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How To Set Smart Daily Goals

You're busy. I'm busy. Everyone is busy. Yet, despite all

this bustle, we often don't feel particularly productive

from day to day. Whole weeks can flash by in a blur of

relatively meaningless emails, meetings, and admin

tasks while the "big stuff" goes untended. As the 19th-

century thinker Henry David Thoreau wrote, "It is not

enough to be busy. So are the ants. The question is:

What are we busy about?"If we want to take back control of our workday schedules and

priorities, the only way to do it is by relentlessly questioning how we're

spending our time. But what questions should we ask?

I reached out to a handful of regular 99% contributors and 99%

Conference speakers to get their insights on daily energy and task

management. Here's what they said:

From Leo Babauta of Zen Habits:

What are you doing in this moment?

The simple act of becoming more aware of where your attention is

helps you to focus it where you want it to be - on creating something

great. Too often we get distracted or get caught in unimportant tasks -

coming back to the moment often will help.

From Tony Schwartz of the Energy Project:

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Are you scheduling time daily to focus without interruption?

Set aside at least one time period during the day - no more than 90

minutes at a time (and as close to that as possible) - to focus without

interruption. Time, in other words, to do something important but noturgent - to write something, reflect, strategize, imagine, work on a

longer term project.

The key here is control of attention. Were so distracted, and were

feeding that instinct every time we move between tasks. We need to

(re)train our attention. Focused attention can serve tasks - thats the

left hemisphere at work, doing rational, deductive, logical, step-by-step thinking.

The other kind of attention, which serves creativity, is where the right

hemisphere is dominant. That requires deeply quieting the mind. It

was Betty Edwards (Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain) who

discovered that one powerful way to prompt a powerful shift from left

to right hemisphere is to copy an upside down line drawing. Or simplyto draw, for that matter.

But there are lots of ways to prompt the shift: take a walk in nature, go

for a run, listen to classical music... Even take a shower. Its repetition

that matters. The more we train any muscle - including the right

hemisphere - the stronger and more active it becomes.

From Mark McGuinness of Lateral Action:

What's the ONE BIG THING you want to accomplish today?

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The big danger for hyperconnected creative professionals is that

incoming demands and digital distractions get in the way of real

productivity - i.e. making inroads on your big, scary, difficult, and

(ultimately) rewarding creative challenges.

If you do ONE BIG THING today - one draft design, one chapter, one

photoshoot, one intensive rehearsal - it feels like a productive day.

(Two or more is for superheroes.) But if you don't nail that one thing,

it doesn't matter how many little jobs you get done, you know in your

heart it was a wasted day.

Asking yourself this question first thing helps you focus and prioritize.

After that, the only things that can get in your way are emergencies

and excuses.

From Chris Guillebeau of The Art of Non-Conformity:

Why do you do this every single day?It's very hard to be productive in the long-term when trying to do

things for which you aren't motivated. You might have to "suck it up"

once in a while to complete a certain task, but for the "big rocks" it's

much easier to construct your work around things you're excited

about.

From Scott Belsky of Behance:

Is what I'm about to do (or say) moving the ball forward?

Oftentimes, in creative projects, we act out of impulse rather than

reason. Shiny objects and other fleeting fascinations have a tendency

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to drain our resources. Before you allocate time to any task, question

your intended outcome. The same goes for your contributions in

meetings. When you speak, are you "content-making" or simply

"commentating"? Be intentional. Everything you do or say shouldmove the ball forward toward your goal. If it doesn't, it is liable to

waste precious energy and get you off track.

From Cal Newport of Study Hacks:

What is your training regime for increasing your ability to

focus hard on something without distraction?This "hard focus" is at the core of completing outstanding work in a

compact amount of time - be it a book or problem set. Hard focus,

however, is also a muscle that requires training to develop. (When

helping students with this ability, for example, I have them start with

20-minute blocks of undistracted work, and then add 10 minutes

every two weeks.)

To ignore this muscle, and continue to work with your email open and

Facebook refreshing, thinking up excuse after excuse why this

connection is "crucial" for your job, makes you like the wannabe

athlete who refuses to hit the weight room. You're not a contender.

