Getting Stuff Out of Your Head

September 4, 2023Leave a comment

Think for a moment – right now, is there something important that needs to be done for which the only reminder is in your head?

For most people relying on memory is the default way to keep track of all the things they need to do. This includes remembering deadlines, commitments, obligations, or simply keeping track of fun stuff to do someday. The problem is that our minds are a poor tool for this job. In fact, David Allen, founder of GTD, often says that our heads are “crappy office spaces.”

Consider how easy it is to forget something. In the morning you open the refrigerator and discover there are no eggs. After making a mental note to drop by the store on the way home you head off to work. After a busy day on the job, hitting the grocery store is long forgotten. The next morning you are once more reminded of the lack of eggs at breakfast and are forced to make yet another sketchy promise to hit the store on the way home.

According to GTD, the best way to remember something is to place it in a trusted system outside of the head. On a practical level, that means as soon as something comes to mind it is immediately written down on paper or placed into electronic storage. So long as the reminders are kept in a place that you frequently return to, these items will never be lost.

What are the best ways to get stuff out of your head quickly? Below are common options:

Use your phone’s reminder app
Have a note pad on your desk or counter top along with fresh pens
Enable a digital voice assistant, like Alexa, to capture voice reminders
Use sticky notes to post reminders in prominent places

For electronic reminder systems, consider setting a day/time reminder that pops up at the right time. For example, a reminder set for arrival at the office can be helpful to knock out an item right away. Or a reminder that pops up before leaving work will ensure eggs are picked up on the way home. By offloading memorization, stress levels will drop as efficiency increases.

No matter the method, constantly get stuff out of your head and into a trusted system. You will be glad you did.

Preview the New Library Website

August 27, 2023Leave a comment

I’m proud to share that the Palm Beach County Library System is upgrading its website. Right now, we are offering a preview of the new site to get feedback from the public. Take a look by visiting: https://palmbeach.bibliocms.com/

The new site features:

easier to navigate drop-down menus
an upgraded catalog overlay to more effectively display search results
easier to sort event listings
“staff pick” book lists
and quick links to all of our electronic media offerings

Please use the new contact us page to provide your thoughts on the site.

We look forward to launching the new website by October 1.

Hot Summers and Cautious Decisions

August 21, 2023Leave a comment

Chances are that wherever you have living, it has been a hot summer. In fact, heat records have been shattered across North America and Europe. Surprisingly, hot weather has an unexpected consequence beyond our health or comfort, it can actually lead us to make risk adverse decisions.

In Matthia Sutter’s book, Behavioral Economics for Leaders, the author looks at data which seems to indicate that the outside weather affects our decision-making process. This is true even if we make our decisions in a climate-controlled environment. Sutter notes:

Conventional models of human decision-making behavior completely ignore the factor of heat. According to these modes, referred to as neoclassical in economic theory, only the costs and benefits of specific decisions and the choices they are based upon play a role, while things such as heat, tiredness, or general mood are seen as insignificant. However, psychological research shows that heat reduces general wellbeing, mood and a willingness to perform.

Sutter goes on to reference studies that show how judicial decisions become more risk adverse as outside temperatures rise. Specifically, a judge was less likely to give a defendant a favorable ruling on hotter days. But it is not only temperature that had an effect. Sports scores would also influence decisions.

For example, if the local football team wins big, there are more judges’ decisions favorable to the defendant. This again is a question of predominant mood.

As we move through the remaining hot summer days, take a moment to consider your own decisions. If the heat outside has risen, or your favorite team has lost, you may want to take extra care with your choices or defer them entirely for another day.

Systems vs Flexibility

August 13, 2023Leave a comment

One of the keys to productivity is to create efficient systems. Whenever you run a process automatically it will be faster and more reliable, especially if a human does not have to be involved. However, are there times when reliance on systems can be to our detriment?

Darious Foroux explored this problem in a piece called Systems vs Flexibility: Why Rigidity is the Enemy of Modern Success. In the post, he first acknowledges the usefulness of systems. Then he points out that it is problematic to rely too much on them.

