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- June 16, 2006
Listable!
June 16, 2006Read moreWas checking out Jason Alan Moore’s post about making time for doing all that blog reading; I’ve been pondering the same issues. Prioritization! Pacing! Achieving Goals! Having goals! GTD doesn’t address that, so we have to go elsewhere for that illumination.
He also mentions a growing list of productivity-related sites on a site called listable, which conceptually is pretty cool: lists of all the best stuff! Or related stuff! I am not sure if the service itself will fly; it must be part of something greater like marketing-related data mining to pay off. Seems interesting though! Once I have my new blog reading categories set up, I’ll have to share the list.
UPDATE 9/17/2012: I got an email telling me that Shared List is a replacement for Listable, which no longer seems to be in operation. After looking around a bit, Listography seems to be another alternative that looks like it is building some kind of community.
- June 15, 2006
Setting Limits
June 15, 2006Read moreOk, I’ve cancelled cable TV, gotten my GTD system off to a start, started exercising and eating right, and have even cleared out my in-box. Nothing standing between me and ULTRA SUPER PRODUCTIVITY!
Um.
Most of yesterday was spent surfing the net and writing six (yes, six) blog posts that have been queued up for the next four days. That’s not even including this post.
Writing blog posts wasn’t quite the plan I had in mind, and this confirms something I’ve suspected for a while: clearing away distractions doesn’t really help procrastination. There’s plenty of things I should be doing businesswise, like creating a business-related section of this website to help people understand how they can work with me. I could have also spent time drawing spaceships like I said I would a few weeks ago. I could be creating new versions of the Printable CEO; there are two new forms on the design board. Instead, I surfed all my RSS subs, researched cell phones, and then went to Target to stare at them. Didn’t get a whole lot done.
I think the problem is a lack of limits. This is what I was moving toward, I think, when I realized that I needed to take active steps to rein in my Inner Child. I forgot to think about that today, and so I must renew my resolve. I also need to have a clearer sense of where my motivation is broken.
- June 14, 2006
Magnatag: Continuous Visible Communication
June 14, 2006Read moreWhile looking for a nice 4×6 card file, I re-discovered Magnatag, which makes custom magnetic whiteboard solutions. It’s not the sort of thing that you see in your everyday office, as their products are geared toward specialized applications: engineering projects, print run management, inventory, and so on.
They have some interesting stuff…here’s a small sampler:
Check out this modular infinite calendar system…sweet! Goes month-to-month!
Or just have a WHOLE YEAR mounted in convenient swinging-door fashion, right on your wall, with their SwingView system!
Yum…index card storage! Unfortunately, this CardView solution appears to use proprietary 3×4″ cards. But it’s a great idea!
The FileView Wall Filing System. OMG THIS IS THE FILE FOLDER STORAGE SYSTEM I WANT!!! Vertical, mounted on the wall, compact, with everything in view. YUM.
The Grip-A-Sheet is a lot like the check rail I got, except this one uses a transparent gripping mechanism (patented, even). You can see everything on the page. On my check rail, the top 3/4″ is obscured. I even like the name :-) It comes in a variety of lengths, and seems pretty reasonably priced compared to regular check rails.
The RotoGraph is a SCROLLING infinite project planning GANTT-style chart for engineering project management! SUH-WEET!
When one magnetic whiteboard isn’t enough, build an entire room from them.
Apparently Magnatag has been a family-owned business for 40 years…I’d like to find out more about the founder. You can’t buy their products in stores, so you have to order online or by phone. I already have my catalog on the way :-) As a bonus, the company is located in upstate NY, an area of the country I am rather fond of.
I haven’t actually seen or used any of their products, so this is just a heads up to anyone out there who is on the prowl for cool office gear :-)
UPDATE NOVEMBER 27, 2006: Magnatag’s PR company arranged for an email interview with the founder, excerpted in this post. It’s at the end of the post.
- June 14, 2006
Ed Catmull on Management
June 14, 2006Read moreVia the awesome Cartoon Brew, a link to a piece about Ed Catmull. He recently was put in charge of the 700+ person animation studios at Disney, after Pixar was acquired in an all-stock transaction valued at 7.4 billion dollars. It’s pretty inspiring to read about his management beliefs, and his putting-to-an-end of boneheaded executive practices at Disney.
- June 14, 2006
Scooby Done
June 14, 2006Read moreI don’t know about this press release about the Kids WB 2006-2007 lineup. A new Scooby Doo cartoon, Shaggy & Scooby-Doo Get A Clue!, features nano-technology Scooby Snacks that transform them into different things. And they live in a “bling’d out mansion” with their uncle Albert. Shudder. Via The Slumbering Lungfish.