The Top 3 Daily Time-Wasters & How To Tame Them

If you removed Email, Social Media, and Meetings

from your life, how much time would you have for the

rest of your work? Are you envisioning an expansive

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vista of focused, productive time opening up before

you? Or are you already feeling the painful twinges of

information withdrawal? If youre anything like the

typical creative professional, its probably a bit of

both.

All three of the above elements are work essentials on one hand, and

potential productivity destroyers on the other. Which means we must

walk the fine line between participating with efficiency and impact,

and getting sucked into endless discussions.

To help you streamline these three core daily tasks, weve collected a

handful of our favorite insights and tips:

1. EMAIL

Dont check your email first-thing in the morning.

Productivity coach and blogger Sid Savara has some great advice on

this one: If youre blindly checking email first thing in the morning,

the real problem isnt that youre wasting time checking email the

real problem is that you dont see checking email as a low priority

activity, because you havent decided what the high priority activities

are. When you dont have a clear list of priorities, checking email

becomes an urgent activity that you do at the expense of your

important ones.

[Read full article]

Do your best to write concise, actionable emails. This may

seem obvious, but as much as we struggle with email, many of us dont

practice the Golden Rule when it comes to writing them. The more

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poorly written and unclear your email is, the more likely it is to spawn

a long chain of replies and counter-replies that demand clarity. As Ben

Brook sputs it: Tell me what I need to know and what you need from

me. Thats it.[Read full article]

Try Priority Inbox if youre a Gmail user.According toFast

Company, Compared to Google employees without Priority Inbox, PI

users spent 6% less time reading email, and 13% less time reading

unimportant stuff in their inboxes. PI users were also more confident

to bulk archive emails, or delete nonsense. Ive been using PI for quitea few months now, and have to admit it really does separate the wheat

from the chaff.

[Read full article]

More 99% tips on email strategy.

2. SOCIAL MEDIA

Treat social media like your digital embassy. In a great Zen

Habits article, Tyler Tervooren advises: Focus on the essential.

Cultivate your ties in social networks where it makes sense and is

beneficial, but dont let them become second homes. Having many

homes adds clutter to your digital world just as it does in your physicalworld. Remember: Its Facebooks job to serve you, not the other way

around.

[Read full article]

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Spend your energy on communicating with the people that

matter. All social media interactions are not necessarily created

equal. Just like we prioritize items on our to-do lists, we can (and

should!) prioritize who we communicate with, and spend our timeaccordingly. Consider analyzing who you spend most of your time

messaging with: Is it the friends, family, and colleagues who provide

the most professional value and emotional reward? Or do you give

your time and energy to anyone who demands your attention? Being

open to new interactions is essential, but it must be weighed against

the fact that we have limited time and energy.

[Read full article]

Practice letting go of the stream of social chatter. One of the

nice things about social media is that you can swim into the stream

and swim out. You dont have to be on 24/7. As @tinybuddha

recommends, its okay to take a zen approach to social media: It may

feel unkind to disregard certain updates or tweets, but we need

downtime to be kind to ourselves. Give yourself permission to letyesterdays stream go. This way you wont need to catch up on

updates that have passed but instead can be part of todays

conversation.

[Read full article]

3. MEETINGS

Always, always question the meeting. Before you schedule a

meeting, recognize the enormous cost of pulling yourself and your

team away from their regular workflow. Often, certain issues can be

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resolved more quickly with a quick face-to-face conversation, phone

call, or IM session. However, if a meeting must be had, be sure to ask

yourself exactly who needs to be there. Be ruthless, and imagine that

you are guarding your colleagues time as preciously as you guard yourown.

Dont let your calendar app tell you how long your meeting

should be.Once youve decided a meeting is required, be realistic but

aggressive when you set the timing. As Scott Belsky has written

elsewhere on 99%: Most impromptu meetings that are called to

quickly catch up on a project or discuss problem can happen in 10minutes or less. However, when they are scheduled in formal calendar

programs, they tend to be set in 30- or 60-minute increments. Why?

Because it is the default calendar setting. Ideally, meetings should just

have a start time and end as quickly as they can.