The problem with systems is that you risk binding yourself to your system. After all, it’s what you control. And if you’re a control freak, you can go nuts about your system.

You’ll try to optimize every single aspect. So maybe you started off trying to get a raise; created a system and started executing.

But maybe your life changes or the economy changes and you shouldn’t be executing that system. You might need a new goal in your life. Or a new system. Probably both.

Later on, Foroux explores the notion of flexibility and how it can overcome the problems inherent in systems.

The more rigid you are, the more you risk breaking things. That’s true for your career, relationships, body, and mental health.

I’ve always been a flexible thinker. I have zero attachment to ideas and beliefs. That’s because I’m a pragmatist at heart. I wrote about my personal philosophy in my book, Think Straight.

This strategy has generally made me flexible. I’m never afraid to make a change.

But I still get stuck inside my systems, whether it’s for work or in my personal life. If you can relate to this, I recommend taking a step back from your existing systems, routines, or habits occasionally.

See it as a way to improve your flexibility and lower your rigidity.

Read the entire piece on Foroux’s web site.

Practicing Radical Open-Mindedness

August 6, 2023Leave a comment

It is commonly understood that no one person has all the right ideas.

However, it is also very easy for most people to believe that they always have the best idea.

How do we overcome this paradox of thinking? According to Ray Dalio in his best-selling book, Principles, one aspect of the solution is practicing radical open-mindedness.

Why is this so important? His company, Bridgewater Associates, is famous for creating an idea meritocracy, designed to encourage the best ideas, not the most persuasive or good-enough ones, to rise to top. Radical open-mindedness is key to making this happen. According to Dalio:

Radical open-mindedness is motivated by the genuine worry that you might not be seeing your choice optimally. It is the ability to effectively explore different points of view and different possibilities without letting your ego or blind spots get in your way.

On pages 187-190 of Principles, Dalio proposes seven steps to keeping one’s mind open. They are listed below:

Sincerely believe that you might not know the best possible path and recognize that your ability to deal with “not knowing” is more important that whatever it is you do know.
Recognized that decision making is a two-step process: First take in all the relevant information, then decide.
Don’t worry about looking good: worry about achieving your goal.
Realize that you can’t put out without taking in.
Recognize that to gain the perspective that comes from seeing things through another’s eyes, you must suspend judgement for a time – only by empathizing can you properly evaluate another point of view.
Remember that you’re looking for the best answer, not simply the best answer that you can come up with yourself.
Be clear on whether you are arguing or seeking to understand, and think about which is most appropriate based on your and other’s believability.

For the last point, Dalio explains the idea of believability:

I define believable people as those who have repeatedly and successfully accomplished the thing in question – who have a strong track record with a least three successes – and have great explanations for their approach when probed.

To dive deeper into these seven concepts, grab a copy of Principles and jump to pages 187-190.

We’re Stronger Together: A Conversation with ALA President Emily Drabinski

July 23, 2023July 22, 2023Leave a comment

I recently had the opportunity to interview the new ALA President Emily Drabinski on behalf of Public Libraries Online. As she begins her year in the role, I asked her how she became involved with ALA at a national level.

I’ve been an academic librarian in New York City for 22 years. I joined ALA in 2002 when I had just finished library school, because it took this bold position against the Patriot Act. I was excited to be part of a profession that takes difficult stances in difficult political moments. And we definitely are in one of those right now. So I was interested in using some of my skills as a connector of people to work inside the association that I think can be valuable in this moment. My involvement at ALA was primarily in my division home, ACRL, which is common for most people. I was on a number of its committees and have been editing the book reviews for our journal for the last three years. I served one term as ALA Council and that was a really interesting experience. I saw how the sausage gets made a little bit, in terms of what kind of a national presence ALA has, which I think is really important.

Later on in the interview, I asked her to share her priorities for the Presidential year. Her first priority is to advance sustainability in libraries.

