Darren R Hill

How to control your RSS reader in 10 minutes

Darren — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 13:09:42 +0000

‘Time is an illusion, lunchtime, doubly so’ Douglas Adams

And time is our most vital resource. I recently realised that I was wasting too much time on keeping up with various RSS feeds. The ability to have the latest posts from my favourite sites arrive in one place is great, the downside is that it can take ages to wade through everything that arrives. I needed to sort things out and make sure I got the information, without the wasted time. So I set about finding a solution. I’m now handling my RSS feed once a day and taking only 10 minutes to do it. These are the simple rules I followed.

Set a time – you could sit with the your reader open on your desktop or smartphone constantly being updated. You’ll never miss a thing and you’ll know exactly what is going on. You’ll also get nothing else done. I now set aside 10 minutes a day to go through my reader. At any other point in the day, my browser will only be open for more productive activities like farmville Nozbe.

Scan headlines -I use google reader and the ‘n’ button has become my friend. This takes me from one post to the next. Some of the feeds I follow have a lot of posts, well over a hundred a day, so to be able to skip to the next post at the touch of a button is wonderful. Once I got into the habit of doing this I found I often hit the n before I realised that the headline was worth following up. Thankfully google had already thought of that and added a previous keyboard shortcut. And they have some more shortcuts that come in quite handy here.

Divide your feeds – google allows you to divide your feeds into folders, more than one folder in fact. This enables me to separate work related fields, news and friends’ personal blog feeds and so on. Now, depending on my context, I only need to scan through the relevant folders.

Do not fear ‘Mark all as read’ – I used to live in fear that I would miss a really important post on the net. I had to see everything as soon as it was published. But when I realised that some of the stuff I was retweeting was being retweeted by others and even reblogged by others, I began to lose, or take control of that fear. Now, if I don’t have the time to go through my feeds I will happily click the ‘mark all as read’ button. If there is anything important that I miss it will appear again in another stream or I’ll pick it up via twitter, it may even appear in the same stream at a later date.

Read later – Depending on time I can either quickly read the article there and then, or more likely save it for my specific ‘reading time’. This can be done by simply starring the article and leaving it there. However, I prefer to keep my feed reader as clear as possible, so I open the article, which checks that it actually exists, and then, add it to Instapaper. There is a handy little bookmarklet to drag to your toolbar to do this. The article is then stored for a time when it can be read… or deleted as irrelevant.

By scanning my separate RSS folders, I am able to go through the list in about 10 minutes, saving any articles I wish to read. If I don’t manage to get through the list in the time allocated, I hit the ‘mark as read’ button and close the browser window, safe in the knowledge that what is important will resurface again.

Now what can I do with all that spare time?

How to control your RSS reader in 10 minutes is a post from: Darren R Hill

Ten minus one

Darren — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 19:13:51 +0000

It’s that time each month when I give a quick review to things I want to achieve in 2010. But hey, what’s this, I’m actually early. Okay, one day isn’t exactly breaking the speed of light but I have a few moments this evening so thought I’d get on and do a to do before the day it’s due.

This new found promptness may have something to do with the fact that having refocused this last month I have been doing quite well. I’ll continue this refocused idea next month as well. As part of the review I’m going to use a simple traffic light colour code to help make things clearer for me. We use a similar approach to the projects we’re involved in at work.

Spend 10 minutes meditating on my mission statement – this gets a good green light. I’ve been quite successful at focusing myself each day. Taking 10 minutes to align what I do with who I am is having a positive outcome.
Record 10 pieces of music for distribution -this is moving… slowly. I’m not taking the time to really get on with this, but I have been tinkering.
Lose 10lbs in weight – Well I have lost about 3lb, but it isn’t through any real effort, so I’m keeping this as a red at the moment. I am eating less but i need to be more choosy in what I eat and get going on the exercise below.
Write 10 posts – total fail here. Although writing this post ahead of schedule may be the turning point. The goal is to write at least 10 posts across all the blogs I have.
Create 10 images - I was going to suggest this was still a red but then I realised I wasn’t slacking quite so much. I have got one image going in my Moleskine and I have complete two image headers for blogs. The timing for this goal is 10 images each month.
Identify 10 people for an influential network – once again I have begun identifying people and
Have 10 minutes exercise per day – need to work on this. Move on.
Increase web traffic by 10% – this is tied to the posting goal above, however I have been working behind the scenes. One thing you should see is new header image at the top of this blog.
Scan RSS reader for 10 minutes per day – got going on this by cutting my time spent going through my RSS feeds. There is a little more work I want to do in organising my feeds on the reader, but this should be a green next time we speak.
Practice twitter in 10 minutes - I have cut down my twitter browsing time but not sure if I am really doing justice to the twitter in 10 concept. I’ll really go for it with hootsuite this month though.