[Read full article]

Take an active role in leading the meeting. Much of the timewasted at meetings can be chalked up to a failure of leadership. If no

one takes control to ensure that something is accomplished, its highly

like that nothing will be accomplished. Since youre setting the

meeting, go ahead and take charge of it: State the objective of the

meeting at the start, take notes if its necessary, keep people from

wandering off-topic, and articulate the next steps at the end. Its a lot

of work, but it will save you from spending more time in meetings inthe long run.

Why We Should Declare War On Friction

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At the 99%, we talk a lot about the big obstacles and

burdens that impede the realization our creative

potential. Most ideas never happen, thanks to the

ever-powerful status quo and our built-in

psychological artillery, which supplies us endless

excuses to cease our efforts. But the day is getting

brighter!

Modern technology and shifting mindsets in many industries are

giving us a new and exciting upper hand. The notion of a free-rangeworkforce has become a reality. The terms "entrepreneur" and

"freelancer" are no longer subpar to a "regular job." The creative

pursuit is more celebrated now than ever before.

The accessibility of DIY (do-it-yourself) business tools paired with a

crappy economy has created fertile ground for risk-taking. We no

longer need the rich resources of large companies to do remarkablethings. Our team has seen thousands of creative professionals (within

the Behance Networkand beyond) embark on their own journeys

either alone or in small teams to build incredible careers and, in

some cases, change industries.

Now, as we embrace our newfound autonomy, we face a different

enemy. With the traditional obstacles aside, we are now up against abarrage of small, daily hindrances that, collectively, pose a great

threat.

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I call this stuff "friction" its the tax filings, paperwork, waiting time,

protocols, forgotten passwords, spam clearing, bureaucratic nonsense,

big egos, and the ever-increasing information overload that we try to

digest every day. It kills us with a thousand tiny paper cuts.

Sure, this stuff has always existed, but when we worked for large

companies, we could rely on other departments to handle it, or simply

"pass the buck." Not anymore. With our newfound freedom and

independence, we must learn to fight friction on our own.

It's time to start thinking about friction as an endemic problem ratherthan a series of one-off annoyances. Friction can't be tolerated. Left

untreated, it will build on itself and ultimately wear us down.

The Pursuit of Frictionless Work

Imagine a world where you glide forward in your pursuits. Yes, you

would still need to generate great ideas, work hard, and take risk, butyou could do so with the wind at your back. Less bureaucracy, lower

start-up costs, and fewer obstacles in the operations of work and life.

So how do we win the war on friction? Here are a few thoughts toward

an effective battle plan.

1. Draft, Don't Be The Rabbit.In most marathons, there are always a few runners that jump to the

front of the race at the start and quickly tire. These folks are known as

the "rabbits," and nobody ever takes them seriously even though they

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appear to be winning the race for a short period of time. The rabbit

runs fast but quickly tires.

A truly great marathon runner or cyclist understands the benefits ofpacing over the course of a race. Rather than lead, they carefully

manage their energy, and even use the other runners in front of them

to block the wind and sustain themselves during the race. This practice

is called "drafting," and it involves running a few feet behind a runner

to minimize the wind resistance and pace the race.

In our creative pursuits, we often reinvent the wheel and assume thatwe must create everything ourselves. By doing so we fall victim to the

rabbit syndrome as we expend our energy quickly and unnecessarily.

When we fail to leverage existing resources like open-source

technology, we get stuck doing redundant stuff.

Instead, we should draft off of competitors and public creations.

Before creating anything, look for another version of it that alreadyexists. Also, consider the benefits of launching second rather than

first. Learn from others mistakes and leverage public opinion instead

of preempting it.

2. Question Anything You Do "Just Because."

All too often, you'll find yourself going through the motions. Perhaps

something ambiguous was proposed, but nobody in the room wants topoint out the flaws. Maybe there is a meandering discussion, and

nobody is jumping in and asking "what's the point?" or "why is this

relevant?" Sometimes there's a process you're supposed to follow even

though it seems redundant or pointless.

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Great creative leaders consider the contrarian view whenever

something is being done "just because that's the way it's always been

done." If you think about it: One interjection could increase yourproductivity by a substantial percentage. You just need the guts to

make the point and advocate for the change.

