DOING LESS TO HAVE MORE
We have so many great opportunities open to us - all right at our fingertips. With technology speeding up the way we consume information and all from pretty much wherever we choose, it means we have greater choices for doing even more of the things we love doing.
Having too much of this information available all the time can also overwhelm our brains, so rather than taking in all the information we just over-stress ourselves to the point where the things we love become the things that are stressing us out. Setting limits on how much we consume and therefore allowing for more quiet time - away from any electronic devices, will allow us to keep a balanced state of mind to be in a better place to really appreciate living a life to the full.
Creating a route for a planned journey just got really easy. I love Google Maps and have used their maps for years to find locations and for navigation but forgot all about the function of mapping out a route with stops added in and notes overlaid in a format that can be shared, edited and amended by the group who are all included in the trip.
Google Maps Route Planning
Google have an array of great apps at our disposal - Blogger being one of my clear favourites, but their map editing software is a really cool took and likely something that many miss out on.
In just a short space of time, I've been able to create a route that me, my partner and parents can go on to visit/enjoy northern France Christmas Markets trip in mid December. It also means we have full directions on hand, are aware of the distances we travel every day, have interesting stops planned - marking out some key places to visit and options for where we can stop to refresh ourselves at these great festive markets - well in advance of the travel date.
Taking pictures has never been so easy. Back before the smart phone days, we had compact cameras that were our means of capturing the moment, but it was only really after 2000 that compact digital cameras were becoming good enough for this job over their film camera alternatives. But even then the quality, the storage and the battery life were not up to a standard where we could take them everywhere we went - hence they were usually only pulled out on very special occasions, like birthdays etc. Before that time, with film cameras, the limitations on film roll size (24 or 36) and the expense of developing film/prints, meant that photos were very considered, composed and every effort was taken to ensure there was no wasted shots.
Fast forward to the present day and everyone seems to have some form of camera on their person at all times of the day. The latest offerings from Apple and Samsung also means we can shoot bursts in hi-resolution, panoramic or fire off HD video - even in slow-mo. Afterwards, everything can be edited before they magically move themselves across to the 'cloud', where they simultaneously materialise on our other devices too.
Storage is also not much of a problem these days as Flikr give 1Tb for free and other storage providers like Dropbox, The Box, Google Drive etc. are finding even more ways to seamlessly integrate with our operating systems of choice - and all for very low cost. Battery issues are still a minor limitation, but carrying a miniature charging device or USB plug around with us (or even spare device battery), means we can top up on the go. This means that we can snap away to our heart's content using our cameras as memories for all the good times we've had. With metadata, we can even track the time and place where the shots were taken and look back at them on a map alongside a timeline of great memories in our lives.
My new favourite tool is the dictation feature on my MacBook Pro. It enables me to get my first draft down in blogger so much quicker. By double tapping the function key, speaking and hitting function again to pause, I can get the bones of what I'm going to say and go back and edit after.
After years of using computers for work, I'm now feeling the effects of over-using my fingers to type and arm to use a mouse. The very action of hunching over a computer has arguably given me a bit of a drooped posture which I'm correcting through yoga and stretching.
Hands Free
Coupled with my other favourite bit of kit - the Sony SB20 bluetooth receiver, I'm now able to walk around the room away from the chair and keyboard altogether! Although I still like to practice my touch typing - the freedom this new technology has now given me will make writing all the more easier on my posture and hands in the long run.
Technology is great. Personal computers have opened up the opportunities for getting more information, better communications and giving us tools for being super innovative & creative. The technology is so mobile and accessible that I'm even able to use my portable mini computer right now - namely my iPhone.
Computers can be great for saving us time. They can also consume our lives if we allow them. When they work seamlessly, they are a joy, but when things go wrong, it's very frustrating. Everything else can get left behind as we try and prioritise fixing the technology issues before dealing with anything else.
I see a lot of problems with friend's computers and phones, with a lot of the blame placed on the software/hardware, when in actual fact, these friends just don't understand how to use the tech properly. I believe this is a massive issue that currently affects millions of people around the world. Owning the latest and greatest bits of tech but having no idea how to get the best out of any of it, or worse, how to get any of it working at all....is totally pointless.
It's essential to keep the tech organised and optimised, yet people rarely pay attention to the simple fact that they need memory, including hard disk space (about 30%) in order to be able to function well. And just failing to understand this fundamental fact about how a computer operates, is something I encounter time and again. Yet, when trying to relay this helpful IT management information, the friend's reaction is usually to switch/brush this chat off. Their eyes glaze over as they move on to other trivial matters. The next time I hear from them, they've often upgraded to a 'better and faster' model. A temp fix to the major problem, the one being with themselves and an un-willingness to learn/understand some simple basics about their technology.
