Can a Second Brain be Built in a Day?

May 26, 2019Leave a comment

We all know that Rome was not built in a day, but can a second brain be built in a seven hour workshop?

On Tuesday May 21, Tiago and Lauren from Forte Labs came to the Palm Beach County Library System to lead their signature course Building a Second Brain (BASB) for thirty five library staff. Participants were recruited from across the library system, with many members coming from the Productivity Committee and the User Experience (UX) Committee. All of them were excited about the benefits an electronic second brain had to offer. Prior to the workshop, participants had a homework assignment to identify their “12 Favorite Problems” and to start capturing electronic items, such as articles, photos, news clips, etc., in Microsoft OneNote. They also had access to an online version of BASB specially designed for the library staff.

At the start, the BASB workshop laid out the core tenants of the second brain philosophy: Capture, Connect, Create. The morning was spent with a review of capture and then moved on to PARA which clarified the difference between projects, areas, resources, and archives. Following lunch, the seminar moved to the theory and practice of Progressive Summarization. Students then explored the concept of project packets that lead to the “Just In Time” project delivery system. Finally, Tiago shared his view of the future of knowledge work in relation to personal knowledge management.

Library staff left the workshop energized and excited about the possibilities from mastering personal knowledge management. So in the end, we learned that building a second brain is not a one time exercise, but an ongoing approach to curate the streams of information that flow around us.

Thank you Tiago and Lauren from all of us at PBCLS!

Does Technology=Productivity?

May 12, 2019Leave a comment

DA-Small Will a new iPhone make you more productive? Perhaps the latest app can keep you on track to complete projects? Is a digital calendar more effective than an old fashioned paper one? With the constant cycle of technology there is always a new tool or software version coming out that promises to improve our efficiency and make life easier. However, is this promise simply untenable?

In a recent blog post, David Allen addresses the intersection between technology and productivity. He starts with a nuanced approach to the topic.

“Despite my thirty-five years of consulting, coaching, and training in hundreds of organizations, I don’t have an easy answer to that question. The digital tools we need and like require more intensive labor than they should. It would be great to have a digital dashboard that integrated all apps, allowed you to manipulate information in a single location, and then sent the revised data back to its original location. And all upgrades would happen automatically! Doubtful, in my lifetime.”

Despite this conflicted opening, David goes on to offer some straightforward advice on the topic. Read the rest of the post on the Getting Things Done web site.

Time or Attention? Which Works?

March 31, 2019Leave a comment

AdamGrant_2016-headshot_preview When I ask students why they decided to attend an Efficient Librarian seminar, a common response is that they wanted to learn more about “time management.” While it seems logical to believe that you can get more work done through better management of the hours in your day, it may not be that straightforward. In fact, focusing on time management may actually make you less productive.

In a recent article on the New York Times web site, Professor Adam Grant argues that managing our attention, not time, is a better approach to getting things done. He writes:

“Being prolific is not about time management. There are a limited number of hours in the day, and focusing on time management just makes us more aware of how many of those hours we waste.

“A better option is attention management: Prioritize the people and projects that matter, and it won’t matter how long anything takes.”

This reminds me of a classic David Allen quote from Getting Things Done:

“If you don’t pay appropriate attention to what has your attention, it will take more of your attention than it deserves.”

Read the rest of Adam Grant’s article on the New York Times web site.

South Central Library System

March 27, 2019Leave a comment

A big thank you goes out to the South Central Library System in Wisconsin for hosting two Efficient Librarian webinars. Jean Anderson and her team were great to work with. We had excellent attendance and the participants asked very thoughtful questions.

SCLS has posted the presentations to their continuing education web site. If you want to view a recording of the two webinars, both one hour in length, here are the links:

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Thank you again to Jean the SCLS team. I hope to work with you again in the future.

The Power of Completion

March 19, 2019Leave a comment

DA-Small Do you know how many projects lie unfinished in your world? As we move through life there is a natural force in us that creates new things as they spark our interest. Unfortunately, I have found this creation often results in lots of projects that quickly lose focus and instead become a source of stress. It seems that the catch to managing all the stuff we create is finding a way to bring closure to them.

In his latest blog post, David Allen delves into the entwined powers of completing and creating and how their dance affects our lives.