3. Keep Optimizing.

Don't be satisfied with the way you do everyday things like run

meetings, manage email, or schedule your time. Oftentimes, we fail to

optimize our everyday processes because we assume that we shouldn'tfix something unless it's broken. When something is working, it's hard

to see the simple, little tweaks that we can make to remove the friction

and be even more productive. Consider conducting smallA/Me tests

to find ways to incrementally improve the way you manage your time

on a daily basis.

///

It's time to declare war on friction. More great ideas will see the light

of day when we find ways to reduce the everyday obstacles that suck

our energy dry. After all, it's hard enough to push a bold idea to

completion. In these exciting times, we need to eliminate the friction

that consistently gets in the way. Stay tuned as we explore more ways

to optimize in our day-to-day.

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Stop the Insanity: How To Crush Communication

Overload

Tina Roth Eisenberg of Swiss Miss recently declared

that she had reached a personal communication

crisis: Too many channels. Too many messages. Too

much noise. Too much guilt The world sends me

tweets, direct messages, texts, chats with me on

skype, sends me Facebook emails (!) and actual mail

and also calls me Responding on all these channels

is a full time job, extremely distracting and exhausting.

I feel constantly behind.

Amen, Swiss Miss. I doubt I know a single person who cant relate.

Communication overload is an all-too-familiar sentiment in the 21st

century. We feel anxious, we feel overburdened, and, most of all, we

feel overwhelmed. If we could spend all day just responding to the

incoming messages we receive, when does the REAL WORK get done?

How can we find enough time in the day?

Complaints about information overload date back as far as the

invention of the Gutenberg press (What are we supposed to do with

all these books?!), and were experiencing similar anxiety in the face

of a wave of new devices and social media tools. While it may be

natural to take a poor me! approach to communication overload, its

foolish to pretend our own output doesnt play a huge role in what

comes back to us.

As a recentBoston Globe piece points out, it takes two to tango:

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A new technology does not act alone, after all, but in concert with our

ambitions for it. Overload has long been fueled by our own enthusiasm

the enthusiasm for accumulating and sharing knowledge and

information, and also for experimenting with new forms of organizingand presenting it.

Well interrupt dinner to send a quick email on our phones, check

into Foursquare as we settle in for a beer at the local bar, or tweet a

picture of a memorable experience as its happening. We gorge

ourselves on communication in the now. Then, later we complain

about our overflowing inboxes as if there were no connection.

Its time to take responsibility for our communications. And I dont

mean take responsibility in the sense of taking on another distasteful

chore, I mean take responsibility as a means of declaring your power

over your communications. As Stephen Covey uses it when he says,

"Look at the word responsibility response-ability the ability to

choose your response."

Whenever someone sends us a message, we always have a choice. Do

we respond? And if so, how? Below are a few tips on sorting out the

IFs and the HOWs of responding:

Step 1: Define your rules of engagement. Every message is not

created equal. To separate the wheat from the chaffe, you need tocreate a set of communication rules that relate to your objectives.

How many hours are you willing to spend responding to emails and

social media messages? Who are the colleagues, clients, and contacts

that you need to take care of to move your business forward?

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Anything can be a rule: They can be time-based, situation-based,

contact-based. For instance, one of my time-based rules is that I dont

respond to emails before 12pm when Im focused on writing. Asituation-based rule could be that I will not respond (beyond a simple

request for clarification) to any email that does not have a clearly

articulated, actionable request. A contact-based rule would be that I

respond to my in-office colleagues as a top priority above everyone

else.

The main goal is you have some criteria for swiftly deciding whether ornot to respond to a message; and if you plan to respond, how quickly

must it be?

Every message is not created equal.

Step 2: Organize a system to execute on your rules. Maybe youalready have a good idea of who is important in your communication

hierarchy. Most of us do. But where we often fall down on the job is

doing the organizational grunt work to facilitate the execution of those

rules. What does that mean? It means setting up your Gmail, your

Twitter, your Facebook, your LinkedIn, and so on in such a way that

you have to do as little work as possible to get to the good or

valuable messages.

