If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?

It’s a good question, and recently got me thinking about perfectionism.

If a project is finished but nobody sees it, does it exist?

Whilst not a revolutionary idea, it’s important to remember this when striving for perfection. It’s easy to get in the habit of putting things off because they’re not quite ready, but really, what’s the danger of someone seeing something “too early”? Sometimes the roughness around the edges is what gives something charm and appeal.

Sharing things with the world is scary. Some people will be negative. But remember, nothing on Earth is without its detractors. Be brave and share what you have. It’s the best way to grow.

I’ll be the first to admin that lucid dreaming can sound a bit hokey, and it took me a while to get used to the idea. It sounds weird, but given some thought it actually makes a lot of sense.

Take sight for example. When you “see” something, your eye receives information from the outside world. It then sends signals to your brain, which interprets these signals into images. When you dream, your brain is just making up these signals for itself, so the whole experience can feel just like waking life.

Lucid dreams often have varying levels of realism. Sometimes things might be hazy and dream like, but you’ll have control over what happens. In others, you’ll be able to imagine things into your dream and everything will feel as real as when you’re awake.

So how do we have a lucid dream?

Remember your dreams

This is important. After all, if you don’t remember your dreams, what’s the point in trrying to influence them? I’ve found the best way to do this is to keep a “dream diary”, where you write down your dreams when you wake up.

By writing them down, you strengthen your ability to remember. The more you do this, the better you get.

Remember you’re asleep

One problem with lucid dreaming is that it’s not always obvious that you’re still asleep. It should seem obvious that you’re dreaming when everything crazy is happening, but it often takes something more subtle to trigger the “awakening”.

There are a few giveaways that you’re dreaming:

1. You can pinch your nose and still breath through it
2. Electronics and machinery act haywire. This could be phones ringing but not responding to being picked up, screens showing a jumbled mess or watches showing completely different times when you look at them twice. Light switches often have unexpected results, and cars may drive much slower than expected.

A good way of knowing you’re lucid is performing a “reality check” by checking if any of the above occur. Ive found the most effective check is pinching my nose, and it only takes a few seconds to try (although you might get a few funny looks).

Sometimes you’ll have a “false awakening”, where you’ll think you’ve woken up but you’re actually still dreaming. These are a great time for reality checks.

Staying Lucid

The final piece of the puzzle is staying lucid. The first few times, you’ll probably get excited and wake up (or have a false awakening). Don’t get too disheartened. Here are some ways to stay lucid:

• Spin around on the spot.
• Focus on your hands or other part of your body.
• Tell yourself to stay lucid (I’ve had very little success with this methind, but I’m told it works.)

Once you’re lucid and it’s stable, enjoy yourself! Anything is possible in the dream world, so go crazy. Learn to fly, or pass through solid objects. Run faster than cars, or jump over buildings.

I’ve found the best way of having lucid dreams is the WBTB method (Wake, Back to Bed). If I’ve woken up in the early morning (usually between 4am and 5am) it’s much easier to go lucid than when going straight to bed. You can always set an alarm clock, although this might not go down so well with your sleep neighbours

If you can get over the weird factor, lucid dreaming is definitely something worth experimenting with.

Recently I found myself in a bit of a slump. Nothing seemed to be going right, and I felt flat and uninspired. I’d have plenty of ideas, but would end up spending time surfing the net or playing games, rather than doing something about them.

The cure turned out to be something rather simple. Create more.

When we create something new, we open up so many more opportunities than when we consume.

Creating something connects us. It opens up new avenues and feedback. Even if you create something that turns out to be a complete dud, you’re guaranteed to learn something from the experience.

Sometimes it can be difficult to get started. It’s so much easier to just browse another website under the excuse of “learning”, but you can learn so much more by creating something instead.

This isn’t to say that there isn’t a place for these things. Athletes can benefit from watching videos to improve their form. However, they will gain much more from a training session.

If you’re feeling in a slump, try creating something. It doesn’t have to be a masterpiece, but do it anyway. Make something, put it out in the world and learn from it.

Always be creating.