Past Presidents say you plan and then the year happens. My plan is to focus on bringing to completion projects that Past Presidents Lessa Kanani’opua Pelayo-Lozada and Patty Wong worked on. For a long time, ALA has had sustainability as a priority. We have a round table, we have a council committee, and we have sustainability now as a core value. So will be focused on tying up those loose ends so that we can have national climate strategy for libraries coming from ALA to guide people in managing through environmental crises. Also it will include ways that we as institutions can contribute to reversing some of those climate change trends.

Read the entire interview at the Public Libraries Online website.

Obama’s Letter to Librarians

July 20, 2023Leave a comment

This past week former President Barak Obama surprised librarians across the country by releasing a letter of support. In it he spoke openly about the free expression of ideas and the importance of libraries.

Below is the opening of the letter:

To the dedicated and hardworking librarians of America:

In any democracy, the free exchange of ideas is an important part of making sure that citizens are informed, engaged and feel like their perspectives matter.

It’s so important, in fact, that here in America, the First Amendment of our Constitution states that freedom begins with our capacity to share and access ideas – even, and maybe especially, the ones we disagree with.

More often than not, someone decides to write those ideas down in a book.

Later in the letter he expresses deep appreciation for librarians and their work.

Nobody understands that more than you, our nation’s librarians. In a very real sense, you’re on the front lines – fighting every day to make the widest possible range of viewpoints, opinions, and ideas available to everyone. Your dedication and professional expertise allow us to freely read and consider information and ideas, and decide for ourselves which ones we agree with.

That’s why I want to take a moment to thank all of you for the work you do every day — work that is helping us understand each other and embrace our shared humanity.

Read the rest of the letter on the Penguin Random House website.

Building a Second Brain: A Conversation with Tiago Forte

July 9, 2023Leave a comment

Last year I had the honor of interviewing Tiago Forte, creator of Building a Second Brain. We spoke for almost an hour on how he became interested in the power of digital notes, discussed PARA as an organizing tool, and learned best practices for capturing information across mediums.

I’m glad to share that the written transcript of the interview is now posted on Public Libraries Online. Below is opening question and response.

PL: Please define what you mean by a Second Brain?

TF: Think of a diary or notebook. It is a creative, timeless practice to save your thoughts. Now make a few changes. You’re going to journal not just your own thoughts and reflections, but external sources of information. You hear a quote that resonates with you, write that down. You hear an interesting fact, write that down. You discover some research of interest, write that down. Next, make it digital so that it is on your smartphone and sync to the Cloud and all your devices. Now you can access it from anywhere, anytime.

With all the capabilities of technology, you can save, not just text, but images, links, web bookmarks, photographs, drawings, and sketches. Because it’s digital, it can be annotated, organized, and re-sorted. It can change with your needs and goals. Your Second Brain is a trusted place outside of your head where you save all of the ideas, insights reflections and realizations that are most important to you. It contains information that is personally relevant and meaningful. It contains moving and powerful life experiences, memories, and unique ways of seeing the world.

To learn more about other aspects of Building a Second Brain, such as the CORE approach, understanding the difference between projects and areas, and much more, please read the full interview on Public Libraries Online.

Good News for Library Funding In Florida

July 2, 2023Leave a comment

Is your community long overdue for a new public library? After many years of effort, it is welcome news to see a major funding increase for public libraries in the 2023-24 Florida Budget. This is due to a dramatic increase in the amount of money allocated for public library construction grants.

The Public Library Construction Grants program has been largely overlooked for most of its existence. However, this year the Florida Legislature allocated over $9 million dollars to the fund. This appropriation triples the past largest amount for construction grants and will allow 19 projects across the state to receive between $300,000 to $500,000 each towards construction costs.

Appreciation for this increase goes to the Legislative leadership in the Florida House and Florida Senate, along with the appropriation chairs on both sides. Further appreciation goes to the Governor for approving this significant increase, along with support from the Florida Secretary of State.

As well, this effort would not have happened without the determined lobbying of the Florida Library Association and their contracted lobbying team at GrayRobinson.

Building more public libraries will enhance our communities, support local education, enhance access to voting, and demonstrate without a doubt that Florida Libraries are Fundamental to Freedom.

Efficient Librarian

Exploring the Intersection of Efficiency and Librarianship