There are many, many ways to do this it just depends on what works

for you. For email, I use Gmails priority inbox because its a no-

brainer to setup and it smartly bubbles up more urgent messages

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those from key contacts to the top of my screen, while shunting less

important messages (e.g. subscription-based emails, auto-

notifications, etc) below the fold. In this great HBR post, Alexandra

Samuel describes how to configure your Twitter account for maximumefficiency and value. Or maybe you want to consolidate all of your

social media updates into a single digest email with NutshellMail?

Lifehacker can tell you how.

Where we often fall down on the job is doingthe organizational grunt work.

Step 3: Share your rules and set expectations.With new

communication channels coming online every day, theres no great

baseline for communication etiquette right now. And worse: Theres

not going to be any time soon. Given this situation, our greatest

weapon is setting expectations. One of the best ways to do this is by re-

thinking how (and where) you share your contact information.

Lets take Study Hacks author Cal Newport as an example. Heres his

About page. First, rather than just give a contact email, Cal clarifies

how he communicates (e.g. very judiciously). Second, he parses out

the different channels for inquiries (one for advice, one for

opportunities, and one for advertising); behind the scenes, he no

doubt has different priorities for how he checks these email accounts.

Thirdly, he includes a wishlist for the types of opportunities hes

interested in.

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Our greatest weapon is setting expectations.

So, when I emailed Cal to ask if he wanted to contribute to 99%, myexpectations were set. He didnt have anything on his opportunities

list about wanting to guest blog, so there wouldnt have been any hard

feelings if Id never heard a peep. Then, when he did respond, I was

thrilled.

Of course, your contact page is not the only opportunity for setting

expectations. In your office, you can set expectations with yourcolleagues by over-sharing on your meeting calendar. Planning to

devote tomorrow morning to 3 hours of deep thinking about the future

of the business? Put it on your calendar. Now everyone knows what

youre doing behind that closed door, and theyll be less likely to

interrupt you.

Step 4: Actively prune your communication channels.Acommunication channel can be anything from an email list

subscription to your Twitter profile to your new Spotify account.

Basically anything that has your contact info and might be sending you

updates. Its great to experiment with new social media platforms as

they come online to see if theyre right for you. At the same time, you

should be constantly pruning your stable of profiles. Never read your

Daily Candy emails anymore? Unsubscribe. Checked in a few times onFoursquare but couldn't stick with it? Delete that profile.

To ensure that the influx of messages is never too great, we have to be

constantly assessing which channels are providing meaningful value in

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our lives and in our work. If theres no value, its just a time and

attention suck that we need to get rid of. Whats more, it doesnt do

your business or your reputation any good to have outdated profiles

floating around in cyberspace!

***

As Seth Godin wrote recently, We dont need more time, we just need

to decide. This is as true for managing our communications as it is for

any other situation. To stop the insanity, we have only to make some

hard decisions decisions about who, when, what, where, and how werespond.

Brainstorming 2.0: Making Ideas That Really Happen

One of the most common questions we hear at 99%

is: How do I get more out of my brainstorming

sessions? While brainstorming sessions have

become perhaps the most iconic act of creativity, we

still struggle with how to give them real utility.

The problem of course is that most brainstorming sessions conclude

prematurely. We all love to dream big and come up with blue sky

ideas. Were less fond of diving into the nitty-gritty details of creativeexecution. As a result, we spend 90% of our time coming up with a

bunch of great ideas, and maybe 10% (if any!) of our time discussing

how to actually make those ideas happen.

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which tasks? Whats the timeline? In Disneys case, this stage would

involve sketching out characters, discussing plot, and ultimately

building out storyboards.

Room Setup:A practical room with a large dry-erase board or wall

facilitates strategic planning. The team should sit in a semi-circle

facing the board as everyone participates in the execution planning

process.

Mentality: This is the step where you role up your sleeves and fill in

the blanks. You may find a gem of an idea from the first step thatneeds to be fleshed out. During this phase, seek to resolve every

uncertainty around timing, logistics, and feasibility. When something

doesn't make sense, question it.

