9pm rule – week 2
My 21 day commitment of turning off my laptop by 9pm is an interesting project. After the first two weeks, I am finding: It forces me to concentrate. Watching the clock tick down, I get things done quickly and efficiently before 9pm. I send more e-mails: I don’t stress over making detailed and comprehensive responses, and am learning to effectively …
Project Communication Tool: 15 Minute Round-up
Over the weekend, a colleague in the in open space retreat I attended suggested a method for communicating project status across a team without long, inefficient update meetings. At the begining of each day, the project team (say 20 people) get together, and in the space of 15 minutes, everyone gives a brief update of what they’re working on and …
21 Days and the 9pm rule
Somewhere, I heard it takes 21 days to develop a habit. So, I started giving myself 21-day commitments to help create change in my life. I believe true change comes naturally when your beliefs change, and the way to change your beliefs is through awareness. The experience of being committed and doing something non-negotiable for 21 days provides awareness of …
Open Space Technology
Seth Godin explores a new standard for meetings and conferences and how to justify the increasing cost and time commitment of travel. Face-to-face contact is much more effective than internet-related conferencing tools and Seth hits an important point that we need to address this effectively. One powerful method Seth missed in his analysis is Open Space Technology. This weekend, I …
Pop-quiz
Where does creativity come from? The brain The yet un-manifested realm of possibility Action taken to create something new Random chance Edward de Bono Hard work TPS reports
Larry Lessig: How Creativity is being strangled by the law
This week’s video is an insightful talk by copyright authority Larry Lessig about the creativity blossoming from access to content on the internet, and the conflict with copyright law which hasn’t caught up this new form of creativity – and the implications.
Experiencing happiness
My life changed when I experienced the truth of being happy as a natural state of being. Prof. Srikumar Rao explains that most of us grow up believing that there is something we need do, get or be in order to be happy. The ineffective model most of us employ is: IF we get this, THEN we can do this, …
Diversity feeds creativity
Diverse experiences and diverse collaboration stimulate creativity. When I did my MBA in London, I thought I was with a diverse group of colleagues. Everyone came from a different country, from a wide range of industries. However, it wasn’t until Prof. Lynda Gratton pointed out that actually, MBA’s are all a pretty homogenous group on an academic and intellectual level, …
Dream recall meets morning mind-chatter
Last Friday’s post explored a dream recall technique for improving your dream memory. I have been testing this technique for the last two weeks trying to build this habit, but I am finding it difficult. What are some of the difficulties I’ve encountered? Proper rest – when I am over-tired, remembering dreams (even after a nights sleep) is more difficult …
Freewrite exercise
Just as simple as it sounds, the freewrite exercise is about writing without inhibitions. Freewrite Exercise Write for a pre-determined limit, such as 15 minutes or 2 pages. You may use a computer, as it will allow you to write quicker and will cause less strain, but I have found more profound results writing by hand. Try to write concretely, …