For those willing to learn a bit more about how best to manage their computers, there's always a google search with top tips and helpful videos with step by step instructions, so, here's just a few simple tips and tricks to keep things running smoothly. Keeping folders tidy, checking on backing-up important documents and photos etc. both doubling up on a remote drive and on cloud storage. With just a few minutes a day invested in tech house-keeping, it's really easy to keep that beautiful bit of kit running efficiently to keep the rest of our digital lives in order and free up time for taking care of other other priorities too.
THE ENERGY RACE
Delving deeper into some of the discussions on 'conspiracy theories' has taken me even further into the rabbit hole over these last couple of days. Some of the finds - things I've stumbled on before, plus new discoveries that I hadn't, have thrown up some amazing examples of technology that we've been testing & developing over the last 50 years, some of which is (officially or unofficially) in active use today.
The Power Struggle
The research and race to find better, more powerful weapons has been going on since the beginning of civilisation. In warfare, the invention and use of tools & the technologies they draw from also
potentially benefit us as advances are made for improving quality of live. As we've gained more knowledge of how to harness the laws of the universe - particularly around the middle of the 20th century with the advent of atomic physics entering the war arena, powerful weapons that could easily destroy mankind have also lead to gains, ie. atomic energy.
From the end of the second world war, it's been a race for the world's controlling powers to find increasingly greater weapons to retain power. Thankfully, a gridlock during the cold war has kept the human race from wiping itself out. But as the race continues to uncover even greater weapons technology, the questions need to focus on how we can contain this power from bringing about armageddon.
Controversial Discoveries
It's pretty frightening if you believe the pessimistic view of what life could be like in just a few tears from now - with war and control at the focus of the world's leaders. After reading the many documents, watching countless videos, and delving deeper into discussions on some pretty fascinating topics around tests (that may or may not have been) carried out (especially those around directional frequency applications), I'm starting to believe that we are not fast approaching - we are already commencing a new dawn.
Don't Panic
What matters now, is that we all educate ourselves to try and understand what's really going on and the motives behind the people who appear to conceal the truth. That way, the more we all know, the more we can collectively direct the benefits of these phenomenal life-changing technological powers towards creating a positively better world for us to live in and away from those people and powers that could destroy it.
Further Discovery
It's the mavericks like John Hutchinson (featured above), that I find the most interesting. They choose to research for little monetary gain and it's home-scientists and free thinkers like him that we need more of if we are to survive beyond the next millennium. It's becoming clearer to me, after watching footage from a Dr Judy Wood seminar video, that we have some dark powers at work with some mysterious goings on in the world that we can't yet justify. And we can't just leave things to chance trusting that the balance of good outweighs bad. Rather than watch soap operas, I urge everyone to research a little instead and try to make up their own minds what could be the truth and disregard the nonsensical.
The very fact this information in all it's guises, exists - gives some hope and confidence that we have the ability to uncover corruption and lay down a stronger foundation for better keeping an open, harmonious and free way of life in a time which could likely be the most defining point in humanity.
When you're on the go and need the right equipment to be able to work and play - carrying around a laptop can be a bit of an inconvenience, when quite often, the smart phone can do the job just as well.
So, an ample bit of kit for me at the moment, which allows me enough power to do what I have to do without breaking the bank is to use my iPhone 5s with a few choice apps installed like Blogger, Twitter, Spotify, Shutterstock, iBooks, Pingit and of course the browser and email apps. Trouble is, there's not enough battery power and the headphone wires can get in the way when listening to music or making calls while tapping away on the phone.
I could have bought an iPhone 6 - but this company provided me with a perfectly good iPhone5s 32gb for £300 in A1 condition. To get a full day's use out of it, I slip this little battery pack in my pocket wherever I go and to make sure I've got the right cable for charging everything, I have this handy 3-in-1 USB charger lead and carry this USB plug just in case. And in order to walk, talk, listen to music and read/blog/text - whatever...without the problem of messy wires getting in the way, I use this great little bluetooth device from Sony - which works with any headphones and will last all day long when plugged in to the battery pack!
I've just had a really interesting chat with a psychologist this evening. The reason - I've just been through an extensive period of stress in a job where it's left me run ragged. I'm knackered both mentally and physically. This is not uncommon for someone of my age, particularly for a man, but we are not alone. There is a marked increase in cases for office workers showing signs of burnout and everything I've gone through, the psychologist has been through herself to some degree and so has her husband.
We're all stuck in a modern day burnout nightmare:
The psychologist recognised the symptoms in herself 10 years ago and this has helped her to learn more about ways to help others overcome these problems. I mentioned the modern day phenomena of 'always on technology' and I was surprised to hear that she turns her phone off regularly, either to airplane mode or switches over to 'do not disturb' and avoids using email wherever possible - basically off the grid like I wish to be. This is such a relief - and yet, so simple to fix. Turn off the phone! So now, my partner and I have talked about a holiday where we leave the phone and technology at home. Imagine that.... no smartphone!