Seek to resolve every uncertainty aroundtiming, logistics, and feasibility.

Step 3 asks WHY are we doing this?And, Is this the right

approach? In this final phase, the critic enters the fray, asking hard

questions. Is the plan really gelling? Are their unwieldy aspects that

need to get cut? Are you meeting the overall project objective?

Room Setup:Analytical thinking is best done in smaller, more

constrained spaces. (The Disney crew used a small room under the

stairs.) The team sits in a single row facing the project plan, which

promotes criticism of the project, but not individual people.

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Mentality: Pose the difficult questions and share the earth-shattering

doubts. In step two, you're likely to get lost in the weeds. The third

step provides the perspective from the balcony as opposed to the

dance floor. In this phase, consider your plan in the context of yourbusiness and your long-term mission.

Pose the difficult questions and share the earth-shattering doubts.

Where traditional brainstorming approaches would probably have us

patting ourselves on the back and adjourning the meeting after Step 1,

Disneys method goes deep: its methodical, its disciplined, and its

time-intensive.

Brainstorming should be creative and subsequentlypractical. The

various rooms prompt us to take the right mentality at the right

time, ultimately giving great ideas the thoughtful consideration they

require to see the light of day.

Why You Should Be Optimizing

If you work in technology or web development, youve

likely heard the term optimization thrown around

quite a bit. Its the process of incrementally improving

a product or service through small iterations. As

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anyone who manages an online business knows,

launching a great site is just the beginning constant

tweaks and upgrades are required to create

something truly extraordinary.But why should we limit the concept of optimization to the world of

technology? I would argue that we should spend just as much time on

optimizing ourselves and our teams. Although the natural tendency is

to stick with what works, true growth comes from constantly

challenging ourselves (and our projects) in little ways every day.

Here are some insights to consider when pursuing optimization:

1. Tinker With What Works

When you make an error, you are likely to persevere and keep trying

until you get it right. But when you get it right when you hit a home

run the human tendency is to rejoice and then move on to the next

challenge. Despite research that encourages us to build on our

strengths, we spend more time fixing whats broken than optimizing

what works. Why? Because any measure of success impairs our ability

to imagine something better.

I call this the horizon of success effect, because its hard to see the

potential that lies beyond something that works. While it seems logical

to risk failure by trying something completely new, its unsettling to

tamper with a known success. The old adage if it aint broke, dont fix

it cripples us when it comes to optimizing what works. Yet, the very

premise of optimization is that we must constantly fix what isn't

broken.

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The old adage if it aint broke, dont fix itcripples us when it comes to optimizing whatworks.

2. Make Incremental Tweaks, Not Drastic Changes

Optimization isn't about making drastic changes. Introducing too

many risk factors into a successful project or system IS dangerous. The

key to optimization is making incremental tweaks in a controlled and

measurable way.

Google is famous for its relentless "A/B testing," a form of

optimization that involves making minor adjustments to their

applications and then testing them, side by side, with their previous

versions. Using the world as their testers, Google will run a "version

A" (the current version) and "version B" (the experiment) - with minor

tweaks - and then compare the results. Version B might have a sign-up

button moved one tenth-of-an-inch to the right, compared to version

A. If version B garners 3% more clicks, then version B becomes the

standard and replaces A. And then the process repeats itself.

By running isolated tests and measuring the outcome, Google is able

to improve their products without the risk of damaging a successful

business. When you decide to tweak what works, introduce one factor

at a time and identify how you will measure the impact before you

start to test.

3. Conduct Some "A/Me" Testing

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We should optimize not only our projects but also ourselves. Just as

you might run A/B tests on your products, services, and marketing

efforts, you can also optimize your own workflow. Doing "A/Me"

testing involves you comparing the way you always work "Me" to aslightly tweaked approach (the "A" in this case). As you encounter

problems like reactionary workflow and check-in addictions, you'll

want to experiment with optimization in your own life.

Perhaps you question the usefulness of checking your email on your

mobile phone as soon as you wake up every morning? Try shifting the

time for one week, instead waiting to check it until you begin yourcommute or arrive at the office. Then, comparing how the week felt

under this new discipline, you can decide whether or not to institute

this change going forward.

