It's About Time

Ok, my laptop is officially dead and I am officially behind and will probably remain so for the next few days while I scramble to get back up to speed. Fortunatley I knew this was coming and I have everything backed up! It was, afterall, an almost 7 year old iBook G4 that's literally been around the world and survived two, count'em, two motherboard transplants.

When was the last time you backed up all your important stuff? Do yourself a favor, save some time, frustration and money and do it now!

Speaking of time...

Successful time management can be challenging, especially to those who are new to freelancing or being self-employed.

When you have a boss telling you what to do and when to do it by, it’s much easier to prioritize and figure out what needs to be done and when. But when you’re not only dealing with client deadlines but also all of the day-to-day parts of running a business, on top of trying to maintain some sort of life outside of work, time management gets a whole lot trickier.

The smart folks at Smashing Magazine are sharing sixteen tips to help you better manage your time and find the time to participate in the things that are important to you. Also included are some further resources to improve your time management.

If you've got the time, or if you're in need of some, this is a great place to start: How To Find Time For Everything.

That's Right,

HMK

Nixie Concrete

The vintage Z560M Nixie tubes, used in former East-Germany in the mid 20th century as numeric displays, were the inspiration for the design of Daniel Kurth's Nixie Concrete.

The Luxembourgish designer enclosed the shiny orange Nixie tubes in a reinforced rough concrete body which can optionally be wall mounted. The strength of this design lies in the application of 'retro technology' and its interesting combination of components and materials, where one is easily fooled as to what is old and what is new. All electronic components in this fully functioning prototype are assembled by hand.

Unlike other clocks that make use of Nixie tubes, this one does not read like a traditional display. Kurth experienced that clocks - regardless of their esthetic value - sometimes form a disturbing factor in one's house, since being constantly reminded of the time can be stressful. By rearranging the display, one can enjoy the playful interaction between the 6 different tubes without realising straight away what time it is. A short focus will however allow you to use it as a 'normal' clock. The time in the picture reads 10:23:54.

More on Daniel Kurth and his awesome Nixie Concrete Clock.

That's Right,

HMK

Benefits Of Slowing Down

Journalist Carl Honore believes the Western world's emphasis on speed erodes health, productivity and quality of life. But there's a backlash brewing, as everyday people start putting the brakes on their all-too-modern lives.

Right on Carl. We're all speeding and racing through each day usually because there's was no time to methodically plan in the first place and so we've got no choice but to hit the ground running each day, all in an effort to simply catch up! All this Go! Go! Go! and Now! Now! Now! mentality does is perpetuate exhaustion, frustration and fatigue while producing sloppy, half-ass and less than stellar results.

I truly believe we could all benefit from simply slowing things down a bit and focusing on the nuance and details of this beautiful thing we call life.

It's like eating slow and enjoying every bite. Or taking a walk and appreciating the way the light comes through the trees. The result of all this perpetual multi-tasking, more times than not, really means doing several things at the same time - all of them half-ass! Crossing another something off of your to-do list might imply "done", but is it truly finished - i.e. really done well or was it done so quickly that you'll have to go back and "really" finish it later?

"Multi-tasking is going to slow you down, increasing the chances of mistakes," David E. Meyer, a cognitive scientist and director of the Brain, Cognition and Action Laboratory at the University of Michigan, told the New York Times. "Disruptions and interruptions are a bad deal from the standpoint of our ability to process information."

That's not to say that people who have trouble walking and chewing gum at the same time are more enlightened, but most people who have juggled a number of tasks at the same time won't need scientific research to confirm that by doing many things at once, you're less likely to do any of them well.

Like I tell the idiots that sometimes race down our quite little street in an effort to beat the traffic -"Slow Down!"

That's Right,

HMK

Thanks to Swiss Miss, Dean Irvine, Carl Honore and all the world's greatest thinkers and doers at Ted.

Good Taste + Time = Quality

Ira Glass, host and brian child of Chicago Public Radio and NPR's This American Life waxes on the work and creativity behind great story telling.

Ideas are funny things. They don't work until you do. Don't quit, keep working, keep making mistakes and keep learning!

That's Right,

HMK

Thanks to Design Notes.

The Best Time to Do Anything

Have you ever wondered if there's a perfect time to grocery shop, travel, or go to the DMV?

Here are some cool tips that can streamline any routine.

DMV or Department of Public Safety in Texas:
One of the worst places to waste time is at the Department of Motor Vehicles. So experts say try to make an appointment, and if you can't, avoid the morning rush and go mid-week.

Fresh Fish:
If you're buying fresh fish at the grocery store, Thursdays are a good day. That's when shipments for the weekend typically arrive.

And if you've read this far, now is probably the best time to read the rest: Inside Edition.

Thanks to Jamie Zanginer of Real Simple Magazine and Inside Edition.


That's Right,

HMK