“Seems that we’re here on the planet to learn about and do two things—complete and create. We are responsible for what we have put into motion on all levels, and we must manage the process of what we are putting into motion every moment. …

“Though both aspects are primary, I think a lot of people could use a good bit more emphasis on the complete part. Our cultural personality seems bent on limitless expansion and not necessarily cleaning up after itself.”

Read the rest of the post at the Getting Things Done web site.

Do You Know the Purpose?

March 10, 2019Leave a comment

We all got them. Sometimes they are fun and other times they are a struggle. Truth be told, they are a fundamental fact of work life that will never go away. What are they? Projects!

I was reminded at the NEFLIN workshop this past week that many people tend to think of a project as something big and complicated. However, most of our projects are actually very small. David Allen defines a project as anything that requires more than one action to complete. By that count we have dozens and dozens of projects underway! Unfortunately, it is far too easy for projects to stall and grow stagnant. Is there a way to move them along?

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One approach is to follow the Natural Planning Model from Getting Things Done. (In the latest edition of the book, it can be found on pages 60-63.) Every project starts for a reason. When that reason becomes obscured or forgotten, the energy behind a project can fade. That is why the first part of the Natural Planning Model is all about purpose. If you and your team do not clearly understand why the project even exists there will be little energy to see it through. Another way to think about purpose is to ask the question, “What problem am I trying to solve?”

So what projects are on your plate that have lost focus and energy? It might be time to take a good long look at the purpose of those projects to see if a little clarity might be the spark to move them forward.

Thank You LLAMA and NEFLIN

March 8, 2019Leave a comment

A big thank you goes out to ALA’s LLAMA Division and Florida’s own NEFLIN for hosting Efficient Librarian seminars in the last two weeks.

The LLAMA webinar was held on Feb. 27 and featured participation from across the United States. Special thanks goes out to LLAMA’s Fred Reuland for organizing and managing the webinar.

This week’s in person seminar at NEFLIN HQ in Orange Park had 15 eager participants from across northeast Florida participating in the full day experience. Thank you to the entire NEFLIN staff, Brad, Jenny, Raymond, and Jeannie, for making it a special day for all participants.

If you missed out, don’t worry. I will be presenting four webinars in March. Please visit the Workshops and Webinars page to learn dates and times.

Wanted: A Second Brain

March 3, 2019Leave a comment

forte Have you ever thought it would be nice to have a personal assistant? How about one that works quietly behind the scenes all day long for free? This personal assistant would store all your great ideas, important information, and project components so that you can recall them at a moment’s notice. Such an assistant would relieve stress and expand your creativity. But could this assistant actually exist?

Tiago Forte has designed a course with the intention to create this amazing personal assistant. In his signature course, Building a Second Brain, Tiago pulls together cutting edge ideas from the realms of productivity and efficiency into a systematic structure that can work for anyone. He describes the premise of the course as follows:

“Building A Second Brain is a methodology for saving and systematically reminding us of the ideas, inspirations, insights, and connections we’ve gained through our experience. It expands our memory and our intellect using the modern tools of technology and networks.

“This methodology is not only for preserving those ideas, but turning them into reality. It provides a clear, actionable path to creating a “second brain” – an external, centralized, digital repository for the things you learn and the resources from which they come.”

Intrigued by the idea? Read the full-length post at Forte Labs to learn the basics of Building a Second Brain.

LLAMA – Efficient Librarian Webinar

February 21, 2019Leave a comment

I am proud to announce the upcoming Efficient Librarian webinar, presented in partnership with the Library Leadership and Management Association (LLAMA) of ALA. My intention is to make this a fun, interactive, and highly practical webinar that will provide techniques that can be applied immediately. The webinar will take place on:

Wednesday, 2/27/2019

2:30 PM-4:00 PM (Eastern)
1:30 PM-3:00 PM (Central)
12:30 PM-2:00 PM (Mountain)
11:30 AM-1:00 PM (Pacific)

LLAMA does require a paid registration for their webinars. For more information or to register, please visit: http://www.ala.org/llama/efficient-librarian-productivity-strategies-workplace-success

llama

Efficient Librarian

Exploring the Intersection of Efficiency and Librarianship

Category: Efficiency & Productivity