Introduce one factor at a time and identify howyou will measure the impact before you start to

test.

Whatever your quest for self-improvement, its important to approach

A/Me testing and all optimization efforts with three best practices

in mind:

1 Seek forms of measurement. The more quantifiable the

outcome, the better. Look no further than the burgeoning

"Quantified Self" movement to see the benefits of data for self-

improvement.

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2 Introduce only one change at a time. Remember that, by

introducing too many changes at once, you will increase risk and

lose the ability to track the impact of a particular change.

Sweeping change is not optimization.3 Don't assume that just because something works it can't

be better.On the contrary, efforts to optimize should be spent

on your strengths. The difference between 95% and 100% is

small tweaks. Find your 95% and bring it home, because this is

the area where you are most likely to change the world.

***

Optimization isn't about drastic change or self-help, and it isn't

spiritual. It's all technique. You can't rest on your laurels. Despite the

quality of your ideas and output, the impact you will make largely

depends on your ability to constantly optimize to build on your

successes and grow them into something greater.

How To Control Your "Check-In" Addiction

Have you ever been caught sleeping with your mobile

device? Perhaps checking your email first-thing in themorning when youre still in bed? Given what we know

about the emotional voids that are fulfilled by our

electronic devices - the search for thrill, the alleviation

of anxiety and panic - our intense attachment makes

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sense. When we wake up we want to be greeted.

When we fall asleep we want to do so knowing that all

is well.The mobile phone has become the securityblanket of the 21st century.Our ubiquitous connection to everything around us (and everyone we

know) presents both a mesmerizing capability and a powerful new set

of challenges. We need to be more thoughtful about how we lead a

connected life that is both creative and productive. A sound mind and

sustained sense of connection come not from looking to our devices

for guidance and reassurance, but from using them wisely - from

"checking in" with clear intention.

Here are some insights to consider:

1. Understand your emotional connection to your device.

In the bookThumb Culture, author Jane Vincent talks about the range

of emotions she observed between people and their mobile devices.

"Although few people think about their mobile phone in emotional

terms," she noted, "they do appear to be using it to achieve emotional

goals. She goes on to outline the emotional states that are commonly

referenced:

Panic:Absence from the device; being separated from it.

Irrational behavior: The inability to control heart over mind (e.g.

driving and talking).

Thrill:Novelty, multi-tasking, intimacy of the text received in public.

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Anxiety:Fear and desire (for example, wanting to know about others vs.

too much knowledge).

The take-away here is to understand what lies beneath our behaviorwith our mobile devices. Self-awareness is crucial, because how we

allocate our time and attention is closely connected to our deeper

anxieties and concerns.

2. Tune in with intention not impulse.

Have you ever just scrolled through your various mobile apps with a

blank stare and no actual intention? Its like when youre bored athome and you wander over to the refrigerator; youre not really

hungry, you just want to feed your boredom.

Our devices tap into our impulsive side, our penchant for seeking

information. If you're concerned about your business or a loved one,

you'll impulsively glance at your messages. Even if its midnight, you

might still scroll through your email despite the low probability of amessage. Rather than no news is good news, we think any news is

good news.

One solution is to manage our attention with intention rather than

impulse. We must strive to tune into our devices only when we have a

specific purpose. It should be about acting on our ideas, rather

than reacting to other peoples communication habits.

Our devices tap into our impulsive side.

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3. Use your device for communication "sprints," then take a

break.

There's nothing wrong with checking your device. The problem is

getting sucked into the device! You decide to quickly check your emailor texts, and before you know it you're checking Twitter, Facebook, or

any number of other apps. The extensive options that our devices put

at our fingertips are very effective at engaging our attention. To escape

their siren song, we must be disciplined in our approach.

Taking a page from the Scrum playbook, think of each interaction with

your mobile as a mini-sprint. For instance, you need to respond to oneurgent client email, and text your web developer about a key decision.

Once those tasks are done, its time to disengage. One person we spoke

with shared the tip that he counts down from 20 when he does a quick

check-in on his phone, especially when he's surrounded by other

people. Just the mindset of counting down forces him to quickly check

rather than meander.