We'll have to talk at meal times. I'm sure we'll manage. I'm already making changes to my technology use. My email signature now has a sign-off about intermittent checking and I've told family and friends that I may not always be easily contractible as I'm going to start leaving my phone at home or turned off more often. This won't be easy once I start working again though...
It's known that we have a problem within the workplace and yet we continue to make things worse - not better. Until the office environment is improved to allow a more modern way of working without the intense stresses of keeping up with email and the ever-faster turn around times, I'm switching to a completely different job - something where there's high demand with flexible hours but the pay is good too. Maybe I'll become a psychologist!
Flexible hours = flexible workers = creative workers = productive workers = happy workers. And that all equates to a successful thriving business. Or maybe not?
A lot of the technology we use today, can be taken out of the office and used on the go or at home. Yet, we are stuck in a kind of paradox. Companies are trying to utilise the modern technology and combine it with what they believe to be a work environment conducive for great creative thinking and high productivity. They add in adult slides, astroturf and play areas, beanbags and fuss-ball tables - and expect the magic to happen. It doesn't. You can't just add all those distractions and pointless toys 'n' gimmicks and think there'll be award-winning creative ideas flying out of the door.
Thing is, creative people need quiet space and time and then even more time, to conceive of great ideas. These thoughts come to us through quality moments when we've shut ourselves off to outside influences allowing the thought synapses to fire off freely and do their thing. They come from a stilled mind - one free from other cluttering thoughts and any prompts for action on lower-ranking actions. They usually come to the front of our conscious minds in the quiet of the morning or during a walk around the park when the distractions are turned down.
That Eureka! moment we experience, is the result of our brain working across both hemispheres to find a solution. The left side of the brain, which deals with logic - will strive for a solution. If there are no immediate logical answers, it's simultaneously passed through the right hemisphere. The right hemisphere (operating the left side of the body), is our creative brain.
The region where our inspiration or insights come from is known as the anterior superior temporal gyrus. Studies carried out into how insight works in the creative regions of the brain, have shown that our 'ah ha' moments stem from the right part of the brain, which helps us to access farther-reaching connections (sometimes also the bigger picture) that we couldn't formulate with logical, formulaic/systematic types of thinking. Between the two spheres, we have greater scope for allowing us to solve more complex problems and formulating ideas, as this informative documentary shows.
The studies have also shown where brain activity clearing Alpha rays are emitted in the short time before synapses fire gamma-rays. This process happens in the brain to create neural pathways - linking up knowledge/inspiration and allowing new ideas to form from this complex brain function. We essentially need silence, or freedom from distractions to first switch on these neurons in order to work their magic. Apparently, they only do this after around 15 minutes of quality thought immersion. And when do we get 15 minutes of undistracted time in an office, especially the modern version of an office - the ones that are open-plan, noisy and full of a whole multitude of distractions? Rarely. We know this, yet, we're thrashing around in this work quagmire - slowly drowning.
Time And Space (and playfulness)
I love these great videos (click for link to vimeo) from John Cleese, of Monty Python and Fawlty Towers fame (amongst other great shows, sketches, films etc.) - who is arguably, one of the best comedy writers of the 20th century, talking about what it is to be creative.
He firstly tells us something that a lot should already realise, that creativity isn't a talent - it's a way of doing things. He cites confirmation of his understanding with the work of Donald W. MacKinnon. He also understands the importance of being in a creative space - he calls it, 'in the open mode' - with space in your mind, time for being receptive to ideas forming, more time to explore these formations and the importance of being in a place where you can be shut off from outside distractions to allow all this to happen.
Home Working - Not Working
So, we've identified the right way of going about the creative process. The work environment has been been greatly modified for the 21st century. Flexible hours, working from home options and connection with the world in the 24/7 'always-on' technological revolution should all be giving us the freedom to move in greater and more productive spheres.
Unfortunately, we're not getting it right and it's strangling the creative process. Dave Coplin has written a couple of books - one entitled: Business Reimagined: Why work isn't working and what you can do about it- and in it, he talks about the modern day issues that are holding back the creative process. By increasing process and further complicating process with ineffective uses of technology plus seeding a fear that if you're not seen to be busy, you're not busy and so you had better be visible. This is why WFH - 'working from home' policy has been back-tracked in a lot of modern office environments. A very large percentage of the office workforce are disengaged, ineffective and fruitlessly expending their efforts. Employees are being left run ragged, trying to appear productive, working at breakneck speed to clear menial tasks (but important to some people) like emails etc. and consequently NOT allowing time/space/isolation for (as John Cleese puts it) 'the right way of doing things'. The very kind of environment we get at home.
The audiobook can be purchased through Audible on Amazon (US only) or via iTunes.