In summary the refocus has helped. I am further toward my goals than last month, and I’ll be even closer next.

Ten minus one is a post from: Darren R Hill

Ten plus three

Darren — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 19:08:31 +0000

Yet again I have missed the deadline for my review of things I want to achieve in 2010. I’ll use the standard excuse that things have been fairly busy but I’ll also throw in that I have been doing a bit of re-evaluating. The concept of linking everything to the number 10 and multiples of 10 is a great idea to be reminded of what I want to do. However, once reminded I have then stuttered.

Of course one reason I maybe struggling is that the goals aren’t, or haven’t been, particularly SMART. This may have something to do with all the various options for what the mnemonic actually means. However, as I have gone through things I have decided to make everything a little SMARTER.

I have looked at what I wanted to achieve back here, and tried to develop some direct things that I can do and put into practice. I’ve also dropped, the projects list I had. It is still in the archive somewhere but it’ll soon disappear from the navbar. The projects and ideas I had there though, have been transferred to the list below. So, next month, I’ll be reviewing how the following has gone.

Spend 10 minutes meditating on my mission statement
Record 10 pieces of music for distribution
Lose 10lbs in weight
Write 10 posts
Create 10 images
Identify 10 people for an influential network
Have 10 minutes exercise per day
Increase web traffic by 10%
Scan RSS reader for 10 minutes per day
Practice twitter in 10 minutes

Now there are 10 things for me to get on with for the next month. Some of the things are daily, others are weekly and still others are longer term. Some will have sub-lists of things to do and others are pretty self evident.

This list is not exclusive. There are many other things I am and will continue to do, but these things highlight areas I want to explore and develop. I’ll explain more details as I continue, such as traffic stats and what sites am I actually talking about. But this list is primarily for me, to hold myself accountable for the rest of the year.

Ten plus three is a post from: Darren R Hill

Simplicity Redux

Darren — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 10:37:20 +0000

I want to do a lot of things

I am not getting any (or many) of them done

I am getting distracted by far too much!

It is a simple fact of my life that I need to simplify in order to achieve my goals. I have taken a step back and begun to look at all the stuff around me that is causing distraction. I have divided things into digital and physical for ease and the first area to come under the spotlight is digital.

There is so much stuff that is cluttering up my digital productivity. This includes hardware, software and websites. Being an early adopter in most areas and in particular software and websites, I quickly clutter up the gigabytes, locally and in the cloud. Time to change.

So a plan of action:

Remove all plugins from Firefox
Add any plugins I may actually use
Decide what software I actually use, discard the rest
- I have far too much that I think I may use, or that is used as one part of a process and could be skipped
Decide what websites are worth using and set up any auto posting that is needed
- Web 2.0 is fun, but I only regularly use a few
- Use ping to cross post
- Delete accounts from any sites I don’t use
Organise my feed reader
- Choose a time to access this and only access at that time – good posts will wait there
Organise and strip down my bookmarks
- Far too many here that I never use, and they just clutter and drain mental energy

There will probably be a lot more I need to do. The hardware issue is tied into what software and websites I use so I need to sort those out first, and looking at the list above that may take some time. But item one is already done, and guess what, firefox is once again a quick and pleasant browser.

Simplicity Redux is a post from: Darren R Hill

Software creators must create demand to sell

Darren — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 22:04:02 +0000

I have downloaded and I am having fun with Persoanl Brain from the Brain.

It looks like the sort of software that I would use, and if so, I would buy. However, they offer a free trial download. And so I have snapped this up and I am playing and using the free trial that I now have sitting on my laptop.

But, and here is the big thing. They offer a free download of the full, pro version. This is great as it gives me full functionality. However, I am not sure what will drop out of my version when the trial ends and I revert to the ‘free’ version.

I am wondering whether it would have been better to have given me the basic free version. Then when I tried to do something that I wanted to do, and it told me I couldn’t unless I upgraded, I would have realised that I needed the upgrade. As it is I am waiting for the end of the 30 days to see what functionality I want is revoked.

During this time I’m not making Personal Brain an essential part of my productivity, they may lose a customer… we’ll see.

You need to make me want you, to desire you, sell yourself to me – that is marketing!

Software creators must create demand to sell is a post from: Darren R Hill

Back to the future – theme change

Darren — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 08:16:45 +0000

I have decided to change the theme on here… yet again.

I recently upgraded to WordPress 3.0 and the bundled set theme was so nice and clean that I have decided to go along with it, play around with it and see where it takes me.

I don’t know if I’ll keep it long term but for the moment it will help me focus on the content of this place. Following on from my ‘not to do’ list I have decided not to waste time trying to build my own theme. That project is on hold for a little while.

So, here you have it. I am now using the Twenty Ten theme and the first thing I need to do is create a new header to make things a little more personal.