Think of each interaction with your mobile as amini-sprint.

4. Observe good "attention etiquette."

Our devices should empower - not impede - better communication.

When you're alone, it's no problem to check your device whenever you

need to (keeping the above insights in mind). But, in social settings -

meeting with a client or going out on a date - it's time to start

contemplating some guidelines for proper "attention etiquette."

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Writer Farhad Manjoo crowd-sourced an answer to the attention

etiquette question on Slate.com, and came up with a great approach.

He proposes, "If you're in a situation where you'd excuse yourself to go

to the bathroom, you should also excuse yourself before reaching foryour phone." He goes on to suggest that, if you do feel compelled to

reach for your phone, "don't play with your phone longer than you'd

stay in the bathroom."

The exception to this rule would be when engagement with your device

actuallyindicates attention. For instance, gadget lovers might prefer

to take notes on a tablet in a meeting, rather than using a pen andpaper. In this situation, focusing intermittently on your device can be

a positive indication that you are paying attention, documenting notes

and action steps in real time.

It's time to start contemplating someguidelines for proper attention etiquette.

Every opportunity comes with new responsibilities, and the mobile era

is no different. We must commit to using our devices more efficiently

rather than more often.

How To Become A Self-Management Superhero

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Increasingly creative careers are location

independent. Almost all of us are working remotely

in some capacity - whether you're a manager who

works from home once a week taking conference

calls, an entrepreneur working on the road while

traveling, or a graphic designer, film editor, or

copywriter who works full-time from a home office

with all the amenities.

This shift is nothing new, of course. But as it becomes more

entrenched - not just away we work, but the way we work - it'schanging the currency of creative collaboration. The skills required

to succeed as a remote worker are not the same as those required of an

office worker.

Without the facetime and watercooler catchups provided by an office

environment, a new set of skills - centered around self-management

and proactive communication - are becoming essential.

A few skills you'll want to cultivate to succeed as a remote worker:

1. Write well. In the book,Rework, 37signals founder Jason Fried

notes, Writing is todays currency for good ideas. You write more

everyday in emails, text messages, and IMs so make an effort to write

clearly. When you cant see the person youre communicating with, itseasy to misinterpret tone or verbal cues. It helps to be concise and use

simple language.

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2. Know the business case. Inquire with team leaders about the

context of your work. You may be writing a tagline for a campaign, say,

but how does that line fit into the clients overall objective? What is

your companys stake in the client, and how does your output bestrepresent your company or brand? What is the financial consequence

or benefit? Having this information in your back pocket can help you

ask the right questions and create more informed work.

3. Practice consistency. The number one challenge managers have

with remote workers is not physically witnessing productivity. Its

easy for them to imagine you doing laundry, eating ice cream, orwatching reruns on the company dime. To alleviate this concern,

establish a pattern for consistent communication. Be at your desk at

certain intervals, do regular check-ins, and be responsive when

problems arise. If youre known to be accountable there will be far less

suspicion.

4. Ask too many questions. Shane Pearlman, an expert ondistributed teams who co-runs the user interface design firm Shane

and Peter, calls this being artfully intrusive. He advises to keep

asking questions, whether you want to or not. The communication

gap inherent in remote teams requires constant double-checking. In

person, you may see a confirmation of understanding from a co-

worker. When working remotely you may need to seek confirmation:

Do you understand me? or, How can I help you understand thisbetter? It may feel like youre being a nuisance but clarity is king.

5. Perfect informality. The water cooler effect. Its tough to drop by

the office of a co-worker when youre not located down the hall. Yet,

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unscheduled informal encounters can be the lifeblood of an

organization. For this reason its important to purposely build in hang

time before or after virtual meetings and learn about the people you

work with. Hone your chat skills. The more you know about yourcoworkers, the easier it will be to find information where and when

you need it, and become a source of information yourself.

6. Seek stability. The future of teamwork requires constant change

and a resulting adaptability. Seek a stable center. Given the turmoil,

what is it you need from your employer or team to avoid burnout or

becoming overwhelmed? What patterns of stability can you constructto keep pumping out exceptional work?