It seems creativity has not been quelled. I have had similar thoughts when writing in my journal long hand as compared to typing in this blog.

Building a second brain with tools like Notion, One Note, etc. is a technique for self-care as well as being productive. To link the rise of these tools to the internet and information overload and the impact of the web to the way we think is valid. The goal is an organized mind with an emphasis on external thinking is also important in all endeavors such as being a writer. Having this framework in mind helps one understand how to use these tools.

Exploring Another Country

 Last weekend I read 2 books: one on travel called Better Than Fiction 2 and another on writing: Light the Dark. Both speak about the same thing: the growth of the individual by exploring new places. Travel expands your world view while writing is a journey into the introspective life. Outer travel involves discoveries of a new culture, new people, and new locations that one grows through the experience of travel. The writing life similarly is a journey into the creative unconscious, where one can either venture forth in a spontaneous free writing voyage or in an itinerary of plot and scene making.

I wondered why I borrowed these 2 books at the same time until I realized that both talk about a journey to a different place. Everyone it seems wants to be in a different place which mostly achieves by traveling or reading. Writing is a much harder venture as involves personal courage and confidence. I watch videos about productivity on youtube where people talk about building a second brain and all sorts of techniques that one can do using different tools. Other videos talk about their desk set-up with multiple monitors and standing desks.

In fact, these videos are a specialty of content creators; people who embark on a new career create self-help videos such as advice on productivity or are self-styled experts in productivity tools and whatnot. These people are part of the creator economy and use youtube to monetize their passions mostly by being content creators. It is a new way of life that smart people pursue. It is a venture into creativity where one masters new skills such as video casting and internet advertising.

I picked up some of these ideas such as adding large monitors and following the techniques to be more productive. Pressures in the office require us to perform and such techniques expressed by these content creators are helpful. I also need to embark on my own journey to be a better squad leader at work. At a personal level, kickstarted my goal to be a novelist. Several new purchases of Apple mini, Apply iPad, remakable2 writing tablet, Android, and studying youtube videos have made me inch forward with a set of new tools to use.

This is the way my mind works with my desire to accumulate things in an attempt to jumpstart my goals without actually doing the work. I need to move towards a 'frictionless' process to do it in both my working and creative life. The momentary pause caused by doubt and procrastination is no longer possible if I want to achieve my dreams. It is like exploring a new country where one can imagine a different life with the new world that one discovers.

Fall Ride

Yesterday we went for our weekly bike ride on the Swamp Rabbit Trail. The trail was beautiful with the fall colors. It rained the previous day and the sky was grey. Despite the sky being dark with ominous clouds, the colorful trees with red, yellow, green, and brown leaves were enough to lift one's spirits. We tried to bike on Saturday but realized we forgot the bike keys for our battery: a pitfall for electric bikers. We did not want to use our bikes without the electric juice as the ride to Travelers Rest and back was just too long; about 20 miles back and forth. Instead, we walked along the Reedy River and stopped at the junction of the cancer center where there was a walkway through the towering trees along the river where two men were fishing.

As usual, the 2-hour bike ride was good to relax the mind and the fall weather was cold so we wore several layers to keep us warm. The trail is a rare joy to enjoy for everybody and there were several people on the trail despite the possibility of rain. In past years, we often hike in state parks or the park near our home during the weekend but the discovery of e-bikes converted us. Challenges in the office kept my mind tangled with thoughts but the bike ride was enough to relieve some anxiety. We went to Costco afterward and got home by about 1 PM for a steak and shrimp lunch. 

I planned to prepare for the coming Nanowrimo November challenge but I procrastinated by watching a Netflix documentary on the earthquake in Nepal. After lunch, I went to the gym to have a sauna and bought 6 sacks of mulch. We recently got a letter about weeds in our front yard, specifically in the flower beds. I plucked out the weeds the previous day and laid down the mulch in the evening after dinner. Before going to bed, I completed the 2 online learning courses that I needed to finish by the end of October.

I kept thinking about a few emails that agitated me; where I felt I needed to respond to, but I thought it was my ego again wishing to be heard, to make people know of my contributions to a project we were doing. I thought about the events of the past week with several meetings and pressure to deliver, of my frustrations with my colleagues and my boss who often only think of themselves and lose the important point. Of the creeping unease of not making the grade and missing some action and every man for himself. The fall ride amidst the autumn leaves helped me calm my mind.

Tool Shed

For the past several weeks, the question of what tool to use takes too much mental time. One Note is becoming the de facto tool for note-taking; though sometimes it is also used as a to-do list. MS To Do is the primary tool for this scenario but the confusion between taking notes and creating a to-do list freezes thoughts into limbo. A distinction should be quickly made so the planning can happen. Another confusion is when the planning merges into an action. Perhaps this is the distinction that needs to be managed when the tendency to act and get lost in the rabbit hole instead of stepping back and planning future action.

The GTD method advises that if the action takes less than 2 minutes, then it has to be done at that moment. This is where I lose track as the action bleeds into other areas that I get into a trap of taking on other related work. Perhaps it is the all-or-nothing thinking that my therapist always warns me about; being a perfectionist I have to get all related stuff done as well. The second problem is that I don't 'refine'  my notes or review the tasks that I set aside in my to-do list; just work through the course of events that I eventually get to those tasks by happenstance.

This is where I get lost in scenarios that I need to be on top of; which I neglect until events or other people come to remind me or the situation gets out of hand. The refinement of notes and review of tasks need to be a cold-blooded effort whereas my mind goes into panic mode, imagining all sorts of situations that may come about. Hence, the procrastination happens as I remain in the tool shed diddling with all sorts of tools and their features. As one article states, procrastination is a challenge in managing emotions.

One tries to overcome such shortcomings by being an expert in the toolset rather than in oneself. I watch several YouTube videos on One Note and productivity that I am getting to be adept at these tools. For the emotional part, meditation, Tai Chi and Yoga may do the trick. A system needs to be fashioned that one is inching forward via trial and error. From a theory perspective, books like 'The Organized Mind' and 'Atomic Habits' provide some ideas such as externalizing ideas outward and doing one small thing at a time.