Time Tracker

I’ve written about how useful tracking your time can be, and this is just a simple sheet to make the job easier. Although there are a lot of great computerised systems out there, printed sheets are still useful, especially for non-computer tasks. Download: TimeTracking.doc (55KB) TimeTracking.odt (12KB) TimeTracking.pdf (89KB)

Project Sprint Sheet

This one is a little different, as it was created for software projects. However, I’ve found that some software methodologies (such as agile ones) are just as useful in non-software situations. For me, a project sprint is really just a set of tasks to finish in a set timeframe. I usually stick to one or two week periods, as these are easier to manage. A project will consist of lots of sprints before it’s completed, with each sprint creating something concrete and deliverable. KEY: BID — ID of the task (not required) EST — Estimated Time ACT — Actual Time CMP — Completed (just a tick goes here) There’s space on the back for a post-mortem, which is useful for improving the system and working out the kinks. Download ProjectSprint.doc (62KB) ProjectSprint.odt (13KB) ProjectSprint.pdf (56KB)

Mind Mapping (also known as "brainstorming") is a creative way of putting thoughts and ideas onto paper in a semi-organised manner. There are a multitude of uses for this technique, from generating ideas to organising notes and articles. It’s a great place to start if you want to create a lot of ideas, or if you want to explore different ways of doing things.

When Do You Use It?

The great thing about mind mapping is that it’s so free. There’s no right or wrong way to use it. For some people, it’s useful when trying to come up with a list of ideas, but for others it’s a good way of organising and idea they’ve already got and clarifying the various pieces.

As a general rule, if your task involves ideas of any kind, creating a mind map is a good place to start.

How Do You Do It?

If you can draw on it, you can pretty much mind map on it. I prefer to use paper as it is more flexible (you can doodle or use colours to add extra context easily), but there are some good software solutions out there too.

The PAPER method

The best way to get started is to take a piece of plain paper. Draw a bubble with your topic in it in the center, and then add anything that comes to mind in bubbles surrounding the main one. Add more related items as you go along, and add lines to them to signify relationships.

There’s no real "end" to this process, so go as long as you need to. I find it helps to rewrite the diagram later in the day when my subconscious has had time to stew on things, but it’s purely optional.

REMEMBER: Mind maps are as individual as the people that write them, so if you feel drawing emoticons next to something would add meaning, go for it. If you feel something is in the wrong place, it doesn’t really matter. Either draw some extra lines or scribble it out and move it somewhere else. The whole process is very organic, so just go where it takes you.

The DIGITAL method

There are plenty of great mind mapping applications out there, but here’s a few to look at:

• Freemind — It’s free, cross-platform and easy to use, and you can produce good looking mindmaps easily. It’s also quite keyboard friendly, so you can get ideas onto the screen quickly without having to fiddle with the mouse.
• XMind — A little more heavyweight than Freemind, but still good.
• LucidChart — An online charting app that supports mindmaps and multiple users at the same time, so good for teams.

There’s a much larger list on the wikipedia page “List of mind mapping software”.

What Are The Benefits?

In some ways, mind mapping is like a form of exercise for your creativity. It allows you to explore new ideas quickly and easily, and is good for overcoming mental blocks or finding alternative solutions to problems. More importantly, because there’s no set structure you don’t lose any creative juice trying to stick to a methodology or set of rules. Just grab a pen and paper and go for it!

So why do we waste so much of our time worrying about doing what we’re best at? Not only that, but we seem to go out of our way to do anything but what we should be doing. Whether it’s web surfing, TV watching or just shuffling papers, we’ve all done it.

Here’s five quick and easy things you can do to beat your procrastination. They may not be enough to cure it entirely, but they’ll help you get over the initial hump.

Create a work friendly environment

Remove distractions from where you’ll be working before you start. Turn the TV and radio off, close your internet browser and your IM clients. Get everything you’ll need for the task ahead, and lay it out in front of you. Make sure there’s plenty of light, and that you’re comfortable. Nothing makes work harder than an uncomfortable chair or a messy desk.

Make a short list

Making a big list of what needs doing is helpful at times, but when you’re battling with procrastination it can end up being de-motivating instead. Take an index card or small piece of paper, and list THREE things that you can accomplish in the day that will make a difference. It’s tempting to pick something big, but it’s important to start small. Even if it’s just "tidy desk" or "send email to X about project Y", it’s something you can work on.

Completing tasks is the best way of busting down the walls put up by procrastination, so think of them as a warm up before a work out. Once you feel more energetic and confident, move on to bigger jobs.

Start a timer

When I sit down to work on a task, I start a 30 minute timer. Then I start working. It doesn’t matter if the quality of writing is good or bad, as long as I do something. By having the timer in front of me, I’m reminded to focus on the job at hand. Once the timer is up, I’m done.

It’s often the case that I want to keep working even when the timer has finished, so it’s great for making progress on tasks I’ve been putting off.

