On Nora Roberts quote, I just realised that I've been saying a similar line to my team for quite some years, except that instead of ball, I use plates.
"but at the end of the day, I get things done because getting them done helps people I care about."
This is exactly the kind of thing I've realized in college. I learn best when I'm learning not just for myself, but to teach someone else. Making hypothetical study guides for a classmate or figuring out a topic to help someone else with homework is much easier than "do task because I need to".
"My lists are in service to my happiness, and I will not sacrifice my happiness on the altar of productivity."
This as well. At the end of the day I'll never put my academics over my personal health. It's just not worth it, I need sleep, and I can find different ways to manage my grades that don't involve self-destruction.
Teaching is the best way to master skills and content! And yeah I don't love the phrase "self-care" but you gotta be take careful when you borrow from the future to take care of the now.
"Back when I had more time — and before the advent of AI sort of killed my love of writing fiction" sounds like the opening line to a thriller aimed at taking down the love-killing AI... just sayin'... As always a great piece to think upon.
Hehe maybe I'll do a point by point rebuttal at some point but the main thing is that I definitely use my email inbox as a holding place for tasks (I email things to myself all the time, even at work), and touch items more than once. I use a combination of snooze, scheduling, and tags.
Thank you. I have always felt like the Inbox Zero rules, inspired by GTD, have always been draconian and whatever I save in time or cognitive overhead by following the rules, I more than give up in following the rules and trying to decide whether I should respond to something now or schedule it for later.
Yeah there's a certain amount of judgment involved 😅 but those sorts of judgment calls are highly personal and situational and writing out a detailed explanation of the heuristics I use would have made this article exponentially longer 🙈
Some of those heurestics could be very interesting -- I'm trying to figure them out for myself. And in the "things happen in bunches" category, my morning newsletter from cassidoo included an article on glass and plastic balls: https://ashleyjanssen.com/how-to-juggle-priorities-decide-which-balls-are-glass-and-which-are-plastic/ which refers back to Nora Roberts' article. That article offers some high-level heurestics which are useful.
wowzers. i;ll bet splooging all that do as i say not as i do advice felt like accomplishment.
ha.
those with tv and newspapers and all the paraphernalia of modern privileged life and choices they can make and privileged-per-mobiles to tootle off to the store with when the whim strikes are likely over nourished and building up a a deadly time bomb of visceral fat.
I returned to full time transcription three days after first born entered this world. medical transcription was well paid piece work, no bougie bennies, sick leave etc but tons of intellectual stimulation and the freedom to work for three months then enjoy a weekend road tip to a dead show.
until first-born's hip. $100000 for three procedures and a childhood encased in fetid hip spica casts.
No aborting our wedding night oopsie was the most prpfiujndly bsd decisiin i eill ever make/
then i went and had a 27-week preemie after critical cancer because mum was dying of tobacco-induced bladder cancer and i wanted an excuse to not cope.
It was meant as a "SBF is the failure mode of taking this kind of advice too far" not as "I think SBF is great" lol. The idea was to juxtapose Larry Page (who I think of as relatively uncontroversial) with Musk (more controversial) and SBF (more obviously terrible).
On Nora Roberts quote, I just realised that I've been saying a similar line to my team for quite some years, except that instead of ball, I use plates.
"but at the end of the day, I get things done because getting them done helps people I care about."
This is exactly the kind of thing I've realized in college. I learn best when I'm learning not just for myself, but to teach someone else. Making hypothetical study guides for a classmate or figuring out a topic to help someone else with homework is much easier than "do task because I need to".
"My lists are in service to my happiness, and I will not sacrifice my happiness on the altar of productivity."
This as well. At the end of the day I'll never put my academics over my personal health. It's just not worth it, I need sleep, and I can find different ways to manage my grades that don't involve self-destruction.
Teaching is the best way to master skills and content! And yeah I don't love the phrase "self-care" but you gotta be take careful when you borrow from the future to take care of the now.
I love your paragraphs on giving up task, one big problem of mine was to have too many projects at once and not making enough progress
"Back when I had more time — and before the advent of AI sort of killed my love of writing fiction" sounds like the opening line to a thriller aimed at taking down the love-killing AI... just sayin'... As always a great piece to think upon.
Ah man I love reading thrillers but I'm terrible at writing them. If you've got any good recommendations in the genre tho let me know!
I would love to hear how you get to inbox zero by ignoring most of the inbox zero advice.
Hehe maybe I'll do a point by point rebuttal at some point but the main thing is that I definitely use my email inbox as a holding place for tasks (I email things to myself all the time, even at work), and touch items more than once. I use a combination of snooze, scheduling, and tags.
Thank you. I have always felt like the Inbox Zero rules, inspired by GTD, have always been draconian and whatever I save in time or cognitive overhead by following the rules, I more than give up in following the rules and trying to decide whether I should respond to something now or schedule it for later.
"...juggling glass or plastic" -- great insight. Making the distinction -- ay, there's the rub. Definitely food for thought... and action. Thanks!
Yeah there's a certain amount of judgment involved 😅 but those sorts of judgment calls are highly personal and situational and writing out a detailed explanation of the heuristics I use would have made this article exponentially longer 🙈
Some of those heurestics could be very interesting -- I'm trying to figure them out for myself. And in the "things happen in bunches" category, my morning newsletter from cassidoo included an article on glass and plastic balls: https://ashleyjanssen.com/how-to-juggle-priorities-decide-which-balls-are-glass-and-which-are-plastic/ which refers back to Nora Roberts' article. That article offers some high-level heurestics which are useful.
Oh wow, what a coincidence!
I always enjoy your writing.
Hi Eleanor,
Is your vault file still available to purchase alongside a subscription to your community?
Not an up to date version, alas -- it is very very messy right now, I am still getting re-situated with my notes situation after having the baby.
wowzers. i;ll bet splooging all that do as i say not as i do advice felt like accomplishment.
ha.
those with tv and newspapers and all the paraphernalia of modern privileged life and choices they can make and privileged-per-mobiles to tootle off to the store with when the whim strikes are likely over nourished and building up a a deadly time bomb of visceral fat.
I returned to full time transcription three days after first born entered this world. medical transcription was well paid piece work, no bougie bennies, sick leave etc but tons of intellectual stimulation and the freedom to work for three months then enjoy a weekend road tip to a dead show.
until first-born's hip. $100000 for three procedures and a childhood encased in fetid hip spica casts.
No aborting our wedding night oopsie was the most prpfiujndly bsd decisiin i eill ever make/
then i went and had a 27-week preemie after critical cancer because mum was dying of tobacco-induced bladder cancer and i wanted an excuse to not cope.
My excuse cost $1/4 mil.
choices.
Sam Bankman-Fried???🤨
It was meant as a "SBF is the failure mode of taking this kind of advice too far" not as "I think SBF is great" lol. The idea was to juxtapose Larry Page (who I think of as relatively uncontroversial) with Musk (more controversial) and SBF (more obviously terrible).