TUNE OUT TO TECHNOLOGY
Often, the old fashioned methods are just as good. Every week in our Yoga/Pilates classes, there's a 10 minute bit at the beginning of the class where the teacher is either fiddling with the sound system or gone off to get someone to sort it out. This is because, the new system supports bluetooth. This is great. It means anyone with a bluetooth activated device, can link up to the stereo and select, adjust the volume and play music right from their phone. Trouble is, without understanding the technology and how to 'problem solve' when it's not working immediately, the old cable method works far better. I see this kinda thing all the time - most people just don't have the grasp or the desire to learn how to use technology. I also find myself spending far too much time updating, downloading, restarting and being stubbornly determined to succeed when the technology isn't working. I'm wasting my valuable time. Now what I do, is think what the older and faster way would be and try to do that instead.
Don't get suckered
New may not mean better. I don't like the new flat screen large format TVs. I find their hyper-realism can make older films look a bit strange - sometimes like they are shot in a studio (which they often are), but somehow, the magic has gone. This isn't something I would have noticed on my old CRT telly. I also miss the adventure of going in to a video rental store and picking out a film. Luckily, we have possibly one of the last video/DVD rental shops right here in Balham! The store is full of film memorabilia and there's a load of quirky B movies in here to chose from. I know we have a Netflix account and iTunes - but there's films in here that you'll never get online - 80's horror flicks that never went past VHS.
So, before splashing out ££££ on a new 'smart TV' - give yourself a reality check and realise this fact: we don't need to buy a new TV - because the charity shops are selling perfectly good ones for £20 - you can even get them for free from some places. This goes the same for phones - why spend £700+ on the latest gadget when you can get one barely a year old for less than half the price, or even one that does pretty much the same thing for a fraction of that price. If you're buying because you're believing the hype, then you're getting suckered!
Plex & Roku
I've just discovered a great bit of kit that means my parents can now watch all the great films, TV and utilise the benefits of having everything on their computer at the touch of a button to watch on their old (but still decent) non-digital CRT TV.
The Roku 2 costs just £50 and is really easy to set up on a home WIFI network and Plex can be installed on your iPad or iPhone (or android devices etc.) for even greater features too. We tested it out last night and watched an old little-known classic from the comfort of my parent's living room, called Galaxy Quest.
In this modern day - we're all becoming ever more reliant on technology - especially the kit in our pockets. There seems to be an app for everything these days. How did we get things done before computers? As it turns out, we got things done just as well thank you very much. This is my new thinking. Tech is great, but we already have a decent device built in - our brains - and I'm going to start using mine more.
The age of imagination
I'm in the age group that grew up BC (before computers) where we used our brains to make the best of our environments. Fun was improvised from combining imagination with a stick, a cardboard box & role play - not an iPad. We were fortunate to live in an era when kids went out to play all day long, doing things like building ramps for our bikes or making tree houses. At 13, I also had a computer for Christmas and I enjoyed playing games on it for limited periods of the day - because I enjoyed hanging out with my friends going for adventures on my BMX more. Whenever I wanted to meet with friends, we'd call, arrange a time and stick to a specific meeting place - and there'd be only really good excuses for a no-show and we'd be rarely more than just a few minutes late. TV would be allowed, but there were only a few channels and films would mean a special trip to the cinema. So Lego and Mechano were good alternatives for creating some fun - a book or drawing were also options readily available on-hand too.
Memory Man
It seems we've lost the ability to retain info as our smart phones replace our brains. I'd become so reliant on my iPhone lately that I'd struggle to remember the events from the day until I checked my notes. I am in danger of becoming like the character from the film Momento - taking pictures just to remember what I'd been doing on a daily basis.
Power of the pen
I used to carry a small notebook and pen around with me and jot down everything that I needed to remember. The process of writing - the physical actions of scribing and underlining, used to help cement the thoughts in my mind. With the advent of smart phones and the many reminder-note apps available, the process of making todo lists has become so easy that my phone has loads of them. They remain there still unchecked, likely because there are so many and the value of them has diminished. This is likely in part, because they have become so easy to make that they immediately get taken over by the next reminder. I have to jot down things before sleeping just to remember them in the morning or else they'd be gone from memory and this never used to be the case.
Time wasting
So I need my phone to write my blog. I've ditched my computer for a few days and only checking emails intermittently and yet I spent ages farting around with my phone yesterday. No signal, wifi not connecting, blog not updating (losing recent changes), low battery, plug socket dodgy so not charging...sound familiar? This consumed valuable minutes yesterday as I tried to do some some tasks that took away from being in the present moment - and wasting time that I could have been enjoying.
Time and a place
My time is going to be managed much better from now on to restrict using the computer or any smart tech unless it's really needed. I'll use memory visualisation and association techniques where possible or carry a pen and paper so not reliant on battery life. Phones will not be used when I'm in company unless it's a benefit for all...