Monitor your time

I’ve written about keeping a time log in the past, and they’re a good way to help you focus. When you know what you do is going to be written down, it’s a little encouragement to do something worthwhile.

RescueTime is a handy tool for Windows that automatically logs what you’re doing on the computer and lets you view statistics. After a week of use, you’ll be able to see what your biggest distractions are. Be warned, it can be a little sobering to find out just how much time is wasted during the day.

Reward yourself

All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. When you force yourself to work, you can reinforce the idea that work it’s bad. Make sure you reward yourself, whether it’s a movie, a meal or reading a book in the sunshine. Smile when you’re working, to remind yourself that once you’re finished you can do something enjoyable. Don’t think of the task as a barrier keeping you from what you want, but as a journey to take to your reward.

Here’s a few strategies for preventing this from happening.

1) Wake up earlier than you need to

If you travel any distance to work, it’s important to wake up earlier than you need to. A stressful drive to the office, or missing your bus by a few seconds can really ruin your day. Leave plenty of time for getting ready and eating. As a rule of thumb, if you don’t have time to eat a proper breakfast before working, you’re not leaving enough time.

2) Review your goals and task lists

The more in control of your life you feel, the happier you are. Keeping a close eye on your goals and tasks keeps everything fresh in your mind, and you’re much less likely to forget about them. Not only that, but it allows you to review things and to quickly spot troubles. And it puts you in a positive frame of mind.

3) Read your affirmations

Before I tried using affirmations, I thought they were a waste of time. However, having experimented with them I’ve found them to be an invaluable tool for improving my mood. Stick to two or three simple ones, such as “I have abundant energy” or “I make effective use of my time”.

Think of affirmations as a kind of mental scaffolding. They’re useful for keeping you internally positive and uplifted until you can change your external situation.

4) Read something uplifting

Rent autobiographies of people you admire from the library. When you come across a good article on the Internet, print it off and read it later. Not only will this help reduce the amount of time surfing the net, but it creates your own personal library that you can refer to time and again.

Keep a highlighter handy when you’re reading them, so you can mark any important points. Review these later and make your own set notes.

5) Listen to something uplifting

If reading isn’t your thing, rent some audiobooks or listen to podcasts. There’s a wealth of personal development podcasts out there, and the advantage is that you can do something else whilst listening to them. Such as exercise…

6) Do some exercise

Twenty to thirty minutes of simple exercises in the morning gets your blood flowing and improves your mood. It doesn’t have to be too strenuous, and some light skipping or a gently jog around your area is just as effective.

Remember what you’ve achieved

So you’ve been up for just over and hour, and you’ve already managed to review your goals, read your affirmations and done some exercise. Sounds much better than stuffing down a slice of toast and running for the train…

Even if you feel like you’ll never get anything completed, there are a few simple things you can do to get yourself started.

1. Know what needs to be done

You can’t really start managing your time until you know exactly what you need to be getting done. Setting goals is a great way of deciding where you want to go, but you still need to break it down into smaller chunks that you can actually do.

If you’ve set yourself a goal, grab some paper, write your goal in the middle and then list all of the tasks you’ll need to do before it’s completed. You don’t have to think of everything, but it will give you a much firmer plan to work with. Once you’ve listed your ideas, write them down in the order you want to complete them. Some might be more urgent than others, or might yield the greatest return. For example, doing a bit of research at the start might reveal some sticking points that you can avoid (and save time).

Finally, estimate how long you think each task will take. It’s always best to over-estimate these, as there are usually unexpected complications. I find it helpful to write down how long things actually took once they’re done so I can estimate better in the future.

2. Monitor your time

I’ve written about using time logs before, and they’re a really easy way of getting a grip on where your time goes. If you use a computer a lot, you’ve probably had days where you’ve been "just checking" your email but ended up wasting lots of time. Once you see just how much time you’ve spent on surfing the web, it can be quite sobering.

All you need to do to get started is grab a sheet of paper and note down when you start each task and when you finish it. Remember, you’re not just noting down work tasks but everything. Getting up to make tea/coffee, answering the phone and "checking emails" all count. It might sound trivial, but it’s these trivial tasks that can take up your time.

After a week or two, you’ll have a firm idea of what’s taking up your time and you can start doing something about it. Sometimes just the act of keeping a time log will make you more effective, as it makes you resist the urge to procrastinate as you know it’ll be noted down!