Back to the future – theme change is a post from: Darren R Hill

Why not try a not to do list

Darren — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 18:38:05 +0000

One thing I’ve noticed as I naval gaze and try to be a better person is that I focus on doing things. I’ll list out one thing after the other that I feel will eventually make me an all round better chap.

While this is a pretty good strategy and a good way forward, it is only half the story. The reason for this is that there are plenty of things in my life that if I stopped doing them I would also be a better person.

So with this in mind I’m sitting down and writing a not to do list. I’ve realised that I need to spend a bit of time stopping some things. I’m not talking about anything major but they are just as important as some of the things I’d like to do. A lot of them are linked to eating things and other pastimes that waste far too much time.

I’m not sure if it age finally catching up with me but I am realising that how I use my time is becoming more important. I have noticed that far too much of my time is wasted simply doing nothing. I then moan and complain that I don’t seem to get anything done.

So, I’m off to compile my list… and not a moment too soon.

Is there anyone else who has a ‘not to do’ list?

Why not try a not to do list is a post from: Darren R Hill

Accountability for introverts

Darren — Sat, 12 Jun 2010 21:45:48 +0000

In the Richard Bachman (Stephen King) novel The Regulators, there is a wonderful description of why protestants couldn’t get on with the concept of confession*. I must admit I feel a little similar when it comes to accountability.

I’ve done Myers Briggs several times and consistently come out as an introvert. If there is a party, I’ll be the one standing on my own. If there is a reception of some sort I’ll be the one wandering around nibbling the hors d’oeuvres instead of engaging in conversation.

However, give me a big enough platform I will perform with the best of the rest. A small group of six or seven and I am lost; standing in front of a crowd that could number thousands and I know exactly where I am. And that brings me to accountability.

I would be no good, well at least not currently, dealing with a spiritual director or a one on one life coach. I’d find myself going silent, giving monosyllabic answers and regretting every moment, wasting everyone’s time.

The web, and this site in particular, give me accountability. By living a life that is refelcted online I am able to share what I get up to. Many times I’ve thought whether I should write something or not, but more often that not I have proceeded because it is me. It isn’t always the right thing to do, but it is a real reflection of who I am.

For an introvert the Internet allows me to be accountable to others. Anyone who comes along and reads can see what I want to do, where I succeed and where I fail. And if they really want to help, the comment section is always open

Life isn’t perfect, and I am certainly not. This blog isn’t my confession, but it is an offering of who and what I am. And I hope and pray that the offering improves as I journey on.

*I’m pretty sure this is the book, but I could be wrong, I don’t have a copy to hand. I left mine at The Dark Tower. And because of the PG nature of this blog, I won’t repeat the description here.

Accountability for introverts is a post from: Darren R Hill

Point 5 of 10 in 2010

Darren — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 19:54:50 +0000

I have now reached the six month point into my goals and dreams based around the number 10 in 2010. However, I can’t say that I am halfway to reaching everything that was planned. Part of the reason for that is because I still had gaps in what I wanted to achieve when I started; the final destination hadn’t been decided upon.

So, as I reach the halfway mark, albeit a little late, it is time to sit back and evaluate where I am. I have edited my 10 projects, added another couple and wondering whether anything else should be added. The next thing to do is to make those projects into concrete goals with some measurable results.

As for the other things on the 10 in 2010 list I am doing okay… ish. I still haven’t made a move on the 100 things challenge and I am only just starting to build a network of people.

The other element in all this is that I had originally planned to keep this blog separate from the ‘day job’. The problem is that the ‘day job’ is so integrated with my life and mission statement, that it is proving impossible to do that. My previous social media post is an example of this. So more and more of the content here, and in my 2010 progress, will include the working hours.

Of course there are little things that come along and mess up the most detailed of plans. One of those is that I now need to replace the bath… it has broken, fallen apart. It was one of those projects I was hoping to avoid by moving home before the bathroom needed renovating. Now, that isn’t an option.

Point 5 of 10 in 2010 is a post from: Darren R Hill

Spring break

Darren — Fri, 28 May 2010 22:46:48 +0000

It’s that time of year again when I get to take a day or two off. This year I’m determined to get on with a few things. That could mean either one or two things. This blog may well go crazy with post after post about deep and meaningful insights. Or, I may go dark, like Jack Bauer in any series of 24 that you want to think of.

I have one or two things I want to do. Primarily getting the ‘music’ back on track. However, I have a feeling that DIY and various other home duties may take a lead.

But why music, what is the appeal of being creative in this way? I’m not sure, but when I am tinkering with music, it is one of the few times when I feel totally alive. It could be the realisation of some existential longing within. A longing that is sadly rarely met in my spiritual journey.

That just for one or two moments I am able to connect with the creator, through the act of creativity.

For that moment, I’ll take as much DIY as is required.

Spring break is a post from: Darren R Hill