3. You can’t do everything

Nobody dies with an empty to-do list. There will always, always be some things you won’t be able to do. Whether it’s a simple project or going into space, it’s a fact that you will have to sacrifice some things in order to do others.

It can be difficult to turn projects down, so to ease yourself into it keep a separate list of projects on the back burner. Once the initial excitement has worn off, the project might not seem like such a good idea after all.

Another way of giving yourself some extra time is delegating your work to someone else. You can either give it to a friend or relative, or hire someone from an outside agency to help. This isn’t just a strategy for big jobs either. Even something simple like mowing the lawn can be outsourced. There are always people looking for a little extra cash, so keep an eye out for them and reward them for their work.

Good time management doesn’t happen overnight

Creating the habits of good time management takes time and effort. No amount of tips and tweaks can suddenly make you super-efficient (I wish they could!), but if you take things one step at a time you can build upon your successes. Over time you’ll become more experienced at recognising time sappers, and you’ll have developed the strategies for dealing with them.

1. The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People

Steven Covey’s book was the first real self improvement book I ever read. It’s fair to say that it was one of the most important things I ever did, as every page is packed full of information. The seven habits aren’t particularly complex, and are more useful when treated as foundations to greater habits.

It takes time and effort to truly internalise them, but it’s worth the effort once you start feeling the difference. You’ll learn how to become more efficient in your work, how to improve your relationships with other people and how to maintain your habits once learnt.

2. The Power of Focus

Focus is a vital ingredient for any kind of productive work, as without it you can end up moving from project to project without ever completing anything. This book is a little heavy on the emotional side of things, and there are a few too many stories in it, but the core lessons are extremely useful.

There’s everything in here from creating a balanced life, to learning how to ask for things (which has always been a barrier for me). Even if you find it a little sappy, it’s worth reading just for the "pick me up" effect it has.

» My review at sodaware.net.

3. Getting Things Done

The GTD method of time management has become quite popular, and once you’ve tried the system it’s easy to see why. It’s very easy to get started with, and you don’t need lots of tools or software to do anything. A few sheets of paper and some folders are all you really need to start becoming more productive.

The core idea of the system is to stop your brain from having to remember everything you need to do. Once you have your ideas and tasks on paper, you can use your brain power to actually work on things instead of remembering them (or forgetting them if you’re anything like me )

» My review at sodaware.net.

4. The NOW Habit

This is another great book for managing your time, but it also takes recreation into account. Knowing that you have to sit at your desk for 12+ hours to finish a project can make you less productive, so scheduling in some fun time gives you something to look forward to and can make you more efficient.

I’ve used a lot of this book to create my own effective schedules, and knowing that I’ll be able to take a break does work. When you work for yourself you can fall into two traps: working too much and not taking time to relax, or relaxing too much and not actually working. Creating a schedule can help with both problems, so it’s definitely worth finding out how to make them.

5. The 100 Absolutely Unbreakable Laws of Business Success

It might have a particularly long title, but this book is packed with useful tips for becoming more successful. The laws are split into different categories, including business laws and personal laws, and each law also has tips at the end for applying it to your own life.

There’s a little repetition as you get further in, but you’re bound to find something you can use to become more successful.

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There are more recommendations in the personal development books section of the site, so take a look if you’re after some reading material.

I’d love to hear about books that have made a difference to you, so please feel free to leave them in the comments section!

Free Templates

There are three new templates in total. They’re very simple, but they were designed that way so it wouldn’t matter if I spilt tea on them or made a mistake. The first template is a blog scheduler, the second is a to-do list and the third is a daily planner.

Blog Schedule

This is the template I use on all of my blogs to try and keep some form of order in the chaos. It’s setup to use four steps for creating each post, which I outlined in “How a blog article is born“. BlogSchedule.doc (109KB) BlogSchedule.odt (12KB) BlogSchedule.pdf (40KB)

To-Do List

I usually have a dozen or so projects going off at any time, so I created this little to-do list to be used with any project. It’s meant to be as generic as possible, so it can be used for just about anything. ToDo-List.doc (56KB) ToDo-List.odt (11KB) ToDo-List.pdf (27KB)

Daily Planner

This little template breaks the day into half-hour chunks that can be used to schedule your day. See “How to create an effective schedule” for a complete guide on creating a schedule that works. DailyPlanner.xls (25KB) DailyPlanner.ods (10KB) DailyPlanner.pdf (14KB)

These templates are released under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 2.5 Licence, which means you’re welcome to share and modify them as long as you keep the original link and don’t use them for